1. How to play bingo.

Here you'll learn the basic game play in order to start quickly and begin enjoying bingo. Bingo is a game of chance and fun for everyone to play.

History.

There are different accounts of the history of bingo. While the origin of bingo may have come from Italy in 1530, modern bingo has it's roots sunk in the United States in 1929, where soon after it was then called Beano (Wikipedia: Bingo U.S. ). The story goes that the game changed to Bingo when a winner accidentally called out "Bingo" upon winning Beano.

General game play.

Bingo is a game of chance that uses number one to seventy five. Game play consists of using pre numbered game cards, each containing 25 numbers, broken down into five columns with 5 numbers in each (click on camera icon for picture). A bingo caller announces numbered balls one at a time, in about 12 second interval. As the ball's number is called out that number on a bingo board is lit. At the same time players look to see if they have the number called on their card. If a player has the number called on their card they mark that number with a colored marker (dauber) or object to denote that they have the number on their card. When a player marks enough numbers on their card that they can match the bingo pattern (see Game Types) for that game - they win that game! Simple game patterns are five numbers in an up, across or diagonal line. See the Practice Bingo page to see a bingo pattern. Practice Bingo

What does the game board display look like?

The game board display is about 10 feet long. As the caller calls a bingo ball number, he/she simultaneously presses that corresponding light for that bingo ball and that number then lights up on the board. The bingo board also displays the bingo pattern for the current game.

What is a bingo dauber?

A bingo dauber is the name of the ink stamp bottle used to mark your cards when you have a number that was called during the game bingo. Select the camera to see an image of a bingo dauber.

What does bingo cost?

Bingo will range in the area of $20.00 for one or two sheets of bingo cards. Each bingo card sheet typically comes with 6 bingo cards on it. Though the more cards on the sheet the more the sheet will cost. Bingo sheets can come with as little as a single card on them to upward as many as eighteen from what I've seen. Bingo sheets usually are comprised of 10 to 20 game sheets. Click on the image of the camera to see a 9-card bingo sheet.

You've won! Now what do I do?

When you realize that you have covered or marked all the necessary numbers required for the bingo pattern being played, you should call out BINGO!. Some people get creative and call out other things.

What do I win? When do I get it?

If you are playing bingo at a recognized establishment you will usually win money. The amount of money you win depends on how much the establishment states it is. Usually the amount you can win is documented on the bingo agenda sheets available when you buy your bingo cards.

When Bingo! Is called out, the volunteers will need to verify the bingo. A volunteer will read out loud your bingo card's serial number to the bingo caller. All bingo cards have a unique number to allow for them to be checked for accuracy against the bingo computer software. Yes, there usually is a computer with a game program that the bingo caller operates. If you see a large digital bingo board with lights, the bingo caller is usually using bingo game software program.

Now that you know the general game play relating to Bingo, move on to the next class.