There are actually two main types of bingo games being played in various parts of the world. One is the American bingo game where 75 balls are involved. The other is the UK counterpart where 90 different bingo balls are used.
Playing British bingo games is a lot simpler and quicker when compared with the American 75-ball bingo game. For starters, UK bingo is often played in terms of lines and not in patterns. The lines are quite easy to form as it can involve a mere one line winning combination, a double-line combination, and the full house where all the card numbers are marked off.
Additionally, when playing UK bingo games, the cards are often available in strips, divided into six different tickets. The tickets can all be played in one sitting, giving players bigger chances of winning. This is because once a given line is formed, bingo enthusiasts can quickly play the next available prize, that is, either the two-line combination or the more exciting full house.
To further understand how British bingo is played, one needs to understand that the cards involved are very different from those used in American bingo games. The layout is definitely not the same and neither are the combinations needed to win the game. The materials used, however, are essentially similar in that cardboard or any type or recycled paper are commonly utilized in both US and UK cards although a growing trend among many bingo halls nowadays is the use of computerized cards when making bingo tickets.
A typical British bingo game card, more commonly called a ticket, is composed of three rows accompanied by nine columns. The rows each consist of four blank squares and five other squares filled with numbers. The columns, meanwhile, each carry one or two numbers, and sometimes, even three. All in all, there are about 15 numbers found on a given ticket, ranging from the lowest which is 1 to the highest which is 90.
Ordinarily, the game will involve covering one full horizontal line on a given bingo ticket to win the single-line combination bingo game. Alternatively, when the single-line combination is formed, players can move over to the two-line combination, and from there, to the full house combination where all 15 numbers need to be marked off. This sequence of game plays is quite common in many small-town UK-based bingo games although in the case of the UK National Bingo Game, the full house version is the only bingo game ever played.
When playing the UK-based bingo games, an announcement of the prizes at stake is usually made followed by the line combination that needs to be formed. Thereafter, the caller officially starts the game by saying “eyes down”, after which he draws the first number using the most appropriate system for that particular game. Presently, at least three different systems are commonly used in UK-based bingo games. One is the standard mechanical machine where numbered balls are drawn. Another one is through the use of a bag where the caller gets to draw counters or tokens. The third option is the use of an electronically-controlled Random Number Generator or RNG. Either way, once a number is drawn and it gets called out, a participating bingo player needs to check if his ticket carries the number. In case it does, he needs to properly mark it by using a dabber. The process is repeated until one player gets to complete the combination needed for that particular game. Once this happens, the potential winner has to shout out either “house” or “line” depending on what prize is at stake. A game staff or official will then check his ticket for confirmation. If everything checks out, the player is immediately awarded his prize.