How to win at bingo
A little about Online Bingo. Online bingo has always been successful, but as the game has been expanded to online casinos, it has become increasingly more popular in recent years. Bingo lovers are no longer limited to visiting land-based bingo halls and can challenge thousands of other players in an online bingo.
- Bingo might be a game of luck but it always helps to come up with some basic tips and strategies to improve your performance. Whether you are gunning for the jackpot prize at your favorite casino or at your local bingo room, it is always better to go to battle with a few tricks up your sleeve.
- If you want to know how to win Bingo, then all you need to do is cross out all your numbers before anyone else. The type of bingo game you are playing determines how many numbers are on your ticket. The numbers on your ticket correspond to possible numbers that bingo callers may draw.
- How to Win at Bingo Every Time: 9 Sneaky Insider Tips 1. Get There Early. This one isn’t so much a bingo tip as a general tip to perform your best and set yourself up for. Have the Right Tools. You can’t do any job well if you don’t have the right tools. You need a bingo dabber to quickly.
- You could always play free bingo or play in bingo rooms that limit the amount of tickets that can be bought by a single player. Alternatively, you could take advantage of VIP schemes or loyalty points. Loyalty points, in particular, build up quickly—you can then spend them on a bingo bonus or more tickets.
Maybe you’ve got the hang of playing bingo but have yet to see a return on your stakes? Perhaps your beginner’s luck has run out? Either way, you’re probably keen to work out the secret to winning that jackpot.
There is no secret for winning at bingo. While it’s a game of chance and your success is primarily based on luck, fortunately, there are a few ways to improve your odds – some more scientific than others!
Bingo tips and tricks
Click on the ‘play’ button on the site. This will take you to the lobby; here you’ll find the full range of bingo games available to play. It’ll probably tell you about the jackpot for each game and the price of tickets, as well as when the next round starts and how many players are in that particular game room. Most sites will have different types of games available too; 90-ball bingo is standard for the UK, but sites also offer 75-ball US bingo as well as variations like 30 ball speed bingo. Let’s stick with 90-ball bingo for now.
Make your own rules
Have a think about why you’re playing. Is bingo a fun hobby or are you looking to play for profit? The best way to win at bingo is to make sure you’re using your money wisely.
Set yourself a budget
Bingo doesn’t have to cost the earth. Work out what you can afford and stick to it. Just because you were one ball away from winning last time doesn’t mean you are more likely to win next time. Playing with the confidence you haven’t overspent means there’s everything to win! Buying tickets doesn’t need to eat into your profits. Make savings where you can by cashing in on bonuses. Either shop around for welcome bonuses or stick to a couple of sites and make the most of their loyalty bonuses.
Find your niche
Remember, different bingo sites are designed to appeal to different players. So whether you’re a regular player or just after a bit of occasional fun with your loose change choose the site that best reflects your interest. These will have best odds for you and chances are you’ll meet like-minded players too.
Get some experience
Like most things in life, the more you practise the better you get! Use the free games available to build your knowledge of the game and take advantage of the bonuses on offer. Talk to other players! The chat rooms are friendly places and people are usually only too keen to help out. Benefit from the wealth of experience here and compare notes with your fellow roomies.
Should I buy more tickets
If money is no object, or you only play one or two games at a time, you could consider buying a large quantity of tickets each game. This increases your odds of winning in that particular game; if you buy one card in one game you have one chance, if you buy two you double that chance. Plus, the auto daub feature means that, unlike in a bricks and mortar bingo hall, you don’t need to worry about keeping up!
However, it only takes one card to win. Buying more cards will only give you more chances of picking this card. Buying the maximum number of cards per game will increase your odds of winning in that game, but it is also more expensive. You might prefer to stick with buying fewer tickets for each game, but playing more games. Spread your playing across a variety of different games and systems and you’ll increase your chances of winning the major companies’ jackpots. And remember, in the world of online bingo, you can be in more than one bingo hall at one time. This is great, but don’t forget networked sites may share games and jackpots; the best bet is to make sure your choice of sites is split across the different networks.
The bottom line is the more you play, the more likely you are to win. How you do this is up to you.
Increase your chances
Every game of bingo will have different odds. These are virtually impossible to calculate, but there are two sure-fire ways to improve them, depending on whether you’re looking for more wins or more money:
- Play at off peak times with fewer players to win more often. You’re most likely to win when your opposition is least. These games are likely to have smaller jackpots though, so you’re unlikely to win big
- Choose the games with the biggest jackpots to increase your chances of winning a large amount. Bear in mind that these games will have more players so you’re less likely to win
Buy Tickets in Advance
When there's a game coming up that you particularly like, but unfortunately won't be around when it starts, there is a simple solution to make sure you can still take part! 'Pre-buy' is an important feature that allows players to purchase tickets in advance and ensure they won't miss out on anything! Most eligible games at online sites will have this option clearly displayed - take note, these are always scheduled games, many with lucrative prizes and large progressive jackpots!
Pre-purchasing tickets is easy, as long as you have enough funds in your account and the tickets are not sold out. Events are usually announced well in advance, and all you need to do is log in daily to stay up-to-date with the promotional and gameplay offering. Some bingo rooms have a special 'Pre-buy' tab where all games with this option activated are stored for a quick and efficient search.
One of the reasons why this convenient advantage may significantly boost your winning odds is being able to ensure a place in the game, without having to rush just before it starts. Having a ticket safely tucked away will prevent unforeseen circumstances form interfering with your gaming schedule. Furthermore, since all regular games start every two to three minutes, grabbing a ticket early is not possible or useful here, but it sure is an option when grand prizes are concerned! Jackpot games generate a lot of interest and come with the option to 'pre-buy' a coveted place and a chance to compete for massive rewards.
Session Bingo
Play cheap and easy in an hour-long session where all games have a single, fixed price! That is what Session Bingo is all about - not a new genre or site, but simply a way to make the most of the funds you've set aside for bingo joys. Different gaming sites organize these sessions differently; most rooms offer a five-game hourly or half-hourly sessions several times a day in multiple blocks, but some like JackpotJoy go even further than that, introducing up to 16 individual titles, and mixing variants of games and cards.There are no late entries allowed, so you have to plan ahead to have your chance at prizes. This means you need to pre-purchase tickets, as they won't be available once games have already started.
Bingo strategies
If you’re mathematically minded, you might want to try working out the odds for yourself. Although bingo balls are generated by a computer-driven random selector, there are still patterns to be spotted. Let’s take a game of 90 ball bingo. At the first call there is a 1 in 90 chance of any number being called; at the second call the chance is 1 in 89, at the third it’s 1 in 88 and so on. Probability comes into play in a game of bingo as well as luck.
Tippett and Granville
The two key players in the world of mathematical bingo strategy were Leonard Tippett (1902-1985) and Joseph Granville (1923-2013). Tippett was a British statistician who studied random number sampling. Granville, a financial prediction expert, expanded on many of Tippett’s notions to build his own theories about how to win at bingo. He even published a book about it in 1977. Here’s a quick summary of their work!
Card selection is important. There are some cards that are more likely to win in certain games than others, because of the distribution of numbers and the frequency with which they occur. In random number selection, the following patterns tend to occur:
- There will be the same quantity of numbers ending in 1s, 2s, 3s, 4s etc
- There will be a balance between the amount of odd and even numbers that are called
- There will be a balance between high and low numbers picked
- In a game of 90-ball bingo, the more numbers called the more likely they are to be close to the median number of 45
Based on these findings, here are a few handy tips to remember:
- Choose numbers with different endings. Don’t go for a card with 21, 31, 41, 51 and 61 on because that’s unlikely to come up
- Pick a card with a good mix of odd and even numbers
- Make sure the numbers on your card are spread out between 1 and 90
- Choose the cards yourself and opt for a wide distribution of numbers
- If you’re playing a ‘long’ game pick numbers closest to 45. If it’s a ‘short’ game, pick numbers closest to both 1 and 90
Trust the reviews
If you’ve had a run of bad luck, it might start to feel like it’s fixed. The good news is that bingo sites operate under strict legislation to ensure fair play. Have a look through our bingo site reviews and read up about the different software and networks. If there’s even a sniff of anything dodgy happening you’ll see it here first!
Our job is to find the sites and games that give you the best chance of winning and tell you about them. We’re also constantly on the lookout for the best bonuses and discounts so you can get more for your money and increase your chances!
How To Always Win In Go Fish
Have fun
The most important thing to do is enjoy yourself. Bingo is first and foremost an entertaining, social game. Keep it as fun first and winning second and you’ll never lose!
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One of the main questions asked by bingo players worldwide is this: do the same bingo players always win? In other words, do some bingo sites cheat and give all of the jackpots and prizes to the same winners all of the time? It doesn’t matter whether you’re spending a lot of money on a bingo site or barely anything, you need to know that you can completely trust a site. BingoPort is going to show you whether this is the case, and if not, why it can appear like some bingo players always win.
The same players always win…
Whether you’re a newbie or a veteran, you’ll undoubtedly be familiar with phrases like: “this site never pays out”, “the same players always win”, “they’re just after your money”. You’ll have seen them in the chatroom plenty of times—or even straight from the mouth of your best roomie. The idea that bingo sites are fixed is one of the most popular bingo myths out there. But before you start grabbing your pitchforks and heading to your favourite bingo site’s headquarters, we’re going to make things a little bit easier for you.
Quite simply, we’re going to show you why it’s not possible for a site to cheat—due to the many regulations—and then we’re going to show you why it might seem like the same players always win. Plus, we’ll throw in a few top BingoPort tips so you can stay ahead of the game and get rid of those bingo blues you’ve got.
How do I know that bingo sites aren’t letting the same people win?
As we’ve already discussed in online bingo: fixed or fair?, all sites in the UK have to be licensed by the Gambling Commission. So if a bingo site has been licensed—you can find this information at the bottom of the site—then it will have been rigorously checked to ensure that their games are all fair. It also means that the information you submit—your bank details and personal information—is completely protected. If you’re not sure whether a site is licensed or your information is safe, check out our top tips on how to stay safe when playing online bingo.
In addition to being licensed, online bingo sites also now use Random Number Generators (RNGs) to pick bingo numbers. So, instead of a bingo caller—which can leave room for error—they rely on algorithms to assure players that they’re getting fair odds. This means that the numbers called out during a game are completely random—there can’t be any pattern whatsoever.
So why does it seem like the same players always win?
We’ve all experienced that terrible feeling when you’ve lost a game of bingo for what seems like the billionth time. Going through the many stages of losing at bingo is heartbreaking and tragic. It’s made even more horrific when you take a look at the winners list and it’s that same username you saw last night. In fact, you’re convinced that the same username has been on the winners list for a couple of months now. This is clear proof that the bingo site is fixed—isn’t it?
Have you ever considered that some players might be winning more often due to underlying factors that affect their likelihood of winning? Take a look below to see some of the factors that might make it seem like some players win more than others...
Frequency
Ways To Win At Bingo
We all have different schedules and timetables to upkeep in our day-to-day lives. It can be exhausting trying to juggle work and bingo day in and day out, but we just about manage it. Some of us have enough time to catch up on bingo in the weekday, others have to wait until the weekend so that they can finally enjoy themselves. Why is this relevant, you ask?
It’s simple, really—some people are going to be playing online bingo more often than others. If they’ve just discovered the wonders of mobile bingo then they’re always going to be playing on the go—it’s just that easy. As you can imagine, this type of player is far more likely to win that someone who tunes in every now and again at the weekend or in the evening. So if it’s still bugging you, why not try to play a bit more frequently?
Timing
Do you fancy yourself a bit of an early bird or are you more of a late riser? Do you like to get your bingo fix in before the sun’s even come up, or do you wait until it’s pitch black outside in the evening? If you’re not sure why any of this is relevant, bear in mind that bingo rooms vary in popularity depending on the time of day. For example, a lot of people tend to play after work—which is why mid-to-late evening is always the busiest for bingo rooms.
As you might expect, this has an impact on your likelihood of winning. If you’re playing in a bingo room with 60+ players in the evening, you’re going to be less likely to win something than the roomie who’s playing against less than 20 people early in the morning. If you really want to increase your chances of winning, why not try playing at a different time of day to what you’re used to? You might get lucky!
Expenses
Some lucky players have a big—seemingly endless—budget which can last them the entire month when playing online bingo. Other unlucky players have to scrimp and save because they forgot to check the wagering requirements properly and have to wager more money than they’d first thought. As you can imagine, the players who have bigger budgets will be able to buy more tickets and go for the more expensive games.
If someone has more bingo tickets than you do for a game, they’re going to be far more likely to win something. But don’t take this as a sign that you should start spending and depositing more on a site. You could always play free bingo or play in bingo rooms that limit the amount of tickets that can be bought by a single player. Alternatively, you could take advantage of VIP schemes or loyalty points. Loyalty points, in particular, build up quickly—you can then spend them on a bingo bonus or more tickets.
How To Always Win Bingo Game
No Promotions
This particular point doesn’t necessarily impact how frequently a player wins. It does, however, impact how easily a player can make a withdrawal. As we’ve discussed in the past, bingo sites like to offer newbies and veterans new bonuses and promotions. For example, ‘spend £10 and you get £30’. But if you’re at all familiar with wagering requirements, you’ll know that there’s always more to it than that.
Often enough, you’ll have to spend an X amount more than the bonus offer. If the wagering requirement was 4x in the above example, you’d have to spend £120 before you could meet the requirements, get the bonus and make a withdrawal. While they are vital to the gambling industry, wagering requirements can be a nightmare for players—which is why some bingo veterans decide to forgo them by not taking advantage of promotions at all. While this might not impact how often a player wins, it does mean that when they win they don’t have to worry about the withdrawal process at all.
So how can I increase my chances?
So now you know that bingo sites aren’t fixed—at least the legal and licensed ones aren’t. So how exactly can you increase your chances of winning more often? BingoPort, as always, is here to help you in your time of need.
How To Win Playing Bingo
- Maximize your bingo budget. You don’t want to spend all of your money at the start of the month—you need something in place to ensure that your bingo budget lasts all month. You might want to consider factors like loyalty schemes, player rewards and free bingo.
- Follow our tips for online bingo. The world of online bingo can be complex, especially for a newcomer. That’s why you need to carefully take into consideration the types of sites you’re joining, how busy the bingo rooms are and what types of promotions are available.
- Prep for online bingo. If you’ve got a busy home or you’re often interrupted by people while playing bingo, you’ve clearly not prepared. Whether it’s switching off your phone, getting yourself into the bingo mindset or playing like it’s your last night on Earth—it’s all important.
- Play on a safe and trustworthy bingo site. You can’t expect to win anything if you joined up to the first bingo site you first laid your eyes on. You need to consider whether the site is licensed, has good wagering requirements and offers players a wide range of payment methods.
How To Always Win Bingo Prizes
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