Bingo is indeed a game of numbers and balls. The bingo card or ticket contains numbers; the caller announces numbers as the game progresses; ultimately, the player has to strike off the numbers to create patterns and win prizes. So, it would be interesting to learn more about the bingo numbers that vary depending on the variant being played.
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How Many Numbers in US Bingo?
The US or American bingo is also referred to as the 75-ball bingo. The American bingo card, therefore, has 24 numbers spread across a 5X5 grid while the letters of the word BINGO are displayed along the top of the card.
Each column of numbers is placed under a letter:
- Column B – from 1-15
- Column I – from 16-30
- Column N – from 31-45
- Column G – from 46-60
- Column O – from 61-75
While drawing winning patterns such as a single vertical line, two lines, and so on, the blank space is also considered.
How Many Numbers in UK Bingo?
The UK bingo, also popularly known as the 90-ball bingo, is a widely played variant of the game. The British bingo ticket comprises 3 rows and 9 columns with 15 numbers distributed across the ticket. Each of the 9 vertical lines with 9 boxes contains 5 numbers and 4 blank or empty spots.
Any five random numbers from 1-9 are placed in the first column, 10-19 in the second column, 20-29 in the third column, 30-39 in the fourth column, 40-49 in the fifth column, 50-59 in the sixth column, 60-69 in the seventh column, 70-79 in the eighth column and finally, 80-90 in the ninth column.
Interestingly, the UK bingo tickets are available in strips of six, and the idea is to use one ticket in each round. So, all the 90 numbers are included in the six tickets, with the blank spaces taking up the rest of the positions, thereby, justifying the name, 90-ball bingo.
How Many Bingo Numbers Are Needed to Win?
Once players have a solid idea and picture of the numbers as they are featured on the bingo ticket, the next question is how many numbers in bingo are needed to win in the game. Let’s find out.
90-Ball Bingo Numbers
In the 90-ball UK bingo, there are three possible ways in which a player can win.
First, they can draw a one-line pattern, covering all the numbers in a single card row. This would require them to strike off 5 numbers as and when the numbers are announced.
Second, they can draw a two-line pattern, which would require him to cover two rows out of the three rows on the card, by marking off 10 numbers as each row contains 5 numbers. Third, they can get a full house by covering all three rows. This is usually a jackpot-winning pattern, necessitating the player to strike off all 15 numbers on a single ticket of the 90-ball bingo variant.
75-Ball Bingo Numbers
The 75-ball bingo card has 24 numbers with a blank or free space in the middle. Unlike the 90-ball British bingo, numerous patterns can be drawn in the US bingo variant. As a result, how many numbers a player needs to strike off to win prizes, or the jackpot will depend upon the pattern he is drawing.
For instance, getting a coverall or blackout would require the player to strike off all the 24 numbers on the card, while drawing a single line would mean covering just 5 numbers. Similarly, to create a diagonal pattern, the player must be able to mark 4 numbers, while to create an X pattern with two diagonal lines, he should be marking 8 random numbers as the numbers are being called.
80-Ball Bingo Numbers
The 80-ball bingo has 16 numbers spread across the 4X4 grid bingo card. Like the 75-ball US bingo, players can draw several patterns to win prizes. For covering a single row or column, the player would need just 4 numbers, while all 16 numbers have to be marked off to get a coverall or blackout. So, again, the question of how many numbers will be determined by the pattern being drawn with the pattern being considered a winning pattern as such.
30-Ball Bingo Numbers
The 30-ball bingo is a much smaller and quicker version of the 75-ball bingo game. The ticket contains 9 squares comprising random numbers from 1-30. There is only one pattern that the player can draw to win: marking off all the 9 numbers on the card. There is no blank space, and no other patterns are usually allowed. The 30-ball bingo is a straightforward variant for this reason.
Knowing the numbers in bingo variants certainly gives players, especially beginners, a clear idea of strategizing and winning.