Bingo Patterns and The Drawing of Bingo Balls

Patterns

The goal of every Bingo game is to complete a particular pattern on the card. There are many different patterns that are used. The most basic and common pattern is a straight line; 5 consecutive numbers either vertical, horizontal or diagonal. Other common patterns are marking off the four corners of the card and patterns in the shape of a letter, such as a T or X shape. A coverall game is also a common game played. This is a game where the player must cover all the numbers on their card in order to win. The selected pattern for the game will always be announced before the game begins.

The Drawing

In most Bingo halls, a ball cage and blower is used to select one of 75 lightweight numbered balls. The balls are spun around and each ball is selected at random to guarantee a fair game. Other Bingo houses may use a computerized random number generator to call numbers instead of the previous method. Now that the number has been selected, a caller will announce the number and it will be displayed on an electronic board for all the players to see. The numbers are then placed in a tray to make certain that they are not called again.

This selection process continues until one of the players has marked off the selected pattern of the game and shouts out “Bingo”. An employee will now verify that the numbers on the players card match the numbers called and that the correct pattern has been covered. If the player is correct and is in fact a winner, he/she will be paid out the prize amount and the game is over. If there are multiple winners per game then the pot will be split equally among these players