Bingo Rules
Online bingo is a very popular game among people of all ages. It is a good form of enjoyment for thousands of adults and children alike. The beauty of Internet bingo lies in the fact that one can play it from the comfort of one is home at any time. Online bingo is attractive because the prize money runs into thousands of dollars.
One can play online at any of the several gaming rooms, with real money or dummy currency. Many gaming rooms allow players to chat with each other during games. This make the game very social and similar to what one would play in a land-based bingo room.
To play online bingo one has to register at a particular gaming room. Next, one has to purchase bingo cards for the game. Bingo cards are a matrix of five rows and five columns and the central square is blank. Players can play with more than one bingo card at a time. This increases the chances of winning. However, one has to be alert to the numbers called else, one can end up losing more money than expected.
A person called the dealer calls the numbers randomly from 1 to 75. In online games, the computer software does this. All called numbers appear on a display, so that one can check with one’s cards for any missed numbers. Players who have multiple cards can opt for the auto daub facility, which marks the numbers as soon as the dealer calls them.
The purpose of bingo is to form a predecided pattern of numbers. The person who forms this first, calls bingo and he is the winner. In case, more than two people have the winning sequence, they share the prize. The dealer compares the numbers on the players’ cards with those on the display screen. In case they match, that person is the winner and a new game begins.
Online bingo is of two types, straight bingo and point bingo. In straight bingo, players have to form a horizontal, vertical or diagonal sequence with any five numbers. The play proceeds as described above and in case a called number is present on none of the players’ cards, it is given the term no play. In case of a false bingo, the errant player has to pay a fine and the game proceeds for a new bingo.
In point, bingo players compete to make a sequence with the maximum points. The points appear in small print at the bottom of the numbers, on the bingo cards. Players have to make a full row with any five numbers to declare bingo. The player who makes 1000 points first is the winner.
One must be aware of certain combinations that get the player extra points. Sequences passing through the Blank Square or those made with two rows get double the points. A player who makes bingo with two rows in two directions makes a double bingo. He gets the total of both rows and an extra hundred points. In case the bingo includes wither of the rows through the central square, the player gets double points on that row and an additional hundred points. The double bingo gets priority over center bingo in case of a tie between two players. Two players can play point bingo as partners and their individual scores add up to the total score.
Online bingo is thus a simple a game and one can win a lot of money. One should therefore be aware of the rules and winning sequences of the game to maximize one’s gains. One can read up on the bingo site rules at any of the gaming rooms on the Internet.