Learn How to Play Online Bingo

If you ever played Bingo as a kid, you probably already have an idea of how to play online Bingo. The object of the game is still the same: be the first person to complete a predetermined pattern by marking out the squares on your game card.

In a basic game of Bingo, each player has a card that is marked with the letters “B-I-N-G-O” across the top row. Beneath each letter is a column of five squares, each one with a random number in it.

Next, letters and numbers are drawn at random from a pool of 75 or 90 possibilities. In live Bingo, the drawings used a machine that tumbled a large basket of balls with letters and numbers written on them. With online bingo, the “balls” are all virtual and are picked at random by a computer.

As numbers are announced, the players check to see if any of those letter-number combinations match the ones listed on their cards. If the number “B-14” is announced, players will look under the “B” column and see if the number 14 is listed there. If so, the player marks that space.

In a traditional game of Bingo, the first person to get a straight line of five numbers, whether it be horizontal, vertical or diagonal, wins the game. Different Bingo variations allow for different patterns such as blackout (every space on the card filled out), four corners, and an endless variety of others.

Getting Started

The first thing you have to do is find a Bingo site and sign up for an account. There are a lot of Bingo sites out there but you will want to choose your future Bingo home carefully. Some Bingo sites are awesome but some are pretty bad. Check out our online bingo reviews to find the best Bingo site for you.

After you have your site picked out and account created, you will need to make a deposit so you can play for real money. Once you’re logged in at your Bingo site, you can visit the cashier to make a deposit.

Purchasing Bingo Cards

The actual process for purchasing Bingo cards is a little different at each site but it’s always a simple process. You can either choose your own cards or have the computer choose them at random for you.

If you want to play more than one card at a time, you’re free to do so at every Bingo site. You can play up to 50 cards at a time to increase your chances of winning. The drawback, of course, is that 50 cards cost a lot more than just one card.

For those of you who don’t want to play against a bunch of high rollers purchasing 50 cards at a time, you can usually find games that impose limits on the number of cards players can purchase. That way you can play within your budget and still have a decent chance of winning.

It might sound crazy trying to play 50 Bingo cards at a time but online Bingo sites have an auto-daub feature that helps you keep track of all your matches. If you turn the auto-daub feature on, the software will automatically mark your cards for you and claim Bingos.

Playing the Game

Thanks to the auto-daub feature, you can stay as involved or uninvolved as you wish during a game of Bingo. It’s always more fun to stay in the mix but some people just purchase their cards, turn on the auto-daub feature and then let the game run while they go do other things.

If you want to stay at the computer, you’ll notice that the chat window is used more heavily than one would expect. Bingo has always been a social game so many Bingo sites have built large communities around their chat rooms.

You’ll also be able to play quick little chat games during your Bingo sessions. The Chat Moderators (CMs) host chat games and give out small prizes to the winners. Participation in chat games is by no means mandatory but it often makes the overall experience more interesting and social.