Whoa, hold on there buddy! Before you learn the pro tips of Bingo, you need to start with the basic rules, right?

Bingo is a relatively simple game to grasp. Bingo is played in what are called “bingo halls”, and many of these halls have different rulesets, payouts, and prizes. Fortunately, most of these locations have primers or brochures that detail the local rules. It´s a good idea to look in the local listings for a "newcomer-friendly" Bingo hall, as these halls are a great way to start playing the game and having a fun making small amounts of money.

Here´s how it works: players at the hall will typically buy small cards marked with numbers on a five-by-five grid. Each column and row is marked with B, I, N, G, O in that order, spelling out the word "Bingo". The Bingo master draws balls from a Bingo basket at random. These balls are read out as B-3, O-10, and so on. The players then mark the Bingo paper if the corresponding letter and number are the same as on their card.

The first person to win will complete the Bingo pattern. Lines can go straight up, across, or diagonally across the sheet until the line passes through each of the B-I-N-G-O rows or columns. The numbers in the American version of Bingo are typically 0-75, with 75 being the highest possible. Conversely, the Australian and UK version of Bingo go all the way up to 90.

Usually, the numbers in the B column of the Bingo sheet are between 1 and 15. Furthermore, the I column features the numbers 16-30, the N column features the "free space" and numbers 31 to 45, the G column in "Bingo", with the G column filled with 46 to 60, and finally the O column comprised of numbers between 61 and 75.

The "free space" on the Bingo board is exactly what it implies: "a free space". For example, a player would only have to get four N numbers vertically, since the free space counts as one marked number to begin with.

Small prizes are often featured, such as gift cards or vouchers to local grocery stores or butcher shops. Some Bingo venues even give away bottles of wine, luxury chocolates and sweets, tickets to amusements parks or fairs, and community-sponsored gifts. Other venues give out money rewards on special nights, and the prizes can vary from night to night depending on the theme. Childrens’ nights, for example, may feature vouchers for pizza and local family entertainment.