Glossary of Bingo Terms
Buy-in – The minimum purchase per person to play bingo.
PhDs – The full color handsets used which “daub” and keep track of all your bingo cards for you. The common name for electronic bingo.
Dauber – A tube of transparent ink for marking bingo cards.
Flashboard – The board containing illuminated numbers that show the numbers called during a bingo game and the pattern in which you are playing for.
Free Space – The space in the middle of all bingo cards that is “free” to the player and is considered “called.” Free spaces usually count towards winning a bingo game. Some bingo games are won by playing “the hard way” or without the benefit of the Free Space.
Seven Regular Ways – The patterns looked for on a majority of the regular games played. The seven regular ways to bingo consist of; Horizontal line, Vertical Line, Diagonal Line, 4 in the corners, Postage Stamp(in corners only), Small Plus Sign and Small Letter x. In a Seven regular ways game any one of these patterns constitutes a bingo.
Pattern Games – A design that can be drawn on a bingo card and is declared the pattern to win a particular bingo game. Dozens of Pattern Games can be played.
Throwaways – Games not included in regular buy-in packets (except on Sizzlers). Throwaways are often sold both at the till and on the floor during the games.
Work Up Games – Games that are played en route to a blackout. The caller identifies the type of Workup game or games to be played at the beginning of the blackout game. Once a workup on a game has been won, we will continue on on that same game sheet for a complete Blackout.
Blackout – A game that is won by marking out all of the numbers on that specific card. Blackout games are typically the Big Money games and sold separately from the buy-in pack (except on Sizzlers).
Sizzler – A type of session in which your buy-in packs also include the four major blackout games. Sizzlers are generally played on Sunday and Thursday Evening Sessions at B & G Bingo.