Beginner’s Guide to Bingo Games
Variations
In days gone by, many UK bingo players got their fix from national newspapers. These were great fun at the time, but things got a little boring with the same games being played over and over again. Online bingo has opened the door to a whole new world of possibilities, giving players the option to pick from a number of variations of this classic lottery-styled game. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most popular versions of online bingo.
90-ball bingo
This is what purists classify as traditional bingo in the UK. Even with many newer forms available, 90-ball bingo still retains its place as the best-loved bingo game of them all.To play 90-ball bingo, you’ll get a 9 columns by 3 rows bingo ticket, like the one shown below.
|
2 |
11 |
35 |
54 |
80 |
||||
|
26 |
38 |
58 |
71 |
88 |
||||
|
7 |
18 |
38 |
69 |
89 |
The ticket contains 15 numbers – 5 on each row. The purpose of the columns is to group the numbers so it’s easier to spot if you have a match.
Most online bingo operators sell the tickets in ‘strips’. For 90-ball, 1 strip contains 6 tickets which cover all the numbers from 1-90. The aim of the game is to match the numbers on your ticket with the balls which are called at random. The first player(s) to match 1 row, 2 rows and the whole card (known as bingo) are the winners. If two players win on the same call, then the prize is equally split.
80-ball bingo
The 80-ball bingo game is played using tickets containing 16 numbers on a 4 by 4 grid with each column having its own colour. 1 strip is equal to 5 tickets – covering all of the numbers from 1 – 80.
In 80-ball bingo, it is possible to win by claiming the first line (horizontal, vertical or diagonal) or by matching the 4 corners or the 4 numbers in the centre.
From here, the game progresses much like the 90-ball game. You can win by completing two and three lines, but the biggest prize is reserved for the player who wins ‘bingo’ after matching their entire card.
75-ball bingo
This version is most commonly known as American bingo. It uses a 5 by 5 ticket but the centre square is ‘free’ and usually has a star in it.
This game pays out upon completion of lines, either in a horizontal, vertical or diagonal direction. Therefore, you often get 5 or more different winners from a single bingo game. Another method is to payout by matching patterns on your bingo card. This is a fun twist which makes 75-ball bingo quite a popular choice among online players.
Time to play bingo!
We’ve taken you through the three most popular versions of online bingo, but they aren’t the only ones available to you. Other variants include Deal or No Deal Bingo, Joker Jackpot Bingo and Cash Cubes Bingo, which offer quirky, innovative tweaks to the original game template.
Whether you opt for a traditional game or a newer alternative, be sure to pick from our list of top bingo sites to take advantage of some generous welcome offers, great bingo bonus offers and promos and awesome gameplay. All you need to do is compare, choose and play bingo!
