How To Play Online Bingo
Bingo Games
Traditionally bingo was (and still is) played in bingo clubs, where players mark off the numbers on their tickets, using a pen called a bingo dabber, as numbered balls are randomly drawn by a caller until a winner is declared. The winner is the first person to mark off all the numbers on their ticket according to the designated winning patterns.
Online bingo is played very much in the same way, the main differences being that a new game starts every few minutes, all day every day, and that you can set up all your own game environment preferences. There are also more varitey of games.
To play you must log in, have adequate funds in your account, unless you are playing for free, and buy at least one ticket.
At all bingo sites online you will find a choice of clubs with different games and promotions running at different times. Mr Tiddles tries to keep a tab on what are the best and we will keep the site updated to let you know, so whenever you come to bingocat you can be sure to find the bingo game that suits you.
Online clubs often have multiple clubs within them which have different opening hours whereas some are open every day, 24 hours a day.
Tickets
Each individual grid of numbers is referred to as a Ticket. Tickets are 3 rows by 9 columns.
Each row contains 5 numbers and 4 blank spaces.
The Strips
Six consecutively numbered tickets on the same card are referred to as Strips. Each Strip contains all 90 numbers (assuming you are playing 90 ball bingo) distributed throughout the tickets. Therefore, the player who buys a Strip will cross off a number at each call.
Winning Patterns and Prizes
Normally, the three winning patterns are One Line, Two Lines and Full House; however, in certain games an online bingo site may not offer all patterns.
To claim One Line, you need to mark off all the numbers on a single horizontal line on any one of your tickets. To claim Two Lines, you must mark off all the numbers on two horizontal lines of the same ticket.
You have a "Full House" when you mark off all numbers on any one of your tickets.
Prizes for each winning pattern vary depending on ticket prices and number of participants. However in certain games often there is a guarantee of a minimum prize and the offer of other additional jackpots.
Winnings are always credited to your account immediately after each valid claim, and you can cash this out whenever you like
Buying the Tickets
To participate in a game of of cash bingo you must buy at least one ticket.
The maximum amount of tickets you will be able to buy and the price for each individual ticket will vary depending on the game and will always be displayed somewhere on the screen.
Some bingo sites will also allow you to buy tickets for future draws.
How To Play
Playing a Game
Once you have bought your tickets you must wait for the game to start.
Generally on most sites 90 ball Bingo games start every few minutes. Of course the times do vary from site to site, so you will need to check the current schedule to see what time things happen on the site you are looking at.
During games you should be able to see the name of the current game, the number of participants and the prize for each winning pattern, including the Progressive Jackpot and any extra prizes.
Once the game starts you should be able to see each number as it's drawn and marked off on the checklist.
Dabbing Your Numbers
You may dab your numbers manually or chose to have them dabbed automatically.
The automatic option is selected by default, but should you prefer to dab your numbers manually, look for an 'Auto Dab' box or something similar which can be unchecked. Mr Tiddles always has auto dabbing enabled as it's very hard to keep up if you are new to online bingo or having trouble controlling the mouse (Mr Tiddles is good at catching mice, but not using them to control cursors!)
If you do go into manual dabbing mode, most sites have a 'catch up' button which you can push if you fall behind. This makes all the numbers that you have missed to be dabbed automatically. Be aware where this button is on the bingo site you are playing on, just incase it all gets a bit hectic!
Every time you complete a winning pattern (One Line, Two Lines, Full House) you can click on Claim. However, don't worry if you don't, your winnings will appear automatically on your screen.
As soon as any player makes a valid claim, a box will pop up on all players screens showing all details of the players' winning claim.
Disconnections
While playing online bingo it is possible to become disconnected from the game, but most online bingo sites employ some type of card manager that will take over the dabbing for you. Should you win at any stage then claims will be automatically made and your account will then be updated with any winnings.
Other Games
While you are waiting for the next game of bingo to start you can play any other games such as instant win, slot machines or other games that the site provides. Why not check out Mr Tiddles reviews of which uk online bingo site has the best instant win, the best slot machines and the best uk bingo sites offering casino games.
Other games generally open in a separate window and don't interfere with the bingo draw in progress so don't be afraid to have a go.
The Chat Area
Each online bingo site will have different Chat rooms, so while playing bingo you can chat with your buddies or make new friends.
To make sure that people are acting in a responsible manner online bingo sites employ chat moderators. These are people who keep an eye on what people are saying to each other. Rooms generally hold up to about 75 people so it can get quite frantic but after you have used them for a while you get used to the quick banter. People often use shortened versions of words when talking in a chatroom. A list of the more common ones can be found in the Bingo Lingo section on this site.
Sometimes it can be difficult to read the chat, so usually you can change your font size, choose the colour your chat appears and choose who to talk to and who not.
