Playing Bingo - Online vs. Genuine Bingo Halls

By John Waltzer

Bingo is a modern version of the game of "Beano". Beano was so named, because in the game, players were required to cover the numbers appearing on their cards with beans. In earlier days, people who wanted to have fun and at the same time donate money for a worthy cause played bingo primarily in churches and other charities. Today, people are attracted to online bingo mainly due to the cash prizes and rewards such as mobile phones, DVD players and home theater systems, on offer. Nowadays, UK Bingo is often played with cards that are marked with fluorescent ink, allowing players to see the numbers even while playing in dark halls. Bingo is an easy game and can be played almost anywhere; be it your home, hall, or park depending on the number of people participating in a game. With the advent of the Internet, it has also become possible for Bingo lovers to play online games and take part in online Bingo tournaments. Because of the influence of online gambling, the game of bingo has become a worldwide phenomenon among people of all ages and occupations. Bingo’s popularity is fast gaining prominence over many other traditional casino games with the launch of numerous user-friendly online bingo websites.

Game Fundamentals and Rules

Bingo has a few basic rules that are applicable to games played in land-based bingo halls as well as online games that are played in virtual bingo rooms. In land-based games, the numbers are physically drawn by an attendant or host who calls out the number over a microphone. The players just need to keep marking off the drawn numbers until they win. In online bingo games, the numbers are generated randomly by a software program. In many online bingo sites, players do not even have to click on the drawn numbers, as the software automatically marks the numbers when they are generated. As soon as the markings on the virtual bingo card makes a certain pattern required for winning, the player can press on the "bingo" tab on the web page. The winning criteria may vary depending on the site, which may have different rules and conditions.

Bingo Cards and Virtual Bingo Cards

Bingo is completely based on chance and does not require any prior knowledge or special skills. Players just need to keep marking the numbers on the bingo cards until they win. Bingo cards used in both land based games as well as online games have a 5 x 5 grid pattern with different numbers (1 to 75) printed on it at random. The columns of bingo cards are marked with the letters ‘B’, ‘I’, ‘N’, ‘G’, and ‘O’ from left to right. The first column contains five random numbers between 1 and 15, the second column has numbers from 16 to 30, the third column has numbers from 31 to 45, the fourth column has numbers from 46 to 60, and the fifth column has numbers from 61 to 75. Although a number can appear only once on a bingo card, the number of combinations that are possible for the bingo cards is limitless.

About Bingo Cards

In general, land-based bingo cards come in large booklets along with the calling number jokes and a number board. A few vendors replenish the bingo card supply every few months for a nominal fee or at times at no extra cost. These arrangements are created for bingo halls that hold an average of four to five games per day and cater to a large audience. However, for household games and charity events, such arrangements are not necessary. Cards for such games can be downloaded and printed off the Internet through online bingo portals and bingo equipment websites. Many websites have the provision of free printable bingo cards. All that users have to do is log on to the site, follow instructions, download and print or print while still online. Many online portals provide this facility at a price, but are prepared to give customers some downloads for a free trial.

Endearing Criteria and Patterns

In most variations of land-based games, a player is declared a winner when the markings on the card make a certain pattern, which may be five continuous markings; be it diagonally or in any one of the five rows or columns. A ‘full house’ is also a common winning criterion wherein the winner needs to have all the numbers marked on his/her bingo card. There is no standard winning criteria and a game organizer can define any number of winning criteria based on his/her imagination. The winning criterion may require players to have one marking in every row, one marking in every column, complete two rows, complete two columns, or any other possible combination. In land-based games, when a player fulfills the required winning criteria, he/she just needs to shout out the word "bingo" and claim his prize. This is necessary since there is only one prize for fulfilling one wining criteria and chances are that more than one player might have fulfilled the winning criteria.

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Casino/Gambling Information:

Related Articles

No Deposit Online Casino Bonus is for Lucky and Wise Only - The Myth of Free Money
No deposit bonuses are very popular, especially among "not-so-wealthy" online casino players who want to play but are not so eager to give out money.Although giving away free money doesn't seem to be a very wise thing to do (average no deposit bonus is around $10), thousands of online casinos are doing it and most of them are very happy about it too.
Pyramid Solitaire: A Strategy Guide For Beginners
Pyramid Solitaire is a fun solitaire game, with a very distinctive opening tableau in the shape of a pyramid. There is a large element of luck involved, but there are certain strategies that can be used to dramatically increase your chances of winning.
The History of Poker Chips
Gaming chips have been made from a wide range of materials in an almost infinite variety of styles since the birth of gambling and the need to keep track of winnings. The most common material types used today in the manufacture of modern poker chips are plastic, clay composite, and acrylic composite.
Craps 101: What You Need to Know About
Alternatively called as Hazard, Craps has been here since centuries. Now the game has been brought to the visitor's PC.
Online Gambling For Newbies
Often incorporating creative and realistic graphics along with high tech software, online casinos offer a wide variety of game themes with Slot Machines, Roulettes, Craps, Specialty games, Black Jack and Poker rooms. Anyone new to online gaming will want to do a bit of reading up on whats popular and who is reputable before they reach for their credit card.
A Receipe to Success
FreeAdGuru Steven says it is all about pre selling. Do not sell the product Do the preselling.
Playing Ace-King in Texas Holdem
Everyone who plays Texas Holdem knows that Ace-King is one of the very best starting hands. But, it is just that, a starting hand.
Roulette - An Easy Method
Here is a very simple method that gives you the chance to win big if your numbers come up.Although you cannot change the odds against you in roulette, there is one way of betting that we recommend to make the game a bit more exciting and perhaps increase your chances if your lucky.
After the Flop
After the flop, your hand is pretty much defined. Before the flop, you have seen only 2 cards out of the total 7 cards that will eventually be in play.
Why Use an Internet Sports Book to Make Wagers?
Although I started using online sportsbooks almost ten years ago, I still maintained contact with a couple of local books for the express purpose of getting better lines with regard to the local or favorite teams of choice in my neck of the woods, the reasoning of course was so that if I saw "Value" in going against the the local or favorite teams of choice then what better place to get the best line when going against them then in their home area?However, a not so funny thing happened when one of the locals that I was using got crushed one week three years ago and skipped town and in doing so stiffed me for $1200, since that point in time I have wagered strictly online!I have always held the believe that if you want the beat deal available then it would be foolhardy to purchase the first car that you see at the first dealership that you visit, that very same line of logical thinking should be applied to "Sports investment" and of course is the very reason why I personally use four different "outs" as a means of gaining as much of an edge as possible with regard to finding the best line on games that I am wagering on, sometimes a half of a point here or a half of a point there can make all the difference in a winning week versus a break even or losing week.It never ceases to amaze me for example how some people will be totally misers with regard to insisting that any light on in a room with no one in it is a capital crime, these same individuals always seem to be the ones not willing to take the wife and kids to a movie or out to a restaurant for lunch or dinner because they may have to fork over a few dollars on something they consider unwarranted and wasteful.
Video Poker
Video poker is usually played against a machine, which displays the player's cards on a screen. Combining elements of poker and slots, this form poker is one of the few games in the casino where you can actually have a realistic expectation of winning, as opposed to depending on the pure luck of slot machine games or roulette.
Roulette System: 4 Most Important Factors To Beat Roulette at Online/Offline Casino
In this article, you are going to learn aboutthe most important factors to beat the roulette and the entire casino including most of its games.Very few people get rich gambling but you can win and I will show you how!For over 60 years, casino style gambling has been legal in the state of Nevada, USA.
Types of Online Roulette
Roulette - American and EuropeanAs many casino-savvy players already know, there are two main forms of online roulette. I plan on covering some of the differences between the two versions of this popular casino game and in doing so, helping you, the player, decide which game suits you best.
The Adventure for Poker Gold
From the drama TILT made by ESPN to the deal Chris Moneymaker signed with Death Row Records to create Moneymaker Gaming, business continues to create strange bedfellows. Everyone seems to be trying to find the pot of gold at the end of the poker rainbow.
Roulette System: Illegal Tactics Casino Use Against You
Roulette System: "The Almost Illegal Tactic Casinos Use Against You So They Win"This article is going to show you an evil tactic the casino and Las Vegas employsso you lose more and win less. Let's face it,you go to have some fun and win money.
Video Poker - Should You Play Maximim Coins?
The arguments are almost endless about whether or not to play the maximum number of coins on each hand in video poker. We'll attempt to make some sense of it for you.
Poker Tournament - Blind Stealing Strategy
Poker tournaments are often not epic confrontations between two premium hands in the later rounds when it all is decided. They are generally 60/40 or closer confrontations, which ultimately decide the outcome.
Are You Addicted To Gambling?
Most people know the answer to this question. You don't have to think twice.
Poker Table Position
Poker seating and the position one has at the table is one of the most important and least talked about aspects of poker. It's especially relative to the Texas Hold'Em poker game because it is positional in nature.
World Series of Poker Tournament Circuit
On October 25, 2004 Harrah's announced the creation of the World Series of Poker Tournament Circuit that marked the beginning of the 36th annual World Series of Poker season. And with it began their efforts to evolve the World Series of Poker from a month long frenzied rush into a year long sport.