Bingo- a game of
chance played with cards having numbered squares corresponding to numbered balls
drawn at random and won by covering five such squares in a row.
Bingo Card - A card containing 24 numbers and a "free space" arranged in
a 5x5 square. At the top of each column is the appropriate letter, spelling out
B I N G O. Each column has 15 random numbers from its number set. The sets are
as follows: B is 1-15, I is 16-30, N is 31-45 G is 46-60, and O is 61-75.
Bingo Marker - Usually a "dauber." Your marker is used to cover the
numbers on the bingo game card. While not every bingo hall requires that a
dauber be used as the marker, most do - so check with the hall's rules if you do
not plan to use a dauber.
Blackout/Coverall- This is a pattern where you must cover all numbers on
the card to win.
Blower - A forced-air device that mixes the bingo balls and dispenses
them to the caller who announces the number and displays it on a bingo board.
Buy-in - Buying bingo cards or an Admission Packet. Converting cash into
bingo cards.
Caller - The person who calls out the bingo numbers as they are drawn.
The numbers themselves are usually randomly generated by machine blows.
Callers Choice - A Bingo game that allows the caller to decide what the
pattern will be for that game. The game the caller chooses is usually not
announced until the game is ready to begin.
Chat Room - For those who are playing online bingo with their home
computer on the internet, chat rooms provide a great way for players to converse
with other bingo players in real-time allowing players to read and exchange
messages with other players.
Face - Is the individual bingo sheet containing 24 numbers plus the free
space in the middle.
Free space- This is always the middle square of the card and if included
in the current pattern counts towards your winning numbers.
Four Corners - A pattern where you must cover the corner numbers of the
card. If you get those four numbers, you win.
Jackpot - A big prize, usually awarded for a "coverall" within a
specified number of balls. Sometimes the jackpot is a "Progressive Jackpot,"
which allows the jackpot to grow each time that it is not won.
Main Stage Bingo - The main event of a session of bingo (the one said to
draw the most customers).
Money Ball - If a game has a money ball, then a player's winning is
doubled if bingo is hit on that number. If a money ball exist, it will be drawn
before the game.
Multiple Winners - Two or more players bingo at the same time. When this
happens, the cash prize is divided among them.
Payout - The percentage of sales paid out by the House.
Pattern - The shape you need to cover on your bingo card using the
numbers called out during the game. While the variations of patterns are almost
endless.
Progressive Jackpot - A Jackpot that gets bigger until it is won. It
builds daily, weekly, or monthly if it is not won in a specific number of calls.
If there is no winner in X number of calls, consolation prize's of lesser dollar
amounts are paid.
Quickie- Numbers are called as quickly as possible & the card must be
full to win Bingo.
RNG- Random Number Generator; the machine used to pick the numbers for a
game of bingo. Most are electronic.
Wrap Up- The name of the last game of a session.