Bingo has become one of America’s favorite games of chance since it was invented in 1929. Because the rules of bingo are simple and the game can be played anywhere with almost no equipment, bingo is often used in fundraisers and even as an instructional tool to teach kids math and English.
Bingo’s Changing Rules
Something important to keep in mind is that bingo rules are flexible. That means there are different variants of what constitutes a winning play: sometimes it’s a certain combination of numbers, while sometimes lines, columns or full cards take precedence. This is especially true in online casinos, which can sometimes adapt the rules in order to provide a new twist. Before you start playing bingo somewhere, always remember to read the rules and regulations to see how they differ from the basic game play outlined here.
Basic Rules for Playing
In order to play bingo, you first need a ticket or card. This is typically a 5×5 grid containing a total of 24 numbers between 1 and 75. The numbers are organized in sections. For example, the first column will contain five numbers between 1 and 15, the second column five numbers between 16 and 30, and so on.
In real-life bingo games, a caller or host pulls random numbers using either a mechanical ball draw or an electronic number generator. When you play bingo online, numbers are generated at random and appear on the screen.
Once a number is called, the player can then check his card to see if the number is there. If it is, you can mark or cross-out the number. Some online casinos allow you to click on the number to mark it, while others do it automatically for you. Again, this depends on rules set in advance, so make sure you understand the game setup before you play.
How Winning Works
The basic winning bingo play is a line across the card. That means a vertical, horizontal or diagonal line that includes all numbers on that line. In the case of a diagonal line, that means all the numbers going from one upper corner to one lower corner on the card.
In addition, some bingo games allow for other winning patterns. For example, filling out a 2×2 square on the upper-right-hand area is sometimes called a “postage stamp win.” In other occasions, players might need to fill out squares in all four corners in order to win. These patterns are always added as extra winning options over the traditional line wins that are typical in all bingo games.
