Online Bingo Help
How to Play 75 ball and 90 ball Bingo
Seventy five ball bingo is generally played in the Unites States and Canada. Ninety ball bingo is usually played in the United Kingdom and Australia. Although the two versions are fundamentally the same, there are many differences.
90 Ball Bingo
(Also called Housey in the UK and Housie in New Zealand and Australia).
Ticket
The bingo ticket contains 27 squares arranged in 3 rows and 9 columns. Each row contains exactly 5 numbers and 4 blank spaces. The columns can contain 1, 2 and possibly 3 numbers.
Range of numbers
| Col. #1, numbers 1 to 9 Col. #2, numbers 10 to 19 Col. #3, numbers 20 to 29 Col. #4, numbers 30 to 39 Col. #5, numbers 40 to 49 |
Col. #6, numbers 50 to 59 Col. #7, numbers 60 to 69 Col. #8, numbers 70 to 79 Col. #9, numbers 80 to 90 |
Winning patterns
Methods of play
It is common for a line game to be followed by a two line game and a full house game. In 90 ball bingo you must be alert and call "Bingo", "Line" or "House" immediately, because if the caller starts the next number, you claim will be deemed invalid.
Terminology
In 90 ball bingo the caller has a special phrase or word to describe all 90 numbers. For example he may say "Number 11, legs eleven", "Number 19, goodbye teens", "Number 29, You're doing fine", "Number 32, buckle my shoe", "Number 74, candy store" and "Number 90, top of the shop".
75 Ball Bingo
Card
The bingo card contains 25 squares arranged in 5 rows and 5 columns. Twenty four of these spaces have a number with the exception of the FREE SPACE, in the center of the grid called "Free Space". This free space is the same as being pre-marked. At the top of the matrix, is the text, "BINGO" each of which is directly over a column. The caller calls out numbers by saying "B14", "G48", "N45" etc. The bingo card can be reusable cardboard using plastic markers or non-reusable paper sheets which are marked with bingo daubers.
Range of numbers
| Col. B, numbers 1 to 15 Col. I, numbers 16 to 30 Col. N, numbers 31 to 45 |
Col. G, numbers 46 to 60 Col. O, numbers 61 to 75 |
Winning patterns
The number of patterns are only limited by imagination. Some common patterns are vertical or horizontal lines, four corners, an X, a cross, every space covered, a letter or a number.
Methods of play
Games often have multiple bingos. For example after a bingo on a single line, the game continues until a full card is called. Players may play multiple cards.
Terminology
Waiting - When someone only one number away from a bingo.
Breaking the bubble - The absolute minimum number of balls required to complete a Bingo pattern. The minimum number for a line is 5 numbers if it does not pass through the free space.
Jumping the gun - A player bingos before having a valid bingo. This happens when a player sees the next number on the screen before it has been called.
False Alarm (Also called "Social error" or "Bongo") - Term used when a bingo player calls bingo by mistake.
