Bingo For The Ultimate Beginner

This article is for anybody who is new to the online bingo version of bingo. You may have played bingo offline before and to those that have you will be aware that it does not take much for you to get your head around bingo. However, playing online you will get more options; some of which can be a little confusing.

Different Variations of Bingo Broken Down

When playing online bingo you will usually come across 2 versions of bingo. These are called 75 ball bingo and 90 ball bingo and these are the most common versions of the game. Some sites however have taken these versions of bingo even further and offer a version known as 80 ball bingo which is not as common.

90 Ball Bingo – This is the most popular version in Europe and Australia. Tickets are made up of 9 columns and 3 rows, and 6 tickets make up a strip. Each ticket is made up of 15 random numbers ranging from 1 – 90 and 16 blank squares. 90 balls are used in this version of bingo. A game is usually split into 3 parts: 1 line, 2 lines and full house.

75 Ball Bingo – This is the most popular version in America. Tickets are made up of 5x5 grid squares with the word BINGO written on them. Each letter represents a different column. Numbers range from 1-75 and each card only contains one blank square known as a “free space” in the centre of each ticket. This version of bingo is quicker than 90 ball bingo and winning numbers need to form certain patterns for you to win.

80 Ball Bingo – This version of bingo is not as popular online but more and more sites are starting to integrate this version, As you guess, 80 balls ranging from 1 - 80 are used in play. Tickets are made up of 4x4 squares with no blank squares. Just like 75 ball bingo patterns are used. Shutters are used to cover a number on the ticket when playing online. Playing offline you usually play on plastic boards.

Using an Online Bingo Site for the First Time

Signing Up to a Site

Before you play online bingo for the first time you need to decide which bingo site you would like to join. When this has been decided you then need to join the site. Visit How to Sign up to a New Bingo Site for more information. You will need to provide the site with basic and some personal details about yourself.

Sign Up Bonuses

Sites offer what is known as a sign up bonuses that gives you extra money to play with when you make your first deposit. These bonuses are the highest bonuses that you will receive from a site so depositing as much as possible your first time is a must. Some sites will then give out other bonuses such as recurring bonuses and bingo promotion codes. All of which give you more money to play with.

Following the Rules

Remember, when playing bingo that you need to follow rules that bingo sites set. If not your account could be terminated without any warning and you will lose any money that your account has accumulated. Read Following Bingo Rules for more information.

Online Software

When playing bingo online you do not mark your own cards. The site does this for you. All you have to do is pick how many cards you would like, press buy and the site will do all the work for you. This means that you can buy way more cards that you could ever handle when playing offline. This is a huge advantage to playing online bingo.

Online sites use flash which means you get a full colour experience of bingo with sounds and animations. Bingo balls will be chosen by a virtual machine which calls the numbers out when picked, and an auto-dauber will mark the cards for you. If you win bingo the program will call bingo for you and your account will automatically be credited with any winnings.

Chat Hosts

When playing online bingo you will notice a chat room that has been integrated into every bingo room. This is so you can talk to your fellow bingo players via your keyboard, just like you would do on MSN or Facebook chat. In these chat rooms are people that are known as Chat Hosts or CMs (chat masters). These people are there to make sure people are following the rules and so people have a pleasant and fun experience. They are also there to help with any questions and concerns that you may have.

Benefits of Online Bingo

Free Bingo

Online bingo sites offer what is called free bingo. This is where you do not have to pay for tickets but yet you can still win real money. These games have small prizes but are for people who want to play bingo and cannot wait for payday.

Other Games

When playing on a bingo site you do not have to stick with bingo. Most online sites have side games such as slots and roulette. You can play these games either while playing bingo or you can just play the side games without the bingo. These games give you a break from playing bingo constantly.