Bingo is a game familiar to millions of people across the world and most have played the game at least once in their lives. However if you are not one of them a wish to learn how to play here is how to play bingo:
Firstly the player receives a bingo card with a random combination of numbers printed on it. The types of card may differ between countries with UK cards having 3 rows and 9 columns with a possible 90 numbers to choose from. US cards are arranged in a 5 row by 5 column grid with a possible 75 numbers to choose from. The player will also receive a marker or bingo dauber to mark off numbers on their cards if they come up.
In the traditional game played in bingo halls or other such venues the full complement of bingo balls (90 UK, 75 US) are put into the bingo machine mixed together and then drawn out one by one at random. The bingo caller will shout out the numbers as they are drawn from the machine often in a particular manner relating to the numbers drawn so as to make the numbers clear to the players and add an element of fun to the game (such as ‘Two Fat Ladies’ for the number 88)!
If the numbers drawn correspond to the numbers on the player’s card they can be marked off. What is necessary to win will be made clear at the start of the game, these may include a full horizontal line, vertical line, diagonal line and always a full house (when all numbers on the players card have been drawn out). If the player has a line on their card they will usually shout out ‘LINE’, and be awarded the corresponding prize. If the player has a full house with all the numbers marked off they can shout ‘BINGO’ and that present game will end and the prizes awarded.
Today many people play bingo online. It is played in much the same way however most of the game play tends to be automated with the player’s numbers automatically marked off as they come up. A random number generator is used to decide which balls are drawn. Big cash and gift prizes are offered by many online bingo halls nowadays with huge online games with multiple participants active every week.