Understanding the Bingo Lingo
If you are unfamiliar with the lingo used in a bingo session hall then you have a huge assignment to work on. Playing bingo without even a hint or a clue of what the terms used mean would be frustrating and confusing at times. Bingo has its own slang or lingo, just like any other game you would play. Some terms used in the game are your general terminology, others are common ones used in any casino, and there's a huge collection that's unique to the game.
Below are some terms you might hear spoken when players talk to one another or terms generally used in a bingo hall. We've not included the nicknames of the different numbers since that is just another ball game you'll have to figure out as well. Here's a concise list of the lingo that's used in a bingo session hall.
Early Bird: The meaning behind this term can easily be deduced since it is a common term or phrase we often use. This refers to bingo games that are played before the main game.
Eyes Down: This is what you'll hear the caller would say when a bingo game is about to start.
Flyer: This piece of lingo isn't exclusive to the game. You might have guessed that this refers to a piece of paper, that is correct, and in bingo it refers to that sheet of paper that contains only a single bingo game you can play.
Front of the House: Another easy part of the lingo, this term would refer to the desk you'll find at the front door.
Market Bingo: A type of bingo game where the prizes at stake would be goods or even a few vouchers instead of cash.
Admission Packet: This term refers to a minimum number of playing cards you should buy to participate in a game. The actual number of cards in the packet will vary depending on who's hosting the game. The average packet will contain some three to eight cards you can play.
Basket Bingo: This is another variation of the game that you're sure to find. The name simply indicates that the prizes to be won are goods that are placed in a basket.
Blackout: One of many patterns you may have to form in a game where you have to cover every single number on your card in order to win.
Buy In: A regular casino term used in bingo, which generally means depositing or putting in some cash to participate in a game.
Cash in Prize: A type of game where the prize is, obviously, cash.
Jackpot: Another common casino term used in the game, which refers to the prize you might win.
Validation: This is the part where you yell out "bingo" and a caller checks your winning card to see if you have made the right matching numbers.
Wrap Up: This part of the lingo refers to the last game played in the session.
The lingo used in the game is easy to learn since a lot of them are common lingo or casino terms. It will be a frustrating session if you don't understand the bingo lingo.