How many variations of Bingo exist?

• Author: Ed
• Filed under: General
• Date: Jul 6,2008

Today we’re having a bingo round-up.  We’ve been doing a few web searches recently and there are a large number of "exotic" types of bingo.  We know it’s a popular game, but how many variations can you have?

Take a look below; and tell us if we’ve got them all!

Traditional Bingo
I hope we know about this one already!  This is where people get house with a straight line, horizontal, vertical or diagonal.
Black-out Bingo or Cover it all

This one is painful but popular; often used for "Jackpot" events this is where you have to fill your ENTIRE card.
Blood Sweat and Tears
Not one Bingo, Not Two Bingos, BUT THREE BINGO’s on one card.  No wonder this one is called Blood Sweat and Tears!  Normally four corners do not count either!
Six Pack
you need to get six numbers, two rows of three, horizontal or vertical.  Check the rules with this one as there are some variations.
Nine Pack
The aim is to fill a bingo square with five numbers ( a 3×3 grid )
Eight States
The objective in this common bingo variation is to fill all the numbers that surround the "free space"
Postage Stamps
This one involves filling two squares of four numbers – each in a corner of the bingo card.
Kite and Tail
Imagine a kite, now imagine it on your bingo card!  For this one we have to fill a diagonal of 5 numbers, plus a corner thus making the "kite" shape.
Top and Bottom
Just as the name describes – the aim of the game is to fill the top and bottom rows.
"Dotty Picture frame"
This one creates a "dotted picture frame pattern" out of your bingo card, basically what you have to do is fill every alternate square on the outside of your card so it looks like a picture frame. 

So we think we’ve got them all.  Do you? Post back and comment if we’ve missed some!

The World Wide Bingo Phenomenon

• Author: Ed
• Filed under: General
• Date: Jun 22,2008

Did you know, no one actually knows how bingo came about?  The game has been played for at least a hundred years, and as to where it came from, no one knows.  Some think that the origins of bingo come from the Italian lottery dating back to as early as 1530, but others dispute it and think the roots of the game lie elsewhere.

Either way, bingo has been a big part of many peoples’ lives for a long time; and people play the game fanatically.  However, this game of luck and chance has a huge educational following also and many people use Bingo as a family game to teach their children to count and recognise numbers.

The Bingo Hall

Believe it or not, the bingo hall most probably originated in the early 1800s in America.  Back then, a variation known as Beano was doing the rounds as an educational toy until one day when a church parishioner saw the game of Beano and realised that it could be used to raise money for the church so he rapidly bought a few sets and tried to use them.  But, sadly there was not enough variance in the bingo cards so as a result there were too many winners and instead of making money this was now costing the church money.  So to end this, he commissioned the inventor of Beano to adapt the game for use in large numbers of people;  To do this he employed a mathematician to produce a set of 6,000 unique number cards – which apparently drove the mathematician insane! But as a result, the game was now suitable for a large number of players, and it worked! Bingo saved the small church, and many others – which as a result led to bingo becoming a very popular way to raise funds!

Next time your playing bingo and someone reminds you that gambling is a sin – you can tell them about it’s origins in the USA.

UK Bingo

• Author: Ed
• Filed under: General
• Date: Jun 20,2008

In the United Kingdom, there are approximately 700 licensed bingo halls. This number has rapidly declined in the 21^st century due to the advent of Internet, and also smoking bans. Bingo has always been a popular pass-time for the older generation, notably due to the social aspects of playing this fantastic game and its affordability.


Sadly, as stated above offline bingo is now in a steady decline. Bingo halls are closing every year, and it can be seen that less and less younger people are coming along to play. For a game with such deep roots in UK history, this is a sad shame. If you have not experienced the traditional bingo hall experience, you really should take a visit to your local, and jump in.

Differences – The main differences are notably the fact it is a social experience, not an Internet game. You can enjoy a drink with friends whilst marking your (paper) cards and waiting for the numbers to be called out by a human being, and you can win quite a jackpot at offline bingo too. This coupled with the fact a game book is considerably cheap, makes things very attractive for the older generations. The other thing you need to be aware of is that the bingo caller is usually considerably faster than on the Internet. Due to the fact your in a public bingo hall, this means that you have to keep up with everyone, and if you are a novice it is not always easy!

However, bingo is a fun pass-time for all. Don’t feel put off by the fact many see it as a ladies game or a game for older people – many people can and do win very big prizes playing bingo offline and online!

Tips to play online bingo

• Author: admin
• Filed under: General
• Date: Jun 19,2008

Tip 1 – Bingo Budget

Bingo is a leisure game – so as with any form of leisure you choose, set yourself a budget. Bingo games start from just 5 pence per game, so if you’re planning on playing the maximum 10 games per hour, you’d need to set aside a minimum of 50p. The best strategy is to decide what card value you’re going to use, and stick to it. In addition, decide how much cash you want to spend playing bingo each week – be it 50 pence, £1, £5, £10 or more. The great aspect of bingo is you can essentially decide how many hours of play you want per week and know the maximum expenditure you will require. Use this strategy to enjoy long-term bingo fun.

Tip 2 – Don’t Expect to Win!

Here is a great piece of advice – bingo is a game of luck so never expect to win or think the game ‘owes you something’. If you haven’t won for weeks, chill out and smile – bingo is really about fun and being happy whatever the result – take a break if you’re not enjoying it. In fact, most lucky players are the people who never thought they’d win!

Tip 3 – Never Chase Bingo Losses

Because most bingo games have small wager prices and strict limits (in addition to the fact you should always have a gaming budget), it’s not easy to rapidly drain a gaming bank. However, some bingo gamers like to progress to higher value cards after a losing game. Because bingo is random luck, you have no power over the result, meaning this strategy will probably not work ‘99.9%‘of the time.

Tip 4 – Make Bingo Buddies

Now this is the big reason to head online and play bingo – forum fun! As soon as you’ve picked a fun (keep it clean) bingo name, sign-up and head straight for the bingo forum and chat features (often available in-game and as a standalone chat facility). Many new bingo gamers hide in the background and never ‘buddy-up’, and they tend to leave disappointed with their experience. Think of playing bingo as your ‘first day at school’ – how much more fun was it once you’d plucked up the courage to join in? With a group of professional bingo hosts to keep things in order, you’ll be amazed at how much fun bingo becomes.

Tip 5 – Grab the Bingo Bonus

While frequent bingo wins come and go (you’ll find people who seem to win every game!), the bingo bonus is a guaranteed payout if you choose the right one. You should be able to search around and bag yourself up to £5 in 100% free bingo credits, which gives you hours of free play.