Let’s play Bingo!

BINGO is a game that can be played with both numbers as well as a deck of cards. It is one of the most popular games played by anybody and everybody to pass their time. Some play for fun like in casinos and some play to raise money to help others. There are mainly two types of Bingo versions played with numbers and another third version which is played with a deck of cards. The American Bingo and the European Bingo aka Tambola are played with numbers. The American version has 75 numbers while the European version has 90 numbers. The American and European versions although have different numbers but still the playing method is same.

In both the games the players are given Bingo cards in which there are five rows and five columns with each row and each column designated by the alphabets B, I, N, G and O respectively. There are 24 blocks on these cards that have numbers printed on them. The numbers printed do not have any particular order. A single space is left empty. This space is also known as the free space.

To win Bingo the player has to mark the numbers on his card that are called out and if the winning pattern has been achieved on the card then the player wins and shouts BINGO! The winning pattern could be to get at least one number marked in each row or each column, horizontal or vertical direction.

The patterns are always declared before the game begins. If suppose the player does not get the desired pattern but instead gets all the numbers marked out then the player automatically wins the game. Having no more numbers on the card to mark is also known as Blackout. The player can choose any card he likes and as many cards he wants to play with.

Once all the players have chosen their cards the caller then calls out the numbers randomly. If the called out number exists on the card then mark it else wait for the next number to be called. It is better to be attentive to the caller as one miss could be the cause for your loss. You can also buy more cards to improve your chances of winning although it would be quite difficult to manage the cards all by yourself.

The game of Bingo continues till a player or players wins. The winning is marked by a loud Bingo callout by the winner. The numbers are then verified and the winner is given the prize or it will be split equally in case of multiple winners. Once a winner is declared all the other players have to discard their cards and get new ones if they want to continue playing.

You can also play Bingo with a deck of cards. Many casinos offer this version of the game too. It is quite similar to the Bingo played with numbers and number cards. In the card version the dealer shuffles the cards and then deals five cards to each player at the table. After dealing the cards the dealer deals five more cards on the table upside down so that nobody can see them.

Now from these cards the middle card is turned facing upward and the dealer calls out the card name. If any player has that card in his hand then he will drop that card. This is same as the caller calls out the numbers and if the number is on the card then the player marks it off the card. One by one each of the five cards on the table will be revealed and the players will drop that card if they have an equivalent card in their hand. The player who has no more cards left in his hands is declared the winner of the game. Also in the card version game the bets are placed by the players before each time the card is revealed from the table.

Play whatever version you like because all the types are fun and very entertaining. So what are you waiting for Let’s Play BINGO!

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