Styles of Bingo

There might not seem to be a great deal to the game of Bingo, you need to mark all the numbers off then you win. Sounds like child’s play, right? If this was the case people would get incredibly bored, wouldn’t they? So why is that people continue to play bingo? Well the reason is simple; the Bingo halls figured out the best way to keep their customers interested was to diversify the game play. And of course the online bingo sites were certainly not going to miss such a key factor to keeping the consumer happy, especially when they have a far greater capacity for it than the traditional bingo halls. 

So what different variants of bingo could you expect to find online? Well the answer is, pretty much everything from jackpot games, which require you call on a certain number or within a certain amount of numbers to win a much greater amount of money than the original house prize, to the traditional line, 2 line and full house game, although the jackpot prize is not always money, it can be holidays, cars etc. And I am thoroughly aware that answer didn’t seem that simple. These can all be played online on a number of different bingo sites, online bingo games can be no deposit (free) or a deposit (fee paid). This of course is far more convenient if your local bingo hall isn’t too keen on your favorite style. As you can imagine the horizontal and vertical bingo is self explanatory, in these games the player can only win by getting a line of numbers in the specific direction. 

There are still many other types such as MCB (mini cash bingo), party or board bingo is emulated online as well. And these sorts of game are much better value online, Bingo halls traditionally make up 90% of their profits from these usually “optional” games. With optional meaning not included as part of the main session so you have to pay more. The board games tend to be fast with low stakes and most people see them as just a little bit of fun. If you’re not quite sure what MCB is then the best way to explain it would be arcade bingo. If you’ve ever been to the amusements and seen the bingo boards, well that is MCB.

Different nationalities and Bingo

Well the two main styles of bingo played are American and European. The European game being the traditional one horizontal line, two horizontal lines and a full house game with 15 numbers on a ticket and 5 on each line. The American game is a little more complicated these cards have a free space in the middle, and lines can go from corner to corner the cards have 24 numbers 5 rows of 5 plus minus the free square. Diagonal lines and 4 corners are usually accepted for the 1st prize then of course the house. Now you should know the basics of what to expect from some of the games you may find in the world of online bingo.

Bingo to keep an active mind

It has been suggested by many experts in the field of mental health that playing bingo is a great way to prevent the decline of your mental abilities; although the task is simple it does require concentration to play online bingo or the traditional sort. Free online bingo is of course great news when it comes to this. I myself have met a 98 year old woman who's only entertainment comes from drinking and bingo. And she is of perfectly sound and healthy mind. And we can safely say that it isn't the drink that's helping her stay sharp, so it must be the Bingo. Bingo is of course not the only way to stay sharp the likes of sudoku and crosswords also help your brain stay active. The best aspect of bingo in keeping the brain active often seems to social aspect. The land bingo halls provide this very well with the opertunity to meet new people and many of the smaller bingo halls have staff that love a bit of banter with the customers, callers and barmen being very well known this. Having worked in a bingo hall it becomes very clear why the customers turn out in their droves week in and week out to play bingo.

Can online bingo halls provide the same benefits?

Both, yes and no, whilst you should not expect the same banter that you can have with the staff, because there are no staff to speak to, you can still meet plenty of people who you can become aquainted with and share a quick joke using the chat systems. The only thing that online bingo really lacks is the change of scenery factor. This is of course a key selling point for bingo halls after all you can make a night out of a trip to the bingo. So, whilst there a pretty good substitute, much like quorn they're not quite as good as the real thing. But, if you dislike the real thing or don't want to go to a bingo hall then they are worth a look. Think of online bingo as the margerine, diet coke or meat substiture of real bingo, still great, has its benefits, but just lacks something.