How to play bingo
Bingo has grown in popularity in recent years which is perhaps due to the introduction of online games. The game itself is quite simple to play and is more down to luck rather than any strategy being employed.
In order to play bingo you do not need any specialist skills or knowledge, all you need is a group of friends and a designated bingo caller, or more simply you can take a visit your local bingo or go online to any of the many dedicated bingo sites such as http://meccabingo.com/
.
Whichever way is easiest for you to play the basic ideas of the game are exactly the same, each player buys a card with a 5X5 grid on it that contains 24 numbers and one blank space as well as the letters B-I-N-G-O written across the top. The numbers are a random selection out of a possible 75 in American Bingo, and 90 in British and Australian Bingo. The bingo caller then draws numbered cards or balls at random calling them out to the audience who then mark off that number on their cards. This continues until one player completes a ‘Bingo’ pattern, which is a line with five numbers in a vertical, horizontal or diagonal row on one of their cards and wins the prize.
There are many possible patterns to play for and there are also bingo cards that have the pattern already marked; these have three basic designations. The first of these are static or standard bingo patterns and these patterns cannot be moved or shifted on the bingo card. These are only won when every square of the pattern that is marked on the card is covered. Crazy bingo patterns are also another popular choice. These bingo cards allow the pattern to be rotated in 90 degree increments to make a winning pattern match (by 90°, 180° or 270°). The final basic designation is wild bingo patterns, where the patterns are scattered but stay in the same place but can be located anywhere on the card.