Bingo Games – 75 Ball, 80 Ball and 90 Ball

Many North American bingo enthusiasts will be shocked to learn that there are three variations on their favorite game. Over in Europe they play 90 ball bingo, and the cards look very different from the traditional 75-ball game that is played in the US and Canada. UK bingo players have been playing 90 ball bingo since the game's inception. So what you might ask? Well, the 80 and 90 ball bingo cards are arranged differently to the 75 ball cards and can catch you off guard when you play bingo online if you're not prepared.

We'll start by talking about the traditional North American game, 75 ball bingo. The cards for a 75 ball game are five rows by five columns, and the columns are typically headed by the letters B - I - N - G - O. The numbers on the card are arranged by column in groups of fifteen, for example numbers under the B will range from 1 to 15, and on each card five unique numbers from that group will appear in the corresponding column. The bingo balls usually have both the letter and number and the familiar call "under the B, thirteen" can be heard in bingo halls across North America.

Two European games gained popularity in the UK and are slowly making their way across the pond to North America. The 80 and 90 ball variations of bingo are both played in the UK, although 90 ball is much more prevalent than its younger counterpart. The 90 ball bingo game is most different from the North American game in that it's played on a rectangular card. With 3 rows and 9 columns, but only 5 numbers per row, the 90 ball card can be a strange animal when you first take a look at it. The numbers are again arranged by column, with numbers 1 to 9 appearing in the first column on the left.

The 80 ball bingo game is similar to the traditional 75 ball North American game in that it is played on a square card. Instead of a 5 by 5 square however, it is played on a 4 by 4 square. Each column can contain any of twenty numbers, 1 to 20 in the first column, 21 to 40 in the second and so on.

Each variation of bingo has a different style of game that can be played on its cards. Traditionally, 90 ball bingo will be played in three segments, one line, two lines and full card (three lines). These are the simplest types of games. In 75 and 80 ball bingos, single lines are valid, but longer games such as squares, X-shapes, T-shapes and H-shapes are also common. Typically larger shapes mean bigger prizes, and bingo jackpots for full cards can appear when you reach a full card before a certain number of balls have been drawn.

All three games are gaining popularity in the online bingo world, and most bingo sites offer two types of games. The UK-centric sites will offer more 90 ball games and the sites catering to US players will offer more 75 and 80 ball games.

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Source by Trent Q Spencer