Bingo Tips

While some people swear that Lady Luck dominates the game of Bingo, there are some things you can do to enhance your chances of winning, such as looking for clubs which offer big paybacks, finding poorly attended games with attractive guarantees, choosing non-duplicate cards, and even pulling out your lucky charms!

The following guide examines the Bingo tips that seasoned players swear by in more detail.

Never play more cards than you can watch. If you should find a club – online or not - that promises that you can ‘play all you want’, you may find yourself becoming so flustered that you’re unable to play.
To win a blackout, try to arrive early to get the first set of paper cards issued. On big nights managers stock the counter with plenty of cards, and usually the ones on top are the lowest free space number cards. Blackouts usually draw numbers in spurts close together, for example, 16, 17 then 19 and 20.
Ignore the numbers on the left side of the square. By reading the numbers on the card backward, you may save a little time. For example, if the number called is B12, scan the right hand side of the B column for 2s. When you see one, glance to the left for a 1.
Pay attention to the pattern. It’s not unusual for a beginner to get Bingo and not realise it, simply because their card is so daubed up that they don’t see the pattern. Pre-daub all the squares you don’t need. With certain patterns, such as picture frame (checking all the numbers around the edge of the card) many of the spaces don’t matter. You could also mark the squares that you DO need with a yellow highlighter.
Consider buying a card for a neighbour. Not only is this a good icebreaker, you never know when you when you might need the return favour.
Don’t be afraid to speak up. If it seems like the caller is whizzing through the numbers, you may be playing too many cards. But the caller could be new, or could simply be tired, hoping to get through the game as quickly as possible, so don’t hesitate to say something should you feel he needs to slow down.
Sit close to the caller. It’s the best spot. You’ll be able to sneak a peek at the next ball as it pops out of the chute. Remember though, that you can’t call ‘Bingo!’ until after it is announced.
Stay alert. Your concentration is your new best friend. Some players have been known to holler ‘Bingo!’ after the next number has been called, which renders their claim invalid.
If you’re a beginner, try just one card for your first game, and remember that Bingo games are short – if you don’t catch on immediately, you’re sure to pick up on the next game.
Familiarise yourself with Bingo terminology. Callers announce quickly, and novice players can lose track if they don’t know the lingo.
When you win (and 95 percent of Bingo players do!), share your winnings. Toss a lucky coin to those around you – if the players around you win a larger jackpot, they could return the lucky coin.