Let's Binge on Bingo!!!

 

If you are new to the wonderful game of Bingo then this article will help you to find your feet in a game that requires patience and fast reaction times, but that, best of all, is fun.

 

Unfortunately, as with all gambling, you need to be careful not to get too carried away or what began as a bit of fun may escalate into an addiction, but on a positive note, a great benefit of playing bingo regularly is the mental exercise it provides you.

 

-In a game of bingo every player is given a book of sheets, upon each sheet will be six different cards, which in the most popular version, when all the numbers on the sheet are accounted for, will have a total of 90 numbers.

 

-On each of the six cards on the sheet there will be 27 spaces which will be laid out in a 3 row 9 column format. None of the numbers on the sheet are duplicated so you will only find the numbers 1-90, with none of the cards having any numbers that are repeated on any of the other cards.

 

-Of the 27 spaces on each individual card 15 will have numbers located in a fixed position for the particular number that is present, for example, if the card you are looking at has the number 1, this will be located in the first space on the first column in the first row, the other cards will all have a blanked out space where the number 1 would have been had it appeared there.

 

In order to play you are required to match the numbers that are being called out by the bingo hall, for the game you are playing, with the numbers that you have on the 6 cards on your sheet, the aim is to fill the card so that the chosen pattern has been completed (the patterns may vary from game to game but you will be told what pattern you need to find).

 

The cards may have the letters B, I, N, G, O as headings at the top of the card with the numbers located underneath, if the caller calls the number 34 then you can look down the I column for the number 34, if you have that number on a card then mark it down using a dabber.

 

The aim for you as a player is to get five numbers marked on your card so that there is a marked number corresponding to each of the letters, i.e. you spell the word bingo with the numbers called.

 

There can be many different patterns, such as houses, stars, blackout (when you have to get all the numbers on the card), U's, T's etc. The moment that you have completed the pattern then you must shout BINGO so that the game is stopped while your card is verified by the bingo hall staff, if you do not call and the game moves on and another player completes the pattern then you will have to share the prize between you, likewise, if two or more players call BINGO on the same number the prize is also shared.

 

The game of bingo is most commonly played in specialised buildings called bingo halls, these are massive rooms with many table at which all the players will be sat, there are usually other gambling games in adjacent rooms, such as slot machines, there will also likely be a bar and somewhere to get food, but they usually only serve between sets of games to avoid putting of the players.

 

Now, you can also play bingo in the comfort of your own home by playing online, but the basic rules remain the same. The dabbing of the sheets will be automated though, this avoids any arguments or problems with internet connections (if you lose the connection you will still win as the cards are pre-selected, through a randomised and fair selection process, to win just before the game begins).

 

Also you will not have to shout bingo, the internet bingo room knows automatically when you have won. Another benefit of playing online is that you can chat with fellow players, something that is frowned upon in real life bingo halls because it is distracting for other players and for yourself, although you will not feel the urge to talk during a real-world game as it is so fast paced and you will be concentrating hard.

 

 

Online you have the opportunity to play with a great deal more cards, because the process is automated, whereas in a bingo hall you will only be able to manage a couple at a time, and that is only once you have mastered the technique, which can be loads of fun but expensive while you are learning as you are likely to make more mistakes.

 

If you are seriously considering playing a game of bingo, then we advise you to go for it, it is loads of fun, exiting and a really good entertaining experience. We think you should at least play in one real-world bingo hall in your lifetime, it is a truly unique experience.