Well, this great game of bingo has two versions. One of the versions is called the seventy five ball bingo. This version of bingo is mostly played in the United States. In this version of the game a total of seventy five numbers are announced in five columns of fifteen numbers each. The card in the seventy five ball version has twenty five squares consisting of five across and five down forming a square shape. The numbers on the card have been randomly selected from one to seventy five. These cards also have a code printed on them for verification purposes.
The second version of bingo is known as the ninety ball version this version of bingo is usually played in the United Kingdom and Australia. The cards in this version of bingo are called tickets these tickets consist of three rows and nine columns. These tickets are part of a card consisting of six tickets. Out of the nine squares on each row five of them have numbers from one to ninety while the others are blank.
Every session of ninety ball bingo has three winning patterns, which means three possibilities of winning. These possibilities are through either a single, two or three horizontal lines. A full house is called when three horizontal lines are completed. There is a separate prize for each winning pattern.
Major difference between ninety ball bingo and seventy five ball bingo is that ninety ball bingo can have three winners in a single game. Another advantage with ninety ball bingo is you can either choose to buy a single ticket or a full strip of tickets. Ninety ball bingo is also considered more rewarding as you get to win three prizes within a single game. Since ninety ball bingo has more prizes and a higher chance of winning it’s also very popular online.
Basic principles of both ninety ball and seventy five bingo is the primarily same both versions include balls with numbers painted on them and a ball dispenser (that’s what I call them) from which they randomly roll out. Every person playing the game has a set of cards with numbers printed on them and those numbers are to be crossed out as each number is announced. The first person to shout out bingo and have five numbers marked in a line wins. The objective of both versions is to involve people in a non competitive type social activity.
By: Kenneth Wilson
Millions of people play bingo and millions more are keen to give it a try. Online bingo now makes it possible for almost anyone to play without leaving the comfort of your home. But if you are new to bingo or it’s been a few years since you played, you should make sure you know the rules.
Now this is not a difficult task because the rules of bingo are both few and easy. Learn the rules and then give yourself some fun – and possibly even some winnings – with a game of bingo.
In short you have a caller, a person who runs the bingo game. He or she calls out individual numbers. These numbers are selected at random by either choosing a card with a number on it or choosing a numbered ball from a box of numbered balls. It’s simply a game of chance although you must have your wits about you.
Every player must have at least one bingo card and the word BINGO must be clearly shown on the top of the card. If you want to increase your chances of winning, you can purchase more cards. Each card will have a series of numbers in columns. The aim is to draw a line between five numbers as they are announced by the caller.
There are other items a player can purchase to play bingo but the minimum is the correct bingo card and a marker to mark your bingo card if your numbers are called.
Some bingo games have variations to their rules. Sometimes the five numbers must be in a certain line or pattern or in any pattern or sometimes they must simply be the correct five numbers.
It’s important that you understand the required version of the correct numbers before you start to play each game. This is where knowing the bingo rules, the simple bingo rules, are so important. You don’t want to obtain the correct numbers only to have them in the wrong pattern. Most bingo games require the winning player to have a single line between the five winning numbers.
The caller always places every called number to one side once each number is announced. This is so any player who claims to have the correct numbers can have their claim verified. Usually the caller is the judge or person who examines any card which claims to be the winner but some games will have an independent person to do this – someone other than the caller.
The end of each game of bingo is clearly defined in the rules. A game is over when the first player to claim all five numbers in the pattern announced for the game has had their claim verified.
One interesting aspect of the formal rules of bingo is that prizes are optional. If you wish to play online bingo or any game for that matter, check to see if there is a prize or reward for the person who wins the game. A prize will be great but for many people the reward is the fun and enjoyment of the game and the people you meet in playing bingo.
By: Sheila Danes
