Bingo is a game where players take turns drawing numbers from a container. When a player drAWS a number, they must call out the corresponding letter.
If the number drawn is in the bingo card, the player earns points and continues to draw numbers until they miss or someone else calls out the bingo card number that the player has drawn. Bingo is played with standard 52-card decks, but some bingo halls also offer 84-card decks or special Bingo cards with extra numbers. .
To write numbers in Bingo, start by numbering each column from 1 to 52. Next, write each number from 1 to 26 in the appropriate column. For example, if you are playing with a standard 52-card deck, column 1 would be 1 through 25 and column 2 would be 26 through 50.
If you are using an 84-card deck, column 1 would be 1 through 43 and column 2 would be 44 through 86. Finally, write any extra numbers in the “Extra” column.
When it’s your turn to draw a number, start by looking at the row in front of you and find the number that corresponds to the letter you are called. Say that number out loud (e.g., “One thousand two hundred forty”). Then look at the column next to it (in this case, column 2) and find the next number (e.g.
, “Two thousand one hundred thirty”). Write that number down in your notebook and continue drawing numbers until you miss or someone else calls out a bingo card number that you have drawn.
When it’s your turn to call out a bingo card number, begin by saying the letter corresponding to the number that you have drawn (e.g., “Bingo! One thousand two hundred forty”).
Write down that letter and then look for the next number in the same column (in this case, “Two thousand one hundred thirty”). Write that number down too and continue calling out bingo cards until someone else calls out a different letter or you misspell a letter and have to draw again.
Remember: The columns always go from left to right on an 88-card deck, and from top to bottom on a 52-card deck. So if you are playing with an 88-card deck, column 1 would be on the bottom left corner of your card and columns 2 through 88 would be on top of it.
And if you are playing with a 52-card deck, columns 1 through 25 would be on the top left corner of your card and columns 26 through 50 would be on the bottom right corner of it.
If you get all six numbers in a row (Columns 1 through 6), then you automatically win the game! However, if somebody else gets all six numbers in a row first, then they win the game and receive all of your points as well as their own points multiplied by how many cards they had left in their hand at the time they won (in other words: their hand was just half full when they won).
