A FEW BINGO FACTS

Bingo is a game where a random selection of numbers is pulled either manually or electronically from a hopper full of moving balls, each with a unique number. Players have to match these numbers on cards or tickets and the first to complete their card, wins. There are two main variants of the game - 75-ball bingo played principally in the US and 90-ball bingo, played mostly in the UK, parts of Europe and Australasia.

Each game has a pre-determined pattern which has to match with the called numbers. The first player to match the pattern wins Bingo. If this is achieved within a preset number of balls (displayed for each game), you will win the jackpot. If not, you will win the prize for that game. If more than one player wins, the prize or jackpot is shared accordingly

75-BALL BINGO

This is the most popular game, played throughout the US and South America. 75 balls can be called and these are in five columns of 15 balls.

Each column "belongs" to the BINGO letter at the top - a feature that is used in many chat games.

In 75-ball bingo, the cards have 25 squares, five across and five down - each column marked with a letter B-I-N-G-O. The card is filled with a random selection of numbers from 1-75. Every card also has a unique identifying code for support purposes.

The objective of each game is to match the pattern for that game with the balls called. Patterns can be static, in which case the pattern is shaded on each card to help you. Patterns can also be animated in which case "bingo" can be achieved on any of the patterns used in that game. There are over 6000 pattern combinations possible varying from a simple "4 Corners" to a coverall or blackout pattern.

The game prize goes to the first player(s) to achieve the pattern. Each game also has a "balls to jackpot" number. If the winner achieves the pattern within this number of balls, then he wins the jackpot - usually a progressive prize.

90-BALL BINGO

In the 90-Ball game the cards are called Tickets and each Ticket has three rows and nine columns. They are sold in Cards, each containing six tickets. Each card contains all 90 numbers distributed throughout the six Tickets. Five out of the nine squares in each row contain numbers ranging from 1 to 90 and the rest are blank. When a card is played, every possible number from 1-90 is called and therefore, a number is daubed at each bingo call.

Each game has three winning patterns and three chances to win - a single horizontal line, two horizontal lines or all three horizontal lines (also called Full House). The winning pattern (one, two or three horizontal lines) each has a separate prize and as soon as the first line is won, the game continues until a player achieves two horizontal lines and finally all three lines (or Full House) for the major prize. A Jackpot is also paid for any player who achieves the Full House within the Balls to Jackpot figure shown for that game.