Everybody has heard about bingo – and if anyone doesn’t, he/she probably belongs to a small cross section of the human population. Since bingo is a highly popular game, which has been around for centuries, almost everyone has either heard of it or played it in some form or the other.
All gaming enthusiasts know the thrill of being the first person to mark off all the numbers on a ticket, yell “bingo,” and grab the prize. Bingo is also the favorite game of churches and non-profit organizations, which have understood and utilized its potential to raise funds for worthwhile causes.
Basic Rules of Bingo
Bingo is a charming game of chance in which numbers are eliminated by marking them off as they are being called; and the player who marks them off first is the winner. Bingo rules state that each player will receive a ticket or several tickets comprising numbers from 1 – 90 or 1 – 75 depending on the variant that is being played.
A bingo caller then calls out the numbers; and if players spot the number on their tickets, they will have to mark them off. The aim is to be the first player to mark off all the numbers on a ticket.
According to bingo rules, a gamer who is playing bingo in a land-based bingo hall will have to mark off the numbers manually with a marker pen. But a player who is playing at an online bingo site can simply sit back and relax or chat and play chat games or have a spin on the slot machine games while the computer marks off the numbers on their tickets as and when they are called.
Bingo Variants
Although bingo has several variants, the same basic bingo rules govern each variant and players will only have to learn how to play the game. The common variants of bingo are the British 90 Ball, its American 75 Ball counterpart, and 80 Ball. The 90 Ball variant is widely played in UK bingo halls.
Most online bingo sites offer a wide range of variants such as Speed Bingo, which is over almost before players know it and Pattern Bingo, which requires players to complete certain patterns on their bingo tickets. Players can also learn how to play progressive jackpot bingo games such as Jackpotjoy.com’s Bingo 20, Tombola Bingo’s Bubble Bingo or Bingo 50, and many more.
Bingo Prizes
The 90 Ball variant of bingo carries three varieties of prizes.
The one-line prize is given to the player who is the first to complete one horizontal line, the two-line prize is bagged by the player who is the first to complete two horizontal lines; and the full-house prize is bagged by the player who marks off all the numbers on his/her ticket.
Most Pattern Bingo games are 75 Ball games. In addition to numbers from 1 – 75, the 75 Ball bingo tickets bear different types of patterns such as letters, numbers, or objects.
The prize goes to the player who is the first to mark off this pattern. This variant also carries a cover-all prize or a full-house prize.
