All About Bingo

Bingo is one of the most popular games played around the world. Considered as one of the many forms of gambling, it is a game of chance that is easy to play.

In order to play bingo, a player needs to have bingo cards. On the face of a bingo card there are five columns corresponding to the letters BINGO. Under each letter are five numbers except for the letter N that has only four numbers. The letter N has only four numbers because the middle space supposedly occupied by a number has the word free on it. Numbers played in bingo are from 1 to 75. Numbers 1 to 15 are under the letter B, 16 to 30 is under I, 31 to 45 under N, 46 to 60 under G and 60 to 75 under the letter O. Aside from the cards, balls printed with numbers are also needed.

Mechanics of the game is simple. The moment all players have their cards, the caller draws a ball. The caller is the person responsible for drawing balls. Once a ball is drawn, the caller announces it to the players who will then mark their cards. The ball drawn by the caller will be set aside. Balls will be drawn continuously by the caller until a player wins by forming a pattern. The caller will stop the game when a player shouts Bingo! Winning patterns may vary every game. Some of the most common patterns are the letter Y, the kite, postage stamp, inner square and lines. Most of the time, the pattern for the jackpot prize is the cover-all or the black out which means all numbers should have been drawn and announced by the caller.

Aside from bingo cards and balls, other equipments used during bingo games, especially at game halls, are blowers and flash boards. A blower has four parts, the chamber where the balls are blown, a tube that allows one ball to be drawn, a master board and another tube that allows drawn balls to return to the chamber. A flash board is a screen that lights up the numbers drawn by the caller. Some flash boards also display the pattern being played and the amount of money to be won by a player or players. In cases of multiple winners, the pot money is divided among them equally.

Bingo is a game enjoyed by many people, especially those who win the jackpot.