Bingo Card Games
Bingo is a card game played with a single deck of cards printed with numbers, and is played with a standard deck of cards. In the United States, bingo has been a favorite game for generations, where each player submits cards depicting the chosen numbers to be called out during the course of the game. There are many different versions of bingo, all of which have come to include variants which allow for varying game rules and game play. Bingo is played most often by people of all ages, though the game does appeal to a younger audience as well. The rules of bingo differ among different versions, but most variations will follow the same general format of having several cards dealt off and the player calling out the numbers that are revealed.
As in regular bingo, the participant calling out the numbers receives points. The person with the most points after the initial round of betting wins the game. This can take place in a range of games between two or more players, where if all players have bet on the same numbers, or a set number of cards, the player with the most chips wins. If, however, more than two players are involved, a draw is used, so that each participant receives at least one card from the drawing.
One of the differences between traditional bingo and its American cousin, bingo cards, is that the player announcing the numbers does not announce them in “bingo” style, but rather in a way that bingo players understand. After all, bingo was originally a game played in cardrooms, where players would enter the numbers into a hat. When the cards were called out, a clerk would deal the cards and call out the numbers in order. Today, the term “bingo” is used to refer to any game where players match numbers in a particular order, called atengard. While bingo did come into its own in England, it became popular in the Americas with the addition of the French and Spanish cuisines and the French nautical meaning of the word “binnacle.”
In the United States of America, bingo was quickly embraced by European immigrants. New Dealers ofingo clubs popped up in cities like New York, San Francisco, and San Diego. Bingo cards, which often featured numbers and letters in the lower case (a.k.a. “b”) were printed on both sides of traditional bingo cards, allowing it to be read while it was being played.
As Bingo fever grew, it became even more popular at fairs across the country. The rules for placing a bet changed from being dependent on luck to using numbers beginning with certain letters. For example, the earliest known Bingo card was printed with numbers beginning with “A”, so that every caller who bought a ticket could win a prize.
Today, there are literally thousands of different variations of the game of bingo. Variations like no limit hold’em, hi-lo and seven-card draw remain popular. A relatively new version called bingo card games, also known as keno, has become extremely popular. No matter what version of the game you play, the basic mechanics are the same. If you want to get lucky, or just want to pass the time, playing online bingo can be an interesting and rewarding experience.
