Bingo Cards

Bingo cards are the strips of tickets used when playing the traditional 90 ball game, or the square tickets used in a game of 75 ball bingo. When playing online, bingo players are presented with bingo cards that look very similar to the real thing – something that players often say makes online bingo feel so authentic.

Because bingo cards are central to the game, players have developed some strongly held beliefs and habits about them. Whilst some of these beliefs are mere superstitions, others are actually quite logical, as we will explain as we identify the most common bingo card notions:

Complete Cards Are Better – Many 90 ball bingo players believe that buying complete bingo cards (that is, those made up of six bingo tickets) is better than buying individual tickets. This is because a complete card is guaranteed to include all of the numbers 1 to 90, so the player will be able to mark every number. We think that this is a logical belief if only because playing six tickets (one complete card) gives you six chances of winning, whereas an individual ticket gives you just one.

Lucky Numbers Should Be Present – If a bingo card does not include a specific lucky number, plenty of players will refuse it, and choose one that does. The lucky number in question varies from player to player, but whatever the number, choosing a card which includes it is pure superstition. We say this because all numbers in bingo have exactly the same chance of being called.

Card Cost Must be an Even Number – Some players believe that the cost of their bingo cards must be an even number. Such people would refuse to spend £9 on cards and prefer instead to spend £8 or £10. There is no logic at all to the belief that the cost of tickets being odd or even has any influence on the chances of the player winning, so this belief belongs firmly in the superstition category.

Bingo Cards Must Be Pristine – Some players of both the 90 ball and 75 ball game insist that their bingo cards are pristine, and refuse to play with those that are torn, crumpled or scruffy. Whilst the crumpled or scruffy rule is, in our opinion, superstition, refusing to play torn cards is logical, because many bingo clubs view torn cards as being invalid.

9th April 2008