Friday, September 24, 2010

Bingo - A Gambling Game

Bingo, also known by the name of Housie (NZ & Australia) or Housey (UK) is a popular gambling game. It's generally played at large venues such as church hallway, rugby clubs etc. People buy tickets in order to try their luck out for huge prizes (money) at stake. As the game starts, numbers are announced randomly by a caller. Players strike them off in their tickets to attain the winning combination.

ALL ABOUT BINGO

A bingo ticket is divided into nine columns and three rows making it to be twenty seven free spaces in all. Now out of these nine spaces in each row five are filled with numbers and the remaining four are left blank. Columns can have either one, two or in rare cases three numbers. Numbers are placed in columns in such a way that column 1 gets numbers starting from 1 to 9, column 2 gets numbers starting from 10 to 19 and so on.

Game is looked over by a caller who calls out the random numbers. Before starting the game he describes the prizes/money at stake. The record payout for UK national bingo game was £950,000. It was awarded to a lucky player from Gala Sheffield Parkway.

Then the caller begins to call out the randomly selected numbers either by using a random number generator, by drawing out number tokens from a bag or by the help of electronic ball drawing machine. The numbers are announced in a specific format speaking the individual numbers separately and then as a group if any. For example 90 is announced as nine zero ninety to avoid any confusions.

People keep on striking off the numbers in their tickets with the help of a dabber or dauber in order to get a winning combination. Most general winning combinations are

Horizontal line which covers all the five numbers in a row

Complete covering two lines on the same ticket

Line covering all the fifteen numbers in the ticket also termed as FULL HOUSE

Instead of buying separate tickets, players in UK usually prefer to buy a book of six tickets containing all likely numbers but in different patterns.

Player calls out line or house when all the numbers required for winning have been marked off. An official checks the ticket of the concerned person for the claim. Nowadays a computerized number validating system is used by officials to save the time.

There is often a small interval between the consecutive sessions of the game. Housey is often organized in UK by churches, community clubs, charities and sports clubs in order to raise funds. It's also a highly rewarding and ever increasing business for many companies.

Some of the largest companies with Bingo halls in UK are:

Gala bingo
Virgin bingo
Mecca bingo
Riva bingo
Sky bingo

Nowadays, online bingo is also gaining much popularity with many different big companies launching their own websites. Some of them are Ladbrokes, The Sun, and Bingolive365. Bingolive365 is the first online bingo company to offer live & interactive service to its callers all over the world.

Neeraj sharma

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Neeraj_S_Sharma

How to Play Bingo

Bingo is like a lottery - it is a game of luck. Further, learning how to play Bingo is both easy and fun. There are lots of variations in the way that Bingo is played and learning how to play Bingo and all of its variants can prove to be an exciting pastime; one with many different prizes at stake. However, the basic principles remain the same and you will discover that while learning how to play Bingo, all of the principles apply to the all important Bingo card.

The Bingo card is printed with its own unique grid of numbers, usually ranging from 1 up to 90, and is arranged in columns and rows. There is a caller who calls the randomly selected numbers for the players to mark off their card. It will be decided before the game begins what pattern of numbers are needed to win. For example, the player may need to get every number on their card, known as a full house; or a row or column, or perhaps two rows, etc.

Bingo originated from a game called Beano; so called because players covered up the numbers on their cards with beans. Nowadays players commonly use what is known as a dauber or dabber to mark their numbers. These are often fluorescent in color so that when playing in a darkened hall they can still be seen.

Bingo can be found in different types of venues ranging from casinos to arcades and village halls. In America, Bingo is often played in halls run by church or charity organizations. If you would love to stay at home and play Bingo it can even be played on the Internet!

There are many people who like to add to the excitement and play more than one Bingo card at a time. Be warned, this is not as easy as it sounds! Playing Bingo does involve some skill as well as a lot of luck. The callers shout each number in quick succession, often within seconds of each other. You have to be very fast with your eyes and your fingers to keep up, and there is little time to ponder. It is not for the faint-hearted!

If you prefer to play a safer version, online Bingo may well be worth considering. The player is given some random cards generated by the computer, and there is often a facility for using an 'auto-dauber'. This is where the computer marks your cards for you, so it doesn't matter if you miss a number or two. The computer will even call 'Bingo!' for you if you are lucky enough to win!

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Bingo Rules and Etiquette - Learn How to Play Bingo

Ok, so off we go. There you are, dabber poised, shaking with anticipation and SUDDENLY your number is up. Yes! You've won.

"Here...me." You shout.

You slump into your sear as the scornful looks from those surrounding you make you realize that you've dropped your very first clanger.

"Bingo" you call meekly you look around at faces filled with expressions normally reserved for something you scrape off your shoe.

RULE NUMBER ONE

Yell "Bingo" when you win

Once you have called bingo, a floorwalker with check your card to verify that you have indeed won. Some very modern halls have unique numbers printed on each card and you simply call out the number which is verified by the caller.

If more than one person call bingo on the same number, the money is shared equally.

Next scenario, you look down at your card, realizing that you only need one more number.....number 1. The next number called is 7....in just a split second, you see that the only difference between a 1 and a 7 is that tiny line across the top. So, with a quick stroke of the pen, the 1 is changed into a 7. "Bingo" you shout. The next thing you know, you are at the bottom of the street with a bootmark on the back of your pants!

RULE NUMBER TWO

Do not try to alter the numbers on the card

However artistic you might think you are, do not do this! Most experienced managers and callers would spot this from a mile off and would not hesitate to call in the law and make an example out of you. The last thing you want is to have to sneak past a "Wanted" poster next time you play. Especially if it is you they want!

If you are new to a particular hall, take time to have a look around and familiarize yourself with the rules. What is acceptable at one hall may not be the case at another.

RULE NUMBER THREE

Check Out The Rules For Each Hall

Taking in a flask and a bag of fast food might be just fine at one bingo hall, but not necessarily at them all!

So, you think this is the big one. Your number is called and at last you've won. "Bingo" you meekly call. Oh no! The caller hasn't heard you and moves on to the next number...."BINGO" yells a lady a few rows away. You stand on your chair shouting that you had already won..you had called "Bingo" first. However, the lady a few rows down is the one walking out with the pile of money at the end of the evening!

RULE NUMBER FOUR

It is the responsibility of the winner to call "Bingo" loudly enough to be heard

It is important to realize that bingo can only be claimed on the most recent number called. If you do not call out loudly enough and the caller shouts out the next number, it is too late. The game moves on. Any missed calls in respect of a finished game are also invalid.

Bingo players are generally a sociable, happy crowd, there to play a game and have fun. So, there you are, chatting away. Ok, so you know the caller has started but you just have to finish your story. Why then is nobody listening?

RULE NUMBER FIVE

Pipe Down And Shut Up Once The Game Starts

You will notice that all the regulars quieten down once the game begins. Chatting is reserved for the breaks only.

You arrive early one night to an almost empty hall. For once, you have your choice of seats. You select a great seat-one of the best in fact, and settle yourself down with a book waiting for the game to start whilst silently congratulating yourself in your choice. Whilst reading, you become aware of a shadow across your book. You look up and see a contorted, angry face staring at you. "My seat, I think"

RULE NUMBER SIX

Watch out for lucky seats

Although not the law of the land, there is an unwritten rule in most halls that regulars have a "usual" seat. You might be asked to move and you would be well advised to do so for the sake of peace!

Right, so you're a regular now. You know the ropes. However, you've not won a dime in over a month. Totally frustrated with your bad luck, you know it's the callers fault. To show your annoyance, you scream out "Get rid of the caller!"

Everyone looks at you. Although you blush with embarrassment, you remain defiant and shout out "Well, I haven't won in ages!"

RULE NUMBER SEVEN

Do not take your frustrations out on the caller

Players have been known to be very frustrated when going through a losing spell. It is important to realize that it is not the callers fault! Making derisive and impolite comments will not endear you to anyone and you may well find yourself banned. This will, of course, have an adverse effect on any potential future winnings!

Conclusion

Although each bingo hall will have its' own set of regulations, there will be similarities in each and the above will help you avoid certain tricky situations. As with most things though, common sense should prevail.

Nowadays, lots of people never even visit a bingo hall, preferring to play online at home. That is not to say that etiquette is unimportant. Indeed, chatrooms have their own set of rules and regulations but at least you can navigate these at your leisure.

If you fancy trying this out for yourself, one of the best UK bingo sites is Bingo Magix. Although relatively new, Bingo Magix is striving to become one of the best online sites and the fantastic offer of £15 FREE CASH PLAY WITH NO DEPOSIT means you can try it out for free. In addition, it also offers a massive 300% WELCOME BONUS.

If you would like to play free cash bingo for real cash, check out the link below.

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And.....GOOD LUCK

Superstition and Bingo

It is perhaps not surprising to find that Bingo players seem to be a particularly superstitious crowd and a close look at the motivations, habits, language, and the minds of bingo players, will reveal some very interesting, if not decidedly weird and wonderful results. Among some of the more bizarre superstitious beliefs that have come to light include players completing rituals before playing a game of bingo Such rituals may commonly include bathing with essential oils, but only with a particular chosen oil, or spinning round a certain amount of times and also sweeping bingo cards with herbs. Bingo rituals are actually a lot more common than one might expect and are a way for bingo players to prepare themselves for the game and what they believe is surrounding themselves with good luck. It can be considered as a kind of obsessive behaviour, especially if it comes to dominate the players life.

Many common superstitions involve the lucky numbers. In the same way that people pick lottery numbers, bingo players often look out for similar lucky numbers on their bingo cards. This lucky number superstition has become more prevalent within the online bingo game as in this situation players are able to select which bingo card or cards they would like to play with from thousands of variations. This means therefore that they are able to look out for their lucky number appearing on a card. Common lucky numbers that players are drawn to include theirs on family members birthdays, numbers relating to their house or work or that they have won with before. Common lucky numbers may even be numbers that are generally considered unlucky, such as thirteen

Many of the people who play bingo like to surround themselves with their lucky objects. These object range from such well know luck bringers as four leaf clovers or teddies to more obscure items that have a specific or direct meaning for the player. It is also true to say that bingo players often consider certain dabbers to be lucky. In land-based bingo, played in the traditional bingo hall, many bingo players will bring in their own lucky dabber to use when marking off the numbers on their bingo card. When playing bingo online, players are able to choose from a whole range of different dabber colors and also styles and they will often stick to a certain color and a certain style if it has be found to give them a good win in the past!

It is unlikely that the relationship between Bingo and superstitions that people hold will ever not be a very close one. After all most people believe in the principal of luck - we all look for a stroke of luck in our lives - and the luck principal is of course of considerable importance to all those gamblers who enjoy playing bingo.

A great popular bingo site is Betfred Bingo who are offering one of the best bingo deposit bonus deals on the internet. Another great place to play online bingo is Bingo Day which comes highly recommended by online bingo players from all around the world!