When it comes to Bingo, how to play the game will depend on the region you’ll be playing the game in. The rules of Bingo vary for different regions in the same way different online bingo games rules will vary per casino. For example, the playing cards are different for the UK and Australian version of Bingo compared to the American version. Before starting a game of Bingo, it is worth finding out the rules that the group or online casino follows. Before going into detail about the variations, let’s start with the basics.
Bingo – How to Play the Basics
The general components of a Bingo game:
- Bingo tickets/ cards
- Stamp or marker (to mark off a called number)
- A pitchman
- Numbered balls/ cards
- A holder of some sorts for the cards/balls
- The prize/ cash winnings
The game will start off where the players purchase the bingo tickets from the ticket counter. When everyone is ready to play, the pitchman will draw a ball out of the holder and call it out to the crowd. If any player has the matching number that was called out on their card, the player is to mark that number. If a player creates a winning bingo pattern, they are to call out BINGO.
The players Bingo card will be verified by the pitchman or an appointed auditor. If the players’ card is verified, the player will then receive a prize (the prize is usually displayed before a bingo round starts). If more than 1 person calls Bingo and has a winning combination, the prize is then split between the players. Prizes can range from being a cash prize for more serious players or a movie voucher for casual Bingo players.
UK and Australian and American Bingo
The UK and bingo Australia tickets are different to the American Bingo cards. Naturally, the rules of the game will be different, yet only slightly. Essentially with Bingo, how to play the game and follow the rules can be quite simple with practise.
Bingo – How to Play in Australia and UK
The Bingo cards are divided into 3 horizontal and 9 vertical rows and are usually sold in booklets with 10 cards. Each card is usually a different colour with different prize values attached to a colour. The lines do not contain numbers in all the squares. A player can win a prize by being the 1st person to complete a winning horizontal combination as well as matching all numbered squares on the card.
There are many book variations that can be purchased in this version of Bingo.
Bingo – How to Play in America
The American version of the Bingo card is much different. The card is a grid of 5 horizontal and 5 vertical lines and the middle square is blank, this means that there are 24 numbered spaces on the card. The numbers on the cards range from 1 through 75. At the top of the 1st row is the word BINGO.
Beneath the letter “B” you will find any combination of numbers between 1 and 15, beneath the letter “Ï” the numbers between 16 and 30. So it goes on in this pattern with the rest of the board.
The pitchman or caller will call out a letter and number combination drawn from the holder, for example B14 or O72. If the player has this combination on their board, they mark it off on their card. A winning Bingo combination can be created horizontally, diagonally or vertically.