Our simple guide to the game of Bingo

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Bingo is a game that’s been around for a long time, with players across the centuries drawn to its simple gameplay and core premise. It doesn’t matter whether you play in a land-based venue or Bingo rooms online, there are plenty of options out there for players looking for a game of Bingo.

But with so many options – and a few different varieties of Bingo to choose from – here’s our simple guide to Bingo and how to play a game.

The basics of Bingo

You probably already know the basic concept of Bingo, but we’ll lay it out just in case. In a game of Bingo players aim to mark numbers off their cards as the caller draws random numbers. Whoever is the first to match off a specific pattern – whether that’s a row, column, diagonal or shape – or simply all of the numbers on their card wins the game.

The exact pattern you need to mark off depends on the variation of the game you’re playing, with some like 90-ball Bingo having payouts for the first player to mark off each of the three lines on their card.

The Bingo card

The main focus of attention in a Bingo game is the player’s card, although the exact format of it will vary between different games.

In a 75-ball Bingo game – the format most favoured in the US – the card is set up as a 5×5 grid with a total of 25 spaces. The central square is usually left blank as a free space, while each of the five columns contains numbers within a certain range. The first column has numbers between one and 15, the second has numbers between 16 and 30, and so on.

This grid is also used as the basis for plenty of other Bingo variations, such as Speed Bingo where players have a smaller version of the grid at 3×3 to match the smaller number of balls used in this format.

The other major Bingo card format is the one seen in 90-ball Bingo – the UK variety. This card features three rows of 9 spaces, creating a longer card often referred to as a ticket. Not all of the spaces on a 90-ball Bingo card are filled, with a combination of numbers and free spaces giving players a greater degree of flexibility in their play.

Winning patterns

In most Bingo games, the ultimate aim is to be the first to mark off every number on a Bingo card, known as a full house. But that isn’t the only way for players to get a payout in most games of Bingo. Plenty of games have payouts for the first player to complete each row, or even just a specific pattern specified by the game.

Some examples of patterns used in games include four corners – where players must mark off each of the corner numbers on the card, sometimes in addition to the central square. Complex shapes such as an X, T or box pattern are also common patterns.

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Whatever game of Bingo you choose to play, make sure to check the specific format and its rules upfront. Some games of Bingo look quite different to each other, so it’s best to know the exact variation you’re playing before you sit down or join an online Bingo room.