Bingoversity Learn To Play

New to playing Bingo? Then start here to get to grips with the basic rules of Bingo, game variations and the essential elements of the online game.

The delightful simplicity of Bingo means learning to play it is easier than falling off the proverbial log. To participate in a game, players buy cards, more commonly referred to as ‘tickets’ on the UK Bingo scene, marked with a unique selection of numbers – the selection is most commonly from numbers between ‘1’ and ’75’ or ‘1’ and ’90’ depending on the style of Bingo you’re playing, which is explained in more detail below.

The game starts when a ‘caller’ who presides over the Bingo game announces ‘eyes down’ then begins calling numbers as they are randomly selected from the available pool. This selection can be by something as sophisticated as an electronic Random Number Generator or as simple as drawing numbered counters out of a bag! The players’ aim is to mark off any called number that matches one on their ticket(s) – often using a specialised marker called a ‘dabber’ or ‘dauber’ – in the hope that they will complete an arrangement of numbers on a ticket before any other player. The moment a player has covered off a winning line or pattern they must then claim their prize – in real-world Bingo games this is done by calling out ‘Bingo’, ‘line’ or ‘house’ depending on the prize claimed.

It is usual for each Bingo game, or ‘session’, to offer a number of opportunities to win a prize. For example in the traditional 90 ball Bingo played in the UK, there are typically three prizes players compete for by being the first to complete One Line Across, Two Lines Across and the Full House of covering off all the numbers on a ticket.

The game ends when all the possible prizes for that Bingo session have been claimed.

To play Bingo online is little different to playing Bingo in real-world venues. The computer you’re using to read this information here is more than likely sufficient to handle the games software online Bingo sites use to run their games, and all the best UK online Bingo halls will have their own guides to explain how you use their software and how real money transactions arecarried out.

In general the important step to playing at an online Bingo hall (and may re recommend you read our reviews to help you choose a reputable one?) will be to register as a member at their website, which will also open a secure, password protected account through which you can deposit money and into which winnings will be paid. All reputable operators will offer a variety of ways in which you can carry out real money transactions often covering the major credit and debit cards as well as popular online payment methods such as NETeller.

A popular incentive used by good UK online Bingo sites, and one we’d recommend looking out for is free games, or free credits of cash (typically a few pounds or so) for simply signing up as a new player, as this is a great opportunity to try out a few sessions to get the feel of playing online and experiencing the community facilities and other attractions on offer.