How to play Bingo
1. This is a standard bingo strip. It is made up of 6 separate tickets. Each ticket has 15 numbers and 12 blank spaces.
2. The numbers are organised into columns; the first column holds all numbers from 1-9, the second 10-19 the third 20-29 and so on until the last column which holds 80-90.
3. A ‘caller’ shouts out the numbers as the balls come out of the machine (often using famous bingo-lingo such as ‘two fat ladies’ - 88 and ‘legs eleven’ - 11). In some schools, players may respond to the calls, e.g. wolf-whistling when ‘legs eleven’ is called.
4. As the numbers are called the players must find them on their ticket and mark them with a bingo dabber (a big marker pen).
5. The goal of the standard game is to mark off all five numbers in one line of a ticket (line) or all numbers in one of your tickets (house).
6. In some schools, the first game on a sheet will always be for any line of five, in some it will be for a particular line - top, middle or bottom - of a house. Some play for a combo - for example ‘4 up, 4 down’ would be for 4 numbers in the top line and four in the bottom. The caller will always explain which game is being played.
7. After the first game on a sheet, most schools will then continue to complete the house.
8. When you have completed the goal you can shout “line” or “house” depending what game you are playing. In many schools, a single vowel sound will suffice in any case.
9. The caller will validate your ticket, and if the numbers in your line/house have all been called then you’re a winner!!!!
10. In all cases, the last number called must be in the winning sequence. If you do not stop the game in time, beware, because if the caller starts the next number, your claim will be deemed invalid!
11. In some schools, the winning number called will be added to a bonus sheet known as the ‘liner’. The final game played will then be continuing to fill in this ‘liner’ until a winning line is called.
