Shout Bingo! The Story of a Popular Game

Maybe you remember Friday nights in the church hall or VFW post, tagging along with Grandma or Mom and meeting many of their friends and fellow enthusiasts. Before watching the national lotteries became the nightly pastime for many card holders, bingo was a game of change that held many in thrall. Of course, it remains as popular a game today as it had been for several decades - the suspense of watching numbered balls spin in a wire cage, the anticipation of hearing the next number called out, and hoping it's yours... it's proven a fun way to spend an evening.

Some people play bingo for money, others for various prizes. Churches have held bingo nights for years as a form of fundraiser, while people attend more for the companionship than the hope of winning. Gossip is exchanged, goodnatured banter mixed between game calls, and everybody has a great time.

Bingo is perhaps one of the simplest games to play. Whether at a bingo site or playing with the family at home, there aren't many rules to learn. To play, you'll need a set containing cards bearing random numbers, usually in a 5x5 grid. The top row spells out the word BINGO, one letter per square. Another important component of the game, the bingo numbers, may come in a series of ping-pong sized balls which are tossed in a rotating cage, or embedded on dice which are rolled. In traditional bingo, each letter contains a specific series of numbers; for example, all numbers from 1-14 are assigned to B, and so on. Some children's versions of bingo game may feature dice where the numbers or objects are on dice.

Card holders are given small chips to use during the game. The assigned "caller" responsible for calling out the chosen numbers will read them off one by one. As a card holder gets a match, they put the chip on the card. To win regular bingo, you need only to get five chips in a row - horizontally, diagonally, or vertically. Variations of the game include "blackout," where a player must fill his card entirely to win.

Whether you like to play bingo for cash or for the glory, there are many ways to enjoy the game.