Online Bingo Patterns

The Bingo Card
Bingo cards are in the form of a five by five grid. In addition there is a top row with the letters B, I, N, G and O. The central cell is left blank (free space) and the other 24 cells have a number printed on it. The five numbers under B are from 1 to 15, the five numbers under I span 16 to 30, the four numbers under N are from 31 to 45, the five numbers under G are 46 to 60 and the five numbers under O range from 61 to 75.

The Whole Card
In the most common and popular game, full house, all 24 numbers on the ticket have to be called for the player to win. This is also called blackout or coverall. However the fun part of bingo is that there are plenty of patterns that offer smaller prizes on the way. The most common of these are the horizontal, vertical or diagonal lines. There are five possible patterns for the horizontal and vertical lines and two for the diagonal lines.

Enjoy the Variety
Each bingo hall or online casino has its own set of popular patterns. One much played series of patterns is based on the letters of the alphabet or the single digit numbers. For example the T would be represented by the top horizontal line and the central vertical line. The 7 would be represented by the top horizontal line and the right to left diagonal line.

Quick Wins
Many bingo halls like the winning action to begin early so they offer special patterns made from four cells. These are the outer four corners and the inner four corners. Another four cell pattern is the outer diamond. This consists of the central cell of the first and last rows and the central cell of the first and last columns. Like the inner four corners is the inner diamond.

The Sky's the Limit
Patterns based on recognizable objects are limited only by the imagination. Kite, Airplane and Frame are some of the more easily recognizable ones. A word of caution is essential here. The patterns may differ from hall to hall and therefore it is essential to check out the exact cells covered by the pattern before the game begins. In most games if you call Bingo! incorrectly you forfeit the ticket. Bingo halls like to take advantage of festive seasons and usually have some appropriate pattern for an upcoming festival. For example there is the Heart for Valentines Day. Christmas has many patterns ranging from the usual Christmas Tree to Santa Hat, Stocking and Snowflake. Some bingo halls cover sports events as well. There is Touchdown for American football and Baseball Diamond for baseball.

Be Careful...
The most interesting category of patterns is the floating pattern, which is sometimes called wild bingo pattern. The pattern remains the same but can appear anywhere on the grid. A favorite of beer drinkers is the Six-pack. This consists of six cells in a three by two or a two by three matrix, which can appear anywhere on the grid. Another interesting floating pattern is the Triangle, which consists of a column, a row and the connecting diagonal. There are four possibilities for the Triangle. Because floating patterns can appear anywhere on the grid one has to be extra careful when they are in play.

So, be sure you know what pattern you are trying to make and have fun! The variety of patterns keeps the game fun and exciting for both those who like the quick wins and those who can appreciate the suspense waiting for that last ball on their bingo card to be called!