As bingo continues to grow in popularity, especially online, the game has continued to adapt and vary. The growth of the game continues with its ability to adapt to a variety of demographics of players and their demands for the game to keep it from going stale.
With a mixture of styles of bingo on offer, 90 ball bingo rules are ones which most should make themselves aware of.
It is a fun version of the game which has continued to adapt to the changing demand of generations, cultures ad demographics.
90 ball bingo is the British variant of the game which has been played for centuries. It’s the classic version in the United Kingdom which was introduced into bingo halls back in the 1960’s.
As well as being popular in the United Kingdom, it is also played globally.
Rules
Numbers from 1-90 will be called one at a time and players will mark off the numbers they have on their ticket as they are called.
A bingo ticket is issued to each player, it has a selection of numbers ranging from 1-90 spread across it.
Each column from left to right has selection of the following numbers.
- Column 1 = Numbers 1-9
- Column 2 = Numbers 10-19
- Column 3 = Numbers 20-29
- Column 4 = Numbers 30-39
- Column 5 = Numbers 40-49
- Column 6 = Numbers 50-59
- Column 7 = Numbers 60-69
- Column 8 = Numbers 70-79
- Column 9 = Numbers 80-90
Each ticket has three rows and nine columns. A selection of numbers are randomly generated for the ticket giving five different numbers per row spread across the nine columns.
This gives each ticket 12 blank spaces and 15 randomly selected numbers which are then used in the game.
How do you win?
Once you have your ticket, you await the numbers to be called and mark them off as yours come up.
There are three ways in which a player can win in 90 ball bingo.
- One Line
- Two Lines
- Full House
Simply by marking off your numbers, should all five on one row be called, that is the most common and ultimately first chance of winning.
As bingo is a game of chance there is definitely the opportunity to win with two lines, or even all three (better known as a full house).
The more numbers called on your ticket the more you can win. When you win on the first line, you may have a few numbers already on each row and the chances of winning bigger are possible.
Jackpots
There are three types of jackpots in 90-ball bingo that are used.
- Fixed
This is where the jackpot is set prior to the game, a fixed total which is determined by the organisers of the game. The number of players or tickets sold have no effect on the jackpot.
- Progressive
A progressive jackpot starts with certain value depending on the number of players and the prices of the ticket purchased. It then increases every day as new players sign up and buy tickets.
- Escalator
A ball limit is set per day for the amount called and it increases every day if no one wins. This means that the longer a game goes on, the more chances you have of winning, with more balls being called.
Tips and Strategies
It may be a game of chance but there are a few ways of improving your opportunities to win bigger.
- Promotions
Each bingo provider will offer a variety of promotions for the unique games they run. Welcome bonuses are often given to people who sign up with the online bingo site.
A usual offer is matching deposits up to a certain amount, in this case you can be playing with ‘free’ money and winning big. It is important to read the terms and conditions as there will be rules on how the matched deposit can be used.
There are a number of bingo games which provide minimum guaranteed prizes, as well as buy one/get one free offers on tickets. This is a good way of giving yourself more opportunities to win while gambling with less money.
- Peak Hours
The way in which the odds of winning in bingo is calculated is rather easy. The more people that are playing will equal the less chances you have of winning. Understanding when the site you use or the venue you visit is in its off-peak hours gives you the chance to play games with a greater win probability.
- Go All In
If you’ve got the budget for it, by playing odd more than one ticket gives you a greater chance of winning too.
Online you can select an option for the computer/app to mark off your numbers as they come up. This ensures you don’t have the panic of missing a number while searching multiple cards.
What you must remember in this system though is, the more you spend on tickets means the less your jackpot total will be should you win. It’s still a game of chance as well, so just because you have more tickets doesn’t guarantee a win.
90-Ball bingo remains incredibly popular in the UK as a progressive and fun, while being easy to play. For this reason, it continues to grow in popularity in the UK and aboard.
The opportunity to play on your smartphone or home computer has only accelerated its appeal and shows little sign of slowing down.
