Bingo Vocabulary: A Few Bingo Words that You Need to Learn
We all start by being new at something, and in the case of bingo, being new to the game will not really matter because you have a ton of resources on hand to help you get acquainted with it.
If you are just starting to play the game, you will encounter a lot of words unique to bingo, names of equipment, alternate names for numbers, even common abbreviations used in online bingo chat rooms. Here's a guide to the most common bingo words that you need to acquaint yourself with.
Black-out- also known as 'cover-all', this is a variation of the game where the goal is to cover all the squares to win
Caller-the person who draws the numbers and calls them out for everyone to hear
Bingo cards- these are the cards that contain the spaces filled with numbers (in the case of traditional number Bingo) that the players must cross out or cover with chips during the game. Each card has 25 spaces, arranged into 5 rows and 5 columns, with the center space left blank
chat room- online rooms where bingo players can communicate with each other; this is common feature in many online bingo sites, and provides a place for bingo players to trade tips and interact with each other even if they're not playing the game; you often need to become a member of an online bingo site to join a chat room
consolation prize- this is given to the players when no winner emerges after a game
dauber- a fancy Bingo term for the pen, usually foam-tipped, used to cross-off the numbers in paper Bingo cards if they are called out; daubers usually come in a variety of fun colors
Early Bird Game-a game started prior to any regular game
Free space- the center space in each card that has no number written on it. This space is counted towards the player when it is included in the winning pattern
Hardway bingo- a bingo game that does away with the free space
Jackpot- a large prize awarded to any player who achieves a difficult pattern; this is usually given to winners of blackout bingo
multiple winners- more than one winner in a game
pattern-the order of numbers called out that needs to be created by players in their cards to win the game
You wont need to worry about forgetting these words, since you'll be hearing them all the time when you play the game. But if you're a total neophyte it is a good idea to equip yourself with the basic bingo vocabulary so that you will get the most enjoyment out of that first bingo game.