Bingo has been around for a long time – It’s that simple game of numbered balls, much-needed luck and a fair bit of shouting that we all know (and secretly love). But, as much as every single one of us know how to play it, many of us are afraid to admit we occasionally like to do so. Why? Because, there’s a long-standing and rather predominant preconception that bingo is merely just a game for the elderly to play in over-heated village halls.
Well, it’s time to abolish this preconception, because in this current day and age, it really isn’t the case anymore – particularly through the help of online bingo.
So, time to get online, start playing your favourite much-loved game and get all of your family and friends involved too!
And, what’s more, if you’ve heard how amazing the game of bingo can be but haven’t got a clue how you can play it online, then here’s my guide online bingo for complete newbies< – so you can get joining in on the fun straight away!
1. Choose a Site
There are so many sites out there that you could choose from. Go with a brand you trust, if you aren’t sure where to start. If you are confident in comparing free-to-play, no deposit and deposit match schemes then feel free but every site will give you one perk or another, you just need to work out what is right for you.
2. The Games
All online bingo sites will offer a basic game of bingo where you have to match the numbers on one line, two lines and then the whole card.
You can play over a number of different cards or you can stick with just one.
There are other bingo games where you have to match numbers in a certain pattern or even play mini-games during normal play.
3. Play For Free
So you can get used to your chosen site and the way the bingo games work, it’s best to play a few free games with no money involved before you front your own cash. If you don’t know what you’re doing then you’re more likely to lose your money.
Even if you become a bingo veteran, you should always try a new game for free to get used to it.
4. Buy Bingo Cards
Different bingo games will have a different price per bingo card — generally, the higher the price of the card, the higher the jackpot.
The mechanism for this varies with each site but it’s usually a very simple screen where you can use +/- buttons to increase or decrease the amount of cards you want to buy and use.
5. Playing The Game
Unlike real bingo, the game will mark off each number that comes up if it appears on your card. For most games, you can just sit and watch the numbers come out and hope you’ll be the first to get a full house.
During this time you can chat to others playing the game. There’s some general chatter but mostly people are telling you how many numbers they have to go for the next prize. This is shown as ‘2tg’/’3tg’ etc. meaning two/three numbers to go.
Keep an eye on this as you can gauge how close people are to winning.
6. Other Games
On most bingo sites you will be able to play other games such as blackjack, slots, roulette and even try your luck with some scratch cards. These games can be a nice change from bingo and most sites will have promotions focused on a particular game. It’s worth having a go to see if there’s anything else you enjoy.