If you ask most Americans to describe the game of bingo to you they will tell you that there are 75 numbers used and you mark these numbers as they are called upon a bingo card with a five by five grid. The middle space is called the free space and is basically wild – it will count in any line formed that includes it. To win in American bingo, you must bet a full line either vertically, horizontally or diagonally.
For America and much of the world, this is what they will tell you about bingo. However, once they start in the online bingo environment, they soon find out that there are other versions of this classic game. The UK version of the game has long been the standby in the UK and Australia but has really taken off when introduced on the internet. Now you can find the British styled 90 ball bingo games on almost every online bingo website on the net.
The 90 ball bingo obviously uses 90 numbers instead of the standard 75. The bingo cards have a grid that is three rows by nine columns and there are three winners with a 90 ball bingo game. First is the first player to achieve one line, then there is also the person to achieve two lines and then the final, and usually biggest, winner is the one who gets a full house (coverall or blackout).
There are pros and cons of either version and most online bingo players will play either version depending on the prizes involved. One thing that is good about the American version of the game is that it allows for far more pattern games to be created. With the UK version, it is much harder to come up with any pattern with the limitations of the 3×9 grid.
These two variations on the beloved bingo classic are not the only ones around but they remain the two most popular versions around. In recent years, we have seen innovations such as the 80 ball bingo game, the 30 ball speed bingo game and the latest, a 50 ball bingo game variation. The basics of each game remain the same familiar rules as always – you need to mark off the numbers called and be the first to get a bingo to win the prize. If you haven’t yet, you should try all the versions to see which one or ones you like the best.
