Bingo Rules: The Ultimate Guide on How Bingo Is Played
If you want to play bingo but are unfamiliar with rules, consider this your ultimate guide to bingo rules.
Read on to learn about bingo rules, etiquette, versions, ways to win, and where to play this exciting game suitable for all ages.
Gameplay: Bingo Rules
So let’s dive into some of the basic rules of bingo games. The beauty of bingo is how easy it is to play and enjoy once you know a few bingo rules!
Tickets
To play bingo, you need a ticket or a bingo card. Bingo cards are paper or cardboard with a grid and randomised numbers and letters inside the boxes. At most bingo halls, you purchase a bingo ticket before the game begins to ensure fairness.
To increase your chances of winning, you can buy multiple tickets, usually as many as you want! Some bingo clubs may restrict the number of tickets a single player can purchase.
Callers
Bingo callers are the people or the person who pulls the bingo balls and calls the numbers and letters out. The caller's job is to keep the game moving and ensure everyone hears the numbers throughout the game.
They’re also responsible for noticing winners, assessing potential winning cards, and tracking what numbers have already been called. Bingo calls should be loud and clear, usually repeated two or three times for clarity.
Daubing
Daubing is the simple act of marking a box on your sheet after the number has been called. Players typically do this with a fat felt tip pen. The pen should be dark enough to see but light enough that it does not obscure the number in the box.
Online bingo games often have something called “auto-daubing,” where your scorecard immediately and automatically reflects the number called.
Types of Bingo
Below is a brief explanation of the different versions of bingo you can play.
90-Ball
90-ball bingo is the most popular version of this game. People play 90-ball bingo online and in bingo halls. There are three stages and three winners.
The first winner must complete a horizontal row, the second must have two full horizontal rows, and the third must daub every single square on their card. The game ends after the caller draws 90 bingo balls, so sometimes there are not three winners by the end.
80-Ball
80-ball bingo is common on bingo sites and ideal for playing bingo online. To win, you must daub a complete row according to the pattern on your bingo card. Each column has a number range, so the first row is 1-20, the second is 21-40, and so on. The card is a 4x4 grid with 16 numbers and several patterns, such as four corners, horizontal lines, and vertical lines. The game ends after 80 ball pulls.
75-Ball
Another popular version of bingo is 75-ball, which has 25 squares and a blank square in the centre. You need one row marked off in any direction to win, horizontal, vertical, or diagonal. You can play online or at bingo halls.
30 Ball
30-ball, also known as speed bingo, is the fastest version of this game. The caller only pulls 30 balls, and bingo cards only have nine numbers. To win, you must mark off every number on your card, and this version only has one winner.
Slingo
Slingo is a hybrid version of 75 ball, which works like slot games. It’s a slot machine made to look like a bingo card, and players pull the lever to spin the reels. On your actual bingo card, you cross off the numbers that appear on the slit machine reels. You only get 20 spins to complete your bingo card.
Getting The Prize: Winning Combinations
Depending on the bingo game, there can be different rules to deliver the prize. Below are various types of wins in a game of bingo.
Line Bingo
Line bingo is the most common type of win, where you only need to mark off one complete line. Some versions specify the type of line, whether vertical, horizontal, or diagonal.
Two Lines Bingo
Two lines bingo means you need two lines daubed. The rules can change, as some versions don’t count diagonal lines or intersecting lines. Some versions all restrict winning lines to the vertical or horizontal direction.
Full House Bingo
A full-house bingo win is simple. You must mark off every square on your board to win, so it can sometimes take a while.
Four Corners Bingo
Four corners bingo wins occur when you mark off the four corner squares of your bingo ticket. This type of win is very different, as the winning squares do not touch one another.
Bingo Hall Etiquette
There are also unwritten rules in the game of bingo, especially when you play in a bingo hall. To ensure you don’t make a bingo misstep and offend any die-hard bingo players, be a good sport and follow the unwritten rules that we wrote down for you!
Modifying Your Ticket
You should not cheat in any game you play. Modifying your bingo ticket in any way is cheating. For example, attempting to turn a one into a four or something else shady is cheating and would disqualify you from the game if someone saw you or the caller could tell from your ticket.
Chit Chat
You can talk if you want to, but you should be considerate and take the game seriously. If you go to a bingo hall with a friend and chat loudly the entire time, you are tainting the bingo experience for everyone else. You may distract the caller or talk over the caller, so people miss the letters and numbers.
Marked Territory
Some people have lucky seats, and you should respect them. It may sound silly, but avid bingo players who frequent the same bingo halls often have a lucky or special seat. Even if you aren’t a superstitious person, you should respect others’ rituals and beliefs.
Keep Them In Your Head
To eliminate confusion, don’t repeat the numbers and letters aloud. Ideally, the caller's voice is the only one everyone can hear, as this helps people focus on the game and prevent misunderstandings. So keep the calls in your head!
Untouchable
Everyone should respect the caller. No matter what you think or how you feel, your bad luck and lack of success are not the caller’s fault. Under no circumstances should you ever contradict, counter, harass, or otherwise bother the caller. They are doing their job!
Bingo or No Bingo
Only shout bingo when you are positive! Shouting bingo prematurely is embarrassing, and it wastes everyone’s time. So if you think you have bingo, double-check, and triple-check, and then quadruple-check until you would stake your life on this bingo!
Bingo Hall vs Online Bingo
Playing online bingo can be as fun as playing at a bingo hall. You can win similar prizes when playing online bingo as in bingo halls.
Usually, both online bingo and bingo halls offer cash prizes or gift cards! But you can play on sites like Mecca Bingo and stay in the comfort of your own home! But bingo halls offer a fun,sociablel gaming experience for all ages.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know the basic bingo rules, there is no reason you can't start playing and enjoying yourself! Whether you play online or at a bingo hall, it’s easy to get into the competitive spirit of this exciting game.