Playing Bingo at home

The beauty of bingo is that the game caters for all personalities playing in all sorts of locations. If you prefer to play in a community setting, there are plenty of venues that regularly run bingo games. If you prefer to play from the comfort of home, then you can easily access online bingo sites on your smartphone.  These different bingo environments also allow for different gameplay experiences. Games run in a community setting can be carried out in a calm and friendly atmosphere or they can be more boisterous affairs. Similarly, you can play online bingo peacefully at home, or chat to friends while getting swept up in the excitement of the game.

With such different settings and approaches come different bingo calls for playing bingo at home.

Bingo at Home - Which Bingo Calls to Use?

A classic feature of bingo is the set of bingo calls used to accompany the drawing of a particular number. Sometimes the origins of these calls are obvious, and sometimes they can be a little bit more peculiar. For example, who can honestly say they look at the number 22 and think that it resembles "two little ducks"? The only people who would make that association have probably played a lot of bingo over the years!

Some of the calls are much more obvious. There are rhyming patterns: number 3 is "cup of tea", 26 is "pick and mix", and 67 is "made in heaven". There are pop culture references: 17 is "dancing queen", 53 is "here comes Herbie", and 50 is "Snow White". That last one is because "5-0, 5-0, it's off to work we go !", just in case you were wondering.

The quirkiness and simplicity of these bingo calls can add a great deal to the charm of the game, so you might not want to lose the fun of these calls when you're playing at home. Well, to coin a new call right now: number 52, we've got you!
We've got a few ideas for bingo calls that you could use at home. Shouting out these calls as numbers pop up on the screen is a great way to lose yourself in the excitement of the game. You might want to mix in some of these suggestions with classic bingo shouts, or you might want to come up with your own ideas with your bingo-loving friends. 

Number 1
Original call: Kelly's eye
Our call: put the kettle on
This "one" has a nice ring to it, with one of the most common phrases that you'll hear in households up and down the country. Every time you mark off the number 1 on your ticket, put the kettle on ahead of the next game.
Number 10
Original call: (Prime Minister's first name)'s Den
Our call: time for the news
Rather than having to alter the call as Downing Street's occupants change, make number 10 something evergreen and pay tribute to a British institution: the News at Ten. 
Number 20
Original call: one score
Our call: check the thermostat
This will depend on the temperature chosen by the person with control of the heating, so use this call for the relevant number in your house. 
Number 24
Original call: double dozen
Our call: mow the lawn
Let's replace the functional classic bingo call for 24, and replace it with a sort-of rhyme about cutting the grass. You haven't been neglecting your garden, have you?
Number 38
Original call: Christmas cake
Our call: no dirty plates
This one rolls off the tongue very nicely: number 38, no dirty plates! It also serves as a useful reminder to do the washing up.
Number 54
Original call: man at the door
Our call: stamp on the floor
When 54 pops up on your online bingo screen, you could even do a little stamp in celebration. This is may be less advisable if you have downstairs neighbours.
Number 66
Original call: clickety-click
Our call: get the bics!
The number 66 could be accompanied by a shout to someone else in the house for them to bring you the biscuit tin, or - slightly more disappointingly - a collection of pens. There's a little bit of creative licence needed to get from "biccies" to "bics", but at least it beats clickety-click by actually rhyming with six.
Number 90
Original call: top of the shop
Our call: where's my house key?
If you're playing 90 ball bingo, this will be the biggest number on offer. That's where "top of the shop" comes from, but you could go with a rhyming call for your online bingo session. After every 90, why not make sure that you know where your house keys are?

Online bingo variations

When you go to play bingo in a community setting, you're not left with any choice about what sort of bingo variations will be on the cards. That's rarely a problem, as all bingo variations bring excitement in their own way. However, it's natural that there will be one style of bingo that stands out to you above the others.

Thankfully, technological advances have given players the opportunity to pick from a dazzling array of online free bingo games, which they can switch between at their own pace. Here's a quick overview of two of the most common bingo variants.

75 Ball Bingo

In this version of bingo, it's all about being the first to mark off a specific pattern on your ticket. 75 ball bingo games available at Wink Bingo include Me Time and Cake Surprise! The titles alone should tell you that these games are the perfect place for you to try out your new bingo calls. 

90 Ball Bingo

How is 90 ball bingo different from 75 ball? Rather than filling in more complex patterns, 90 ball is all about marking off rows and full houses. In 75 ball, you're given a 5x5 grid whilst 90 ball bingo is usually played on a strip of six tickets, with 15 numbers on each. Oh, and one more difference that you'll notice in Wink Bingo's 90 ball bingo games, which include Picture Perfect and High 5: they use 90 balls rather than 75!

Once you've chosen your bingo variation, all that's left to do is wait for the computer to start drawing the numbers. Make sure you have a list of all your chosen bingo calls nearby for consultation, although it won't take long for you to start reciting them off by heart.