Most people think Bingo is a game for kindergarten children and old folks in retirement homes. Rarely do people associate the game with a casino.
Sure, Bingo is not as competitive as other gambling games. However, it’s a lot easier to get into and is an excellent way to socialize. Men and women worldwide enjoy the lighthearted nature of the game, and since it’s as serious of a game, it allows people to communicate with each other during play.
Playing Bingo is a great way to spend a night out – even when it’s played online at https://playbingo-online.net/!
The game dates back to 16th century Italy, from where it spread across the continent and became very popular in France. It then made its way across Europe and eventually reached America.
Today, it’s estimated that North Americans spend $90 million weekly playing Bingo, and as many as three million Brits enjoy the game twice a week.
Bingo has several variations, all of which are entertaining. Let’s explore the game’s fun and easy rules and some of its popular variations.
Breakdown of Bingo Rules
Bingo halls have been a popular spot to enjoy the game for decades. However, you can also enjoy Bingo at online and offline casinos and some special communities.
The nice thing about Bingo is that the basic rules remain the same wherever you play and whichever variation you encounter.
Every Bingo game involves and is led by a host or caller. This person is responsible for drawing numbers and announcing them. Random numbers are typically generated from a bag filled with balls, each with a number. Balls are drawn one after another, and the caller announces the number with a microphone.
The RNG is automated if you play Bingo online, so a human caller isn’t involved. You will see the number on the screen.
When you join a game at a venue, you will need to buy a Bingo card, or a strip of cards, to play. You can daub numbers on multiple cards in a single game as long as you can keep up the pace.
When you play Bingo online, you don’t have to use the special pen, the dauber, to mark the numbers. You can simply click the number to mark it if it is on your card.
The winning card is the one in which the announced numbers make a predetermined pattern. If you get the pattern, shout “Bingo!” so the host and other players know. You can click the “Bingo!” button to do this when playing online.
Some online casino Bingo games allow more than one winner. When you shout Bingo, the assistant, operator, or host will check your card and compare it to the numbers announced. If your card checks out, you have won.
Popular Variations of Bingo
Whether you play online or visit a venue, remember that the game has endless variations. The differences in the game typically boil down to branding since the basic rules of Bingo have been the same for centuries.
You might prefer one color scheme or layout to another, so Bingo software creators offer a lot of variety in graphic solutions.
The most popular variations of Bingo include 75-ball, 80-ball, 90-ball, and social Bingo.
1. 75-Ball Bingo
Best known as American Bingo, this variation of Bingo originated in the US. The card has a 5×5 grid, with BINGO printed on top of the columns. The box in the center of the grid typically has a special shape printed on it.
Depending on where you play, it might be a star or a heart. But sometimes, it just says “FREE.” In a 75-ball Bingo game, the host draws 75 balls, and players must either get an X (two lines crossed) or a full house (all numbers marked) to win.
2. 80-Ball Bingo
This game variation involves a Bingo card with 16 numbers spread across a 4×4 grid. It is considered the most dynamic Bingo game of them all. To win, players need to mark numbers in one of the following patterns:
- Four corners
- Diagonal
- Full house
- Horizontal
- Vertical
3. 90-Ball Bingo
The most popular version of Bingo in the UK, 90-ball Bingo, involves a card with a 3×9 grid. All players get a strip of six cards, and it is played with 90 balls. To win, you either need to mark the numbers in one row, two rows, or all three rows.
So, this Bingo game has three winners in every round, and rounds end only after the winners are announced.
4. Social Bingo
A relatively new variant of Bingo, Social Bingo is enjoyed in online casinos. Social Bingo aims to provide players with as close to a Bingo hall experience as possible.
These online casinos allow players to chat with each other, comment on plays and have fun. Social Bingo has facilitated the creation of small communities of online Bingo players that play regularly, even if they’re thousands of miles away.