How you win a game of bingo depends on whether you are playing the British 90 ball or the American 75 ball version as these differ in what they consider as winning combinations. In both games of bingo the aim is to cross off numbers as they are called in the hope of being the first to complete the winning combination.

In 90 ball bingo, the winning patterns are fixed and are traditionally 1 line, 2 lines and full house. As there are 3 rows on a 90 ball bingo ticket, there are increasing prizes associated with being the first to mark off all of the numbers in 1 horizontal line, followed by 2 horizontal lines, with the maximum prize or ‘jackpot’ being awarded when each of the numbers on a ticket have been called during the course of the game – this is known as full house.

The target pattern varies from game to game in 75 ball bingo and can take the shape of anything from a letter or number to a random shape. The winner in a 75 ball game is the first to complete the target shape on a ticket by marking off numbers as they are called. Because of the variety of patterns offered, many find the 75 ball game more interesting.

In games where a progressive jackpot is offered you must complete the winning combination within a specified number of calls. If no one calls bingo within this limit then the prize is rolled onto the next game and increases until someone marks off all of their numbers during the fixed number of calls.

Many online bingo sites offer you the option of selecting the numbers on your own tickets as they are called, or a feature commonly known as ‘auto-daub’ whereby the computer will automatically select your numbers for you. This is a popular option as it gives you the flexibility to chat whist playing.