In honor of National Game & Puzzle Week (which is the 3rd week in November), this page is dedicated to Bingo.
___________________________________________
What is the Definition of Bingo?
Bingo is a game of chance in which randomly selected numbers are drawn and players match those numbers to those appearing on 5x5 matrices which are printed or electronically represented and are known as "cards." The first person to have a card where the drawn numbers form a specified pattern is the winner and calls out the word "Bingo!" to alert others and inform the caller of the win. The card must first be properly checked for accuracy before the "win" is officially confirmed at which time the prize is secured and a new game is begun.
___________________________________________
Terminology
Being Ready - When someone only needs one number in order to complete the Bingo pattern, he/she is considered to “be ready”.
Breaking the Bubble - The bubble is the minimum number of balls required to complete the Bingo pattern. This is the earliest point anyone could have a valid bingo. Example: Winning pattern is 1 hard way bingo, a straight line without the free space. The minimum number of called numbers is 5 although it is not considered “Breaking the Bubble” until 1 number in each column or 5 numbers in a single column have been called.
Jumping the Gun - One who calls bingo before having a valid bingo. The most common situation is someone calling bingo using the next number in the screen before it has been called.
Wild numbers - Many bingo halls will have certain games with a wild number. Wild numbers allow bingo players to start with multiple called numbers. Typically the first ball drawn is the determining factor.
Standard - All numbers ending with the second digit of the first number. Example: First ball is 22. All numbers ending in a 2 including B2 is considered a called number.
Forwards/backwards - All numbers beginning or ending with the wild number. Example: First ball is 22. All numbers beginning or ending with a 2 is considered a called number. If the first ball ends with an 8, 9 or 0, another number may be drawn as there are no numbers starting with a 8 or 9 and only 9 numbers starting with a zero. Some halls will also redraw a number ending with a 7 as there are only 5 numbers beginning with a 7.
Falsie - Term used when one calls bingo but is mistaken. This could be because of mishearing the caller or stamping the wrong number by mistake. If one calls a falsie, they genuinely believe they have a bingo. Also known as as a "social error". Another term used for this is a "bongo."
___________________________________________
Internet Bingo
Internet Bingo has become the rage since so many people use their computers and the Internet for entertainment. On this page you will find examples of Free and pay Bingo sites that's just waiting for you to say B-I-N-G-O!
Free Bingo
- Frantic Fish Bingo - Win $25 today! This bingo game is one the Gamesville site and its our favorite FREE BINGO game. The theme is fish and its a nice refreshing change in a bingo game.
- Zany Bingo - "More fun than a barrel of monkeys!!!" This is a real Bingo site and it does cost money to play.
___________________________________________
$$ Internet Sites to play Bingo for money
- Zany Bingo - "More fun than a barrel of monkeys is their motto!!!" ZanyBingo.com has got to be the zaniest, real money bingo sites on the Internet. This is not a play for free fun site. This site is a real money bingo site and they have won the Award for Best Bingo & Keno. This website is nicely laid out and very easy to understand. The theme of the site is Monkeys! Monkeys! Monkeys! Players Registration Information Download Information
- Bingo Mania - is widely regarded as the number one online bingo site, awarding $5,000,000 in prizes each month to bingo winners and offering a wide variety of bingo games to players around the globe. Online Bingo players around the world have enjoyed their high progressive jackpots, wide variety of games and friendly customer service since 1996. By joining their online bingo site, you will enjoy free and pay bingo games and will find a bingo game to suit every player. Bingo Mania games include penny, nickel, dime, quarter bingo and high roller bingo as well.
- Bingo Hall - Play live bingo games 24 hours a day 7 days a week for real cash prizes! Real cash winnings every game. Live Chat where you can chat with bingo players from around the world. 24-hour live customer support. $10,000 jackpot games. $1,000 jackpot games per hour. Java and downloadable games. Over 300 unique bingo games and patterns!
- Cashmill Bingo - 18 Exciting Bingo Games All In One Screen! Exhilarating Internet Bingo in 3 halls - from FREE and penny bingo to 50-cent cards!
___________________________________________________
Bingo History
"Bingo can be traced back to a lottery game called "Lo Giuoco Code Loto" played in Spain in 1530." "By the eighteenth century, the game had matured, and in France, playing cards, tokens, the reading out of numbers had been added to the game." "In the nineteenth century, Bingo was widely used in Germany for educational purposes to teach children spelling, animal names, and multiplication tables."
"At a travelling carnival near Atlanta in 1929, Beano was being played with dried beans, a rubber stamp and cardboard sheets." "Edwin Lowe, was watching this game and noticed how engaged the players were. "The Carnival worker had to kick the players out at 3 am." Lowe, took the idea with him to New York where he introduced the game to his friends." "He conducted bingo games similar to the ones he had witnessed, using dried beans, a rubber numbering stamp and card board. His friends loved the game. It is said that one of his players made bingo history when he was so excited to have won that he yelled out “Bingo” instead of “Beano." "The Lowe Bingo Game had two versions; the first a 12-card set for $1.00, the second a $2.00 set with 24 cards. Bingo was a wild success." "By the 1940s Bingo games were all over the country." "Lowe had many competitors and all he asked was that they pay $1.00 a year to conduct the games and of course to use the name Bingo." wikipedia
___________________________________________________
