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Bingo 101: How To Play Bingo |
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Even the simplest games have rules. Before you lay down money for a card make sure you know how to play bingo. The basic objective in bingo is to achieve a certain pattern on a card using a combination of letters and numbers. The first person to get the specified pattern wins and a new bingo game begins. |
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The first step in starting to play bingo is getting your bingo card. If you're playing for money than then each card will cost a certain amount. This could be anywhere from a few cents to hundreds of dollars depending on the jackpot level. There are even progressive games where the jackpots can reach into tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars. Most bingo games will allow players to purchase and play multiple cards during a single game. |
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Once you have your card you'll see that it is a 5 by 5 grid of numbers with the letters B-I-N-G-O across the top. Each letter will correspond to one column below. The center bingo square is usually a free space. You can go ahead and cover this space with a marker if you like. |
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Now you listen for the letters and numbers being called, such as B-11. Find column B, the first column, and look for the number 11 below. If you have the number 11 in column B then mark it on your card. The game continues in this fashion until someone covers the specified pattern on his or her card. The pattern will often be a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line of five grid spaces. The free space may be used to complete the winning pattern. Another common pattern is covering all four corners on the card. A popular bingo variation is called blackout bingo, where every number on the bingo card must be covered. |
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If you complete the pattern then yell out "BINGO!" At this point the game will stop and your bingo card will be verified for accuracy. If everything checks out then you've won the game and get the jackpot. If multiple players win at the same time the jackpot is usually split equally between the winning players. |
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That's basically all there is to playing bingo. It can be a very fun and social game. Some online bingo sites even have bingo games that you can enter for free and still win money. So get out there and play, and good luck to you! |
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Return to Bingo Courses |
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