Bingo Beginner Basics

No matter how simple the game is, there are always rules. Bingo is no exception to this, as a game. As with all things, make sure you fully understand the bingo basics before you even think of putting money on the table or in this case, buying a card. The objective of any game of bingo is to achieve a certain pattern on one or more of your cards by ticking them off when a letter and number combination is called out. The first to achieve the pattern wins and the game starts over again, with nothing ticked off.

The first step, before any bingo rules are applied, is of course to get your bingo card. Should you be playing for money, then the cards would have to be bought. The amount that you can win easily determines the cost of your card. Some bingo games, called progressive games, can reach immense and insane values for their cash payouts. Progressive bingo games are then much sought after. Generally, most game halls allow you to have more than one bingo card, to increase your chances of winning.

Most bingo cards are arranged in a five by five grid, with each column corresponding to a letter in the word Bingo, with the center square given most of the time as a free square. The numbers are then called out in combination with a letter, like B 3 and O 74. Should you have that combination, in this case either a 3 in the B column or a seventy four in the O column, then you tick it off or cover it with a marker. That's the heart of bingo - the game continues in this fashion until someone manages to complete the pattern. The patterns are predetermined at the start of the game and can vary from making shapes, marking the four corners of the card or even marking every single square, called blackout. Blackout tournaments often have the largest payoffs, as it is a difficult feat to accomplish.

Once you complete the pattern, yell out the name of the game: "Bingo". At that point the numbers stop being called out and your card will be taken in for verification. Once its verified, you win the pot and another round begins.

That's essentially all the Bingo basics you need to play the game. Try it out - while it is largely about luck, it's also a social activity and one that you may enjoy for years to come.