Author: Matt Pelc | Article Posted at: April 23, 09 - 2:13 pm

Getting to Know Bingo

The popularity of the game of bingo translates generations contrary to popular belief.

Bingo in popular culture is often portrayed as a game for the elderly and church picnics. For many decades this may have been true. Think of the game of bingo as “gambling lite.” Sure you are putting precious dollars on the line for a game of chance, but for many cynics of gambling see an exception in the game.

Over the last few decades, the game has spread because of its universal appeal and wide popularity and it is almost as common to see a bingo hall in the a large Las Vegas casino as it is to see it played in the assisted living center.

Even the most novices of us know the basic rules of bingo. You pay entry for a card of scrambled numbers under the letters B-I-N-G-O. A player can play one card or many cards.

Each card has 25 spaces with one space in the middle as a “free space.” To win, a player must match a pattern with the 24 remaining spaces. Numbers drawn in the B-category range from 1-15, I: 16-30, N: 31-45, G: 46-60 and O: 61-75.

The trick to filling out multiple cards is to pay attention. A bingo player has a limited amount of time to scan each of his or her cards for the correct letter-number combination which has just been drawn and announced. The first person to declare bingo (or that they have the required amount of spaces to win) is the winner.

That could mean that you had overlooked one of the drawn numbers and would have had “bingo” before the winner, but had not noticed first. That matters not; the key is to pay attention.

The numbers are drawn, usually ping pong balls out of a hopper, at random and read aloud by the person drawing the numbers or their assistant.

To keep track of numbers, most players use a certain type of marker available at craft stores or provided by the casinos. Some players prefer chips to cover the numbers.

There are plenty of ways to declare bingo-or win.

The most common are by any five spots in a row, whether it be horizontal, vertical or diagonal.

Certain games allow players to win on a variety of patterns, such as an arrow, an A or an H-pattern or a diamond pattern.

If you feel you have “bingo” and call it out and read what you have marked off. If you have all of the correct numbers, you have won!

As always have fun and bet wisely!

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