Learning the Bingo Lingo
Many of us play bingo not only for the thrill of the game but for the social side of being in the bingo room, making new friends and catching up with existing ones on all the goss is for some players, just as important as playing. Knowing the lingo used and what type of game you are playing is therefore important as it makes is easier to understand and lets you get on with the important part, chatting and having laugh!
Here we are going to look at the different types of bingo games and some of the chat lingo used in the rooms.
90 ball bingo is played on a strip of six tickets and each ticket has a 3 x9 grid which is pre-filled with five numbers and four blanks per line. The object of the game is to be the first to get one line, two lines or all three (which is a Full House)
70 ball bingo is played on a ticket which has 24 random numbers between 1 and 75 on a 5 x5 grid with the centre square free. Each game plays for a different pattern which players try to match to win.
Bingo Bonus (BB)
This is a special prize which is give in certain competitions and each BB is different and the differences will be given in the terms of each competition or by the CM (chat moderator)
The Bingo Board
As each number is called the ball is highlighted on the bingo board which will show all 90 or all 75 numbers arranged in five columns. Each column can be headed with the letters with B-I-N-G-O to assist in chat games
Chat Games
Chat games are very popular and can consist of simple trivia contests to big tournaments based on the numbers being called in bingo. Chat games add some extra excitement and entertainment to bingo sessions as well as adding some extra prizes.
The Chat Moderator
This is the person who is the host in the chat room but more than that, they are also your entertainer, your advisor and your friend. The CM is also there to make sure that the basic rules of chat etiquette are adhered to.
The Chat Room
A chat room is the heart and soul of any online bingo game, as it is here where players meet and make friends, catch up with news, give views and also join in the chat games. Friends are also called buddies.
The Coverall
This is a term used in 75 ball bingo to describe the pattern which requires all numbers on a ticket to be called, and it can also be called a blackout. Even when playing a coverall game the centre square of the ticket is given free.
The Bingo Room
Any online bingo site usually has a number of bingo rooms, and each room offers different types of bingo or maybe different themes based on ticket prices, game speed and sometimes different languages.
House
This is the traditional shout in UK bingo halls when a player wins. In online bingo House usually refers to the player who is the first to mark off all 15 numbers on their ticket.
The Inside Square
This is one of the most commonly used of the 3,000 or so patterns in 75 ball bingo games. In order to win a player has to ‘mark’ or daub the eight numbers surrounding the free square in the centre.
The Jackpot
Most bingo games will play for a jackpot as well as a prize and the jackpot goes to the first player to make the full house or the pattern for that game within a stated number of balls.
One Line, Two Lines
A 90 ball bingo game takes the form of three stages and therefore usually has three prizes to go with each stage. The first stage requires a player to get on horizontal line and that is the one line winner. The game then continues until a player get two lines and the finally all three lines (a Full House.)
The Minimum Buy-in
Each game has a minimum number of tickets that have to be bought in order to play. Games will also have a maximum number of tickets and other games are played ‘Fair and Square’ where all players have to have the same number of tickets.
Nick
This is short for the word ‘Nickname.’ This nickname is the unique name that a player uses in the chat room
The Pattern
75 ball games feature up to 3000 different ticket patterns which are the arrangement of squares on the the ticket that the player has to try to achieve in order to win. Some of these patterns are animated and can be won on any of the ‘frames.’
A Progressive Jackpot
A small percentage of the price of bingo tickets is paid into one or more progressive jackpot funds. The jackpots grow over time as players by tickets and these jackpots are paid out to players who achieve ‘Bingo’ within a pre-determined number of balls.
RNG
Online bingo games use a random number generator which ensures that the balls called are called in a totally random way. The RNG has to be independently tested and certified by the bingo halls licensing authority to make playing true and fair.
Speed Bingo
In these games numbers are called every two seconds instead of every four or five seconds which results in a much faster and exciting game.
A Split Pot
Sometimes there are two or more players claiming at the same time and if this happens the spot will be split and shared equally between the winning players. This rule also applies to jackpot winners.
The Tickets
In order to join a game each player has to purchase one or more tickets which are sometimes known as cards.
