Bingo is considered to be a common game, therefor bingo fans have developed a personal language exclusively for this game. Here are some of the most common phrases and terms used in online bingo sites or bingo halls:
Admission – Describing an entitled entry to a bingo hall or to participate in a bingo game.
After Game – The game played after the latest round of a bingo session.
Ball Gate – A part of the bingo machine, from which the bingo pass to the playing field.
Ball Lifter– The device lifting the ball from the play-field.
Ball Runway – The path in which the ball is lifted up to get into the ball shooter.
Bingo Booklets – A set of colored bingo tickets, that is played color by color. They are attached together, therefore the meaning “booklet”.
Bingo Card – A card full of 24 numbered places and one open place. There are 5 rows, and every row is assigned with a letter, from B to O (B-I-N-G-O). In every row there is a set of random numbers. In the B row there are the numbers from 1-15. In the I row:16-30, and so on.
Bonanza Bingo – A bingo variation, in which the numbers are draw before the session and the player that reaches a “blackout” wins instantly. Whther no one wins than more numbers are drawn. Notice that the rules of Bonanza vary among bingo halls.
Blackout – A game system in which you have to cover all the number of the bingo ticket in order to win.
Caller – The worker of a bingo hall that is in charge of announcing the raffled numbers.
Casino Night – A period of time that starts afternoon and lasts until the late hours of the night. In this event a bingo organization is allowed to operate casino games, such as bingo, blackjack, poker and so forth.
Consolation Prize – It is a prize given whether no winner is announced.
Dauber – The pens aloud in bingo halls, used to mark the numbers that are drawn.
Early Bird Game – The first session of bingo.
Free Space – The center four-sided figure of the bingo ticket, meaning the middle square.
Game Board – A visual model of the game where drawn numbers are marked and therefor making them visible to anyone in the hall.
G.T.I – An electric dauber marking more than one card.
Hall Ball – The first raffled and announced numbers.
Hardway– A winning of card without the use of the free space. There could be more than one Hardway.
Inside Square – Another pattern but this time the player have to mark the squares surrounding the middle square, meaning the free space, and the I and G and N rows as well.
Inlaid Card – It is a printed card, laid into a table, and discs are used to cover up the numbers as they are being drawn.
Instant Bingo – A bingo pattern which must be complete in order to win the offered prizes.
Jackpot– A hugh award, given if a player complete a specific and rare pattern.
Lucky Jar – A jar packed with cash, which is to be won if a special number is drawn by the caller. It is usually the first number drawn in a session. Notice that money is added as long as the session progress and it is played almost only on regular bingo games.
Money Ball – It is a number which is raffled in the beginning of the game and inserted right back. If later on a player wins with the help of that number then his prize is doubled.
Multiply Winners – When more than one player wins the jackpot, and the money is equally divided among the winners.
Rainbow Cards – Bingo cards which are varied by colors and used to play for more prizes in the same time. The value of the prize rise with the color of the ticket.
On – A player who lacks one space on his card, which he must have in order to win.
Outside Square – A pattern in which a player have to fill the B and G row and top and bottom rows all in order to win.
Parti – A bingo game paid in cash, depending on the number of players.
Payout – The percentage of the profit of the bingo hall which is then put back as prizes. The payout is 75% in bingo halls.
Progressive Jackpot – A jackpot which increases with time until it is won.
Quickie – A fast session of bingo.
RNG – The mechanism used to draw numbers – Random Number Generator.
Series – Describing how many “faces” can be in a given set of cards.
Session – A period of time in which different games of bingo are played, usually not over 4 hours.
Six Pack/Nine Pack – A term used to describe when 6 or 9 numbers are drawn and they are psychically near eachother.
Special – Games which are played with cards other than the admission cards.
Split Pot – A bingo game in which the prize is split between the bingo hall and the winner, the percentage given to the house is predetermined.
Texas Blackout– A variation of blackout. If the first number drawn is even then all the even numbers on the cards are covered, wether the number is uneven than all these numbers are covered.
Validation – Eligibility necessary to get extra prizes. The cost varies by the amount of cards played by a single player.
Wild Number – This is the first ruffled number, after this number is ruffled any other number who bears the same last digit is also marked. For example if the number 15 is drawn then any number ending with “5″ can be marked.
