How to Play 90 and 75 Ball Bingo

Online Bingo
How to Play, Bingo Game Variations & Strategies

How To Play

In the game of online bingo, play takes place in a virtual bingo room with a number of other players. In this version of the game a random number generator (RNG) is used instead of the traditional bingo hall balls. The RNG selects numbers which are then displayed on screen. The called numbers are left up for the player to view, as well as the selected winning pattern. The player has to cover or daub off on screen the called numbers. Thefirst player to cover all the required numbers wins the cash prize on offer.

Playing bingo online, players can make use of optional features which make the game easier to use, such as auto-daub. Auto-daub is an optional feature and when activated, automatically marks off the numbers on cards as they are called, so players don't have to. Most software providers support other gaming features as "Best Card Sorting" and "Best Card Highlighting" where players cards are sorted and highlighted by those closest to bingo. Some of these features are designed to free up players enabling them to enjoy the communal chat features, which is actively encouraged.

Numbers are drawn at random and displayed. The aim of the game is to cover the numbers the quickest in accordance to the rules of that version of the game. If you are looking for a pattern it will be announced at the beginning of the round, and can take a variety of forms but is usually a simple line. Play continues until one or more players are the first to cover all their numbers and complete the bingo pattern. The game then stops whilst the numbers are verified. If there is more than one simultaneous winner, the winners split the prize or jackpot. The first person to cover all their numbers according to this pattern and claim BINGO is the winner. After the prize has been awarded, a new round begins.

There are a great variety of games available to suit just about every bingo player. Most of the top sites offer several bingo games. Some of the inexpensive games rooms are designed to appeal to the player who may want to play for a small amount of money or just for the fun. Other bingo games have a limit on the amount of cards players are allowed to purchase. This means that each player has an equal chance and prevents the ‘high rollers’, who have bought a great number of cards, from monopolising the game.

Bingo Game Variations

The rules will vary slightly depending on whether you are playing the European 90 ball, or the American 75 ball version.Although the format of the game is slightly different, the objective is exactly the same.

90 Ball Bingo

Uses a card with a grid of three lines with five numbers on each line. There are generally three prize options; one to the first player who marksone line of numbers, a larger prize is given to the first player who marks two lines of numbers, and the top prize is given to the first player who marks off all three lines of numbers – known as a full house. When playing online the winning ticket is automatically detected.

75 Ball Bingo

Uses a grid of 5x5, with each square containing a number bar the central square, which often is shown as a ‘free square’ and is already marked out. There is just one prize in this variation, which is awarded to the first player to daub out a specified pattern on the grid. Each column has a letter of the word BINGO on the top. B in the first column, I in the second column and so on. Specific numbers fall under each letter of the word BINGO:
B – 1-15
I – 16-30
N – 31-45
G – 46-60
O – 61-75

When the numbers are called out, they are referred to by both the letter and the number. Example B14; G51 etc.

Progressive Jackpots

These kind of jackpots are occasionally available in both the 90 and 75 ball versions of the game. The jackpot gains in value from game to game until they are won. The prize is gained by fulfilling a specific challenge, for example in the 90 ball game the progressive jackpot will be won by a player who gains a full house before a certain number of balls have been called. In a 75 ball game the player would need to have gained a ‘coverall’, marking off all the 25 squares in the grid before a certain amount of balls had been called. These progressive jackpots often need claiming manually, rather than being done automatically, so you will need to make yourself aware of this before playing.

Strategies

Winning at Bingo is determined by the pattern announced before the start of the round. The variations to these patterns are practically limitless. The patterns come in various shapes and forms and depend on the style of play and possibly the size of the prize. Some patterns are easy to complete, which will make for a very short game. Others are more difficult and will take many calls to complete. The most common bingo patterns are straight lines in a horizontal, vertical or diagonal direction, cross shapes or even a full house. Some creative patterns are sometimes also announced, which could include forming a letter from the word BINGO or drawing ‘pictures’ such as houses. If you are not using the Auto-daub facility, to mark off the numbers, you will have to pay more attention to the pattern. For a true bingo lover the thrill of searching for numbers within the pattern is one of the most exciting elements to the game. But, if you chose to use auto-daub then you minimise the chance for errors and therefore a greater chance of winning the pot.

Playing several cards at once will also increase your winning chances. Similarly try and play online with the least number of players possible, this may increase your chances of winning. You could try playing in a number of different rooms at once whilst using the auto-daub function. This will enable you to receive more game bonuses.