Bingo Rules and Etiquette
What happens when somebody gets the bingo card pattern? The customary way to announce that you’ve won is simply to yell “Bingo!” loud enough for the caller to hear. Once bingo is called, an assistant (sometimes called a floor walker) will come to the table right away to verify the bingo.
The floor walker will call out the winning numbers for the caller to verify or, in fancier setups, will simply call out an identification number on the card, which the caller punches into a computer that automatically verifies or rejects the bingo. Depending on where you play, the winning bingo card may be posted for the remainder of the night so other players can inspect it. Disputes are not that common — either you bingo or you don’t — but when discrepancies pop up, the bingo manager usually has the final say.
If two people call bingo on the same number, the jackpot is split evenly between them. Likewise, if three people call it, the house divides the pot three ways.
Common Rules
Since no two bingo halls operate exactly the same way, it’s a good idea to read the posted rules thoroughly before the session begins. Be sure to look for special handouts; any extra printed rules for the night supersede what is posted.
Whatever you do, don’t try to alter a bingo card! It’s not worth it, and no experienced bingo manager or caller will fall for it. Many, if not most, halls will be happy to make an example of anyone caught cheating, prosecuting to the full extent of the law. Play it safe by following the rules and being honest. Below are some common rules you may encounter:
- In most halls, players must be 18 years of age or older.
- Some halls prohibit alcoholic beverages, while others will sell beer along with soft drinks. Outside food and drinks are usually frowned upon, since most establishments want you to buy their hot dogs, chips, and soda.
- During special high-stakes games, management may prohibit players from entering and leaving the hall.
- Reserving specific cards may not be allowed.
- Typically, people are not allowed to sit and watch while friends or relatives play; each seated person may be required to have their own buy-in. Some halls may require seated players to have an attendance ticket in plain view while they play.
- If a player has bingo, it’s up to him or her to stop play before the next number is called by announcing “bingo!” loud enough for the caller to hear. It’s important to know that bingo must be claimed on the most-recent number called. If the caller has already started announcing the next ball, it’s too late to call bingo. Likewise, as soon as the caller closes the game and drops the balls for the next game, any missed bingos become invalid.
One practical point: Bring a photo ID in case you hit the big one. For large jackpots, players might have to produce a Social Security card as well and fill out earnings and tax reporting forms on the spot. Also, the hall may reserve the right to publicize winners or winning cards.
Bingo Etiquette
Bingo players are a friendly lot who will be more than glad to talk you through any bingo problems you might have. But don’t forget that you’re on their turf. Miss Manners doesn’t have much to say about bingo specifically, so here are some tips to follow to avoid stepping on any toes as you make your way through the bingo hall.
Pipe down. The most important of all unwritten rules. You’ll notice that regular players pipe down instantly as soon as the caller gets down to business.
Watch out for lucky seats. Some players are very particular about where they sit. If you grab a seat that happens to be a lucky one, you might be asked to move. It’s a good idea to go along with the request.
Don’t be a parrot. Some people have a habit of repeating numbers as they are called. This might help them concentrate, but it can be very distracting for other players. Try to keep talking and extra noise to an absolute minimum while numbers are being called.
Keep kids quiet. Most people will understand if you have to bring the kids, but they won’t tolerate rambunctious youngsters running around and yelling while they are trying to concentrate. Bring an activity or three to keep your children occupied while you play. Sometimes, the hall may offer “fun” bingo cards to keep the kiddies occupied.
Don’t take out your frustrations on the caller. Occasionally, players on a losing streak have been known to express their displeasure by yelling “change the caller” or making other derisive or sarcastic comments the caller can hear. Chill out! The caller can’t control destiny. If there is a genuine caller problem, try saying, “Louder, please” or “Slow down, please” loudly but politely. If that doesn’t work, take the problem to the bingo manager.
Think before you call bingo. Calling bingo stops the flow of the game. If it’s a false bingo, regular players might get exasperated with you, particularly if they’ve already started crumpling up the last game’s paper sheets in frustration.
Only smoke in the designated areas. Smoking and bingo are inseparable in the minds of many enthusiasts, and in fact, bingo halls may be the last indoor establishments in America that welcome smokers. But for some players, cigarette smoke can ruin enjoyment of the game or even make them feel sick, especially in a poorly ventilated hall. Try to respect the nonsmoker’s space.
First-time and infrequent bingo players can get in sinc with a game quickly by following the playing tips of seasoned players mentioned in the next section.
Bingo Rules
Rules and how to play Bingo, number calling, and online bingo: Bingo is played in halls. Bingo rules and payouts and play variations vary from place to place. Bingo brochures detailing particular games, rules and payouts are usually available at each respective location.
Basically, players buy cards with numbers on them in a 5 x 5 grid corresponding to the five letters in the word B-I-N-G-O. Numbers such as B-2 or 0-68 are then drawn at random (out of a possible 75 in American Bingo, and 90 in British and Australian Bingo) until one player completes a ‘Bingo‘ pattern, such as a line with five numbers in a vertical, horizontal or diagonal row on one of their cards and wins the prize. There are many possible patterns to play for. See here examples of bingo patterns (link opens new window).
A bingo Card contains 24 numbered spaces and one free space (blank), with which you play BINGO. The numbers are assigned at random on each card and are arranged in five columns of five numbers each by five rows (5 x 5 = 25 in total including the blank square).
The numbers in the B column are between 1 and 15, in the I column between 16 and 30, in the N column (containing four numbers and the free space) between 31 and 45, in the G column between 46 and 60, and in the O column between 61 and 75.
Players have thousands of unique (unduplicated) cards to choose from. Some manufacturers print unduplicated series of 6,000 cards. There are also series of 9,000 cards available. Hard cards and Flimsy cards have a series number printed on them. For example, card number 1252 will always have the same numbers in the same spaces.
Bingo in the United Kingdom and Australia
In the U.K. Bingo is played mainly in large halls with cash prizes, the larger commercial concerns are linked up with other halls during one particular game in the evening and large cash sums can be won on these.
It is also played in nearly every seaside town in the U.K. on screens in front of the player who pulls a slide across to cover the number called, but, presumably because of our gambling laws, there are no cash prizes, just various items like cuddly toys.
The other times Bingo is played, again for prizes, not cash, is in a myriad of local halls or schools around the country, usually as a fund raiser for various concerns like an old people’s Day Centre. Here the prizes are donated by shopkeepers and businesses in the town and surrounding area and the atmosphere at these Bingo games is usually very relaxed and a fun evening out where everyone is welcome, even children.
The prizes vary for these games but on average a prize for any one line is worth about £1.00 - £2.50 (depending on who is organising the bingo evening), any 2 lines would be worth about £2 - £5 and a full house (all the numbers on a card) worth £5 - £10. They could be boxes of chocolates, bottles of wine, a grocery hamper, a voucher from a local butcher for meat or a cream tea for two at a local tea-shop or even 2 free passes to a swimming pool. Anything really.
U.K. (and Australian) bingo cards have three lines and nine columns (see picture above) and usually come in “Books”; single or multiple. A single book would contain ten 10 pages (10 cards) each of a different colour: Gold, Lime, Violet, Yellow, Pink, Grey, Orange, Blue, Red and White.
A multiple book has 6 single books. Each page in a multiple book has 6 cards of the same colour. The 6 cards on a page are joined with perforated edges and can be pulled apart. Experienced players will play all 6 books and inexperienced players or young children may only play 1 book, or even a single card.
As well as books, there are also single sheets of bingo cards sold with the 6 sections on (six cards) and these are called “Flyers”. Again you can buy just one section or 6 to suit your pocket or your experience. The flyers cost more per game than on the books but the prizes are usually worth a bit more.
In the large towns and cities Bingo is fairly “big business” and people play in deadly earnest, hoping to win that elusive jackpot. In small towns and villages it’s much more of a social occasion with amateur callers and a lot lighter atmosphere.
Australia uses the same bingo cards as in the U.K. In Sydney and Melbourne the callers are incredibly fast. In Perth they call a lot slower.
Number calling
The numbers are announced quickly by the Caller, so you must pay careful attention to the numbers that are called and mark them quickly and accurately on your card(s).
The caller keeps calling numbers until one or more players claim BINGO. Then the game stops and the numbers are verified. If there is a winner, the prize is awarded and a new bingo game begins with new cards. If there is more than one winner, the prize is split among all the winners.
In Las Vegas many variations including Letter X, Six Pack and Coverall Bingo are offered. Additionally, some places offer special progressive payouts as high as $10,000.
Online Bingo
When playing online, your bingo cards are randomly selected for you. Most online games give you 3 or 4 cards. Other games let you take more.
Every online bingo game has a caller or a display board for the bingo numbers. The game pattern is also displayed. Some games automatically mark the numbers on your card for you.
Bingo Rules
Online bingo is a very popular game among people of all ages. It is a good form of enjoyment for thousands of adults and children alike. The beauty of Internet bingo lies in the fact that one can play it from the comfort of one is home at any time. Online bingo is attractive because the prize money runs into thousands of dollars.
One can play online at any of the several gaming rooms, with real money or dummy currency. Many gaming rooms allow players to chat with each other during games. This make the game very social and similar to what one would play in a land-based bingo room.
To play online bingo one has to register at a particular gaming room. Next, one has to purchase bingo cards for the game. Bingo cards are a matrix of five rows and five columns and the central square is blank. Players can play with more than one bingo card at a time. This increases the chances of winning. However, one has to be alert to the numbers called else, one can end up losing more money than expected.
A person called the dealer calls the numbers randomly from 1 to 75. In online games, the computer software does this. All called numbers appear on a display, so that one can check with one’s cards for any missed numbers. Players who have multiple cards can opt for the auto daub facility, which marks the numbers as soon as the dealer calls them.
The purpose of bingo is to form a predecided pattern of numbers. The person who forms this first, calls bingo and he is the winner. In case, more than two people have the winning sequence, they share the prize. The dealer compares the numbers on the players’ cards with those on the display screen. In case they match, that person is the winner and a new game begins.
Online bingo is of two types, straight bingo and point bingo. In straight bingo, players have to form a horizontal, vertical or diagonal sequence with any five numbers. The play proceeds as described above and in case a called number is present on none of the players’ cards, it is given the term no play. In case of a false bingo, the errant player has to pay a fine and the game proceeds for a new bingo.
In point, bingo players compete to make a sequence with the maximum points. The points appear in small print at the bottom of the numbers, on the bingo cards. Players have to make a full row with any five numbers to declare bingo. The player who makes 1000 points first is the winner.
One must be aware of certain combinations that get the player extra points. Sequences passing through the Blank Square or those made with two rows get double the points. A player who makes bingo with two rows in two directions makes a double bingo. He gets the total of both rows and an extra hundred points. In case the bingo includes wither of the rows through the central square, the player gets double points on that row and an additional hundred points. The double bingo gets priority over center bingo in case of a tie between two players. Two players can play point bingo as partners and their individual scores add up to the total score.
Online bingo is thus a simple a game and one can win a lot of money. One should therefore be aware of the rules and winning sequences of the game to maximize one’s gains. One can read up on the bingo site rules at any of the gaming rooms on the Internet.