Bingo Terminology - Bingo Terms

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Bingo
Terminology

Basic (Common): Five cells covered in a straight line horizontally, vertically or diagonally.

Bingo board: A display board that tracks/displays all numbers that have been called.

Buy-in: Buying bingo cards; converting cash into bingo cards.

Caller: The person (or machine) who determines and announces the bingo numbers.

Card: Yer playing piece. A card containing 24 numbered spaces and one free space (blank). See picture above.

Chat room: A screen displayed alongside or under yer bingo game that enables you to "chat" (send and receive text messages) with other players.

Chevron: A "V" shaped pattern.

Consolation prize: The prize offered on some bingo games if there is not a winner in a predetermined number of calls.

Double or Triple Bingo: A bingo game that ends once a player scores two (or three) bingos.

Early bird: A bingo game that starts before a regularly scheduled game.

Four Corners: Covering all four corners of yer card.

Free space: The middle square of the card. You get it free every game and it counts towards yer winning pattern.

Game board: An electronic display that is attached to the bingo board to show the pattern needed to win that particular game. It looks like a bingo card and shows you what variation of bingo you are playing.

Game room: Some online games divide the players into game rooms.

Hardway: A "basic" straight line bingo that does not use the free space.

Jackpot: A big prize usually awarded for achieving a difficult pattern within a specified number of calls.

Minimum buy-in: The least amount you must spend to be eligible for prizes.

Money ball: A number drawn before the game that will double a player's winnings if bingo is hit on that number.

Multiple winners: This is when two or more players achieve a "bingo" at the same time. When this happens, the cash prize is divided evenly among them.

Pattern: The shape you need to cover on yer card in order to win. See Pattern Variations above.

Payout: The percentage of sales paid out by the House. The average payout among all bingo halls is approximately 75 percent. This compares with a payout of approximately 45 percent on state lottery games.

Postage Stamp: Covering four numbers anywhere on the card to form a 2 x 2 square

Six-pack, Nine-pack: Larger versions of the Postage Stamp. A six-pack covers six numbers to form a 2 x 3 square. A nine-pack covers nine numbers to form a 3 x 3 square.

Split pot: The winner splits the sales of the game (the pot) with the bingo hall or House.

Wild number: Usually played on a double bingo that leads into a triple bingo. The first number out of the hopper determines the wild number. For example, if 42 is drawn, all numbers ending in 2 should be marked off.

Wrap-up: The last game of a session.