Bingo is a bigger deal now than at any time in the past. A game that used to have a dedicated, but also limited, base of fans is now being embraced by people of all demographics and ages.
The main reason for that has been the emergence of a digital version of the game. There are so many great sites to play online bingo at and they have introduced many new varieties of the formula.
Those intriguing twists on bingo have made it feel fresher and hipper, but there has always been more than one version of the game. Here are the bingo varieties that everyone should try.
The Main Games
First we will look at the main versions that the best bingo halls or online sites have.
90 Ball Bingo
This is the most famous form of the game and involves a card with 15 numbers laid out as a grid of 9×3. Wins are achieved if you cross off a single line of numbers, two lines on one ticket or all of the numbers – which is known as a full house.
90 Ball is enjoyable because the increased numbers give you good winning chances.
75 Ball Bingo
This is quite similar to 90 Ball, except that the numbers on the cards are divided into 5×5 grids and the columns have letters spelling out ‘bingo’ at the top. You can get line wins or full house wins, but also pattern wins if you manage to cross out numbers in the shape of a diamond or a cross.
75 Ball has even more ways to win and is a faster-paced version of the game. It is more popular in the US, whereas 90 Ball is bigger in the UK.
80 Ball Bingo
The last main version of the game that you can learn is 80 Ball. This is a newer variant and each ticket has 16 numbers that are arranged as grids of 4×4.
The grids are all different colours and wins that are available include line and pattern wins as well as a full house. It is enjoyable because it is rarer than the other two versions, both at online sites and halls.
If you want to get started playing any of these versions of bingo, you just have to visit your local bingo venue or a top online site like Jackpotjoy. You should find most of them available there.
Other Bingo Games
Online bingo has led to the creation of some interesting tweaks to the format. The most successful of them is probably slingo.
Slingo
This version combines bingo with online slots to create an ultra-fast moving game that gives you the chance to win a jackpot. Fans of both slots and bingo will enjoy this particular game as it contains many elements of both.
You play it by spinning the numbers underneath the bingo card and then marking off any that appear at the end of each spin. Alongside numbers, symbols like jokers, cherubs and devils can appear that affect your overall score, either increasing or decreasing it.
Learning how to play slingo and finding a site that offers it will stop you from becoming bored and ensure you continue to have the best experience when playing bingo games.
Language Bingo Games
There are several different language bingo games.
- Definition bingo
The caller reads out a word meaning and the players must try to find it on their cards.
- Translation Bingo
The words on the cards are in a foreign language, but the caller reads them out in English.
- Critical listening bingo
The caller reads out a sentence and the players have to locate key words from it on their cards.
Maths Bingo Games
- Arithmetic bingo
This involves the caller shouting out multiplications, divisions, additions etc and the players identifying the correct number on their bingo cards.
- Decimal bingo
Here the card is filled with decimal numbers and the caller shouts them out as fractions or in their literal format.
- Clock bingo
The bingo card has clock faces with different time readings on it. The caller must read out a time and the players identify it correctly on their cards.
These mathematical and grammatical bingo games are very easy to make up for yourself and will provide a fun alternative to the more standard bingo format. They can also be a way of teaching your children maths and English at school or in the home by turning that task into an enjoyable and light-hearted game.
Now you know what the different varieties of bingo are. It is amazing that such a simple game has produced so much variation, but that is why it is experiencing such a revival in popularity now.