We all know why one should be playing Bingo, whether online or in real life. The reason is simple - the game is so fun, but also very simple. Anyone can play the game, including teenagers as the mechanics are so simple to understand!

Did you know that there are actually different types of Bingo that one can play? The rules remain the same - form a pattern, and win! However, each of these games differ in how they make the odds a bit more difficult. You know all how it is in Bingo - the harder it is to get a pattern, the more exciting the game becomes.

Alright, moving on, what are the different types of Bingo games?

First, you have classic the Bingo. You have cards that have five columns and, below, them, five rows. This amounts to 75 numbers that can be possibly called. Once numbers are called, you’ll have to mark them off your cards if they are present there.

The first player to form the winning pattern wins. Patterns can either be a blackout (all cards marked off), a straight line of daubed numbers across the columns, a diagonal line across the columns, and all numbers in a single column. In some games, you can win also by marking off the four corner numbers and the middle box.

There are even different variants to the classic Bingo game. One worth noting is the Death Bingo, in which your goal is NOT to form a winning pattern. When you manage to form one, you get eliminated from the game. The blackout game itself is called “Coverall,” and has its origins from the UK.

The next variant is called “Tombola,” or, alternatively, “Tambola.” Unlike Classic Bingo, Tombola uses cards that have 3 rows and 9 columns. It’s rectangular in appearance, in contrast to the squarish form of the Classic Bingo card. It also uses 90 balls, 15 more than the ordinary Bingo card.

The combinations in Tombola are also more complicated. There are actually more than 20 patterns, in contrast to the 13 or so patterns in classic Bingo.

Just like its classic counterpart, Tombola calls out numbers at random. However, other players have chances of winning even when one has already one as long as there are still patterns available to take a shot at. Each pattern claimed, however, will reduce the pot money left for the other patterns.

Finally, we have Keno games such as Keno Empire. This game is Chinese in origin. At closer look, Keno is similar to Tombola. However, the difference lies in how the numbers are issued: in Keno, players can choose which numbers they’ll be placing their wagers on. A set of 20 numbers are then randomly drawn; if you have a numbers that have been called, you’ll be paid for those winning numbers.

Bear in mind that how much you bet will be taken into consideration when your winnings are calculated in Keno.

Keno also uses 80 balls, 5 more than Classic Bingo but 5 less than Tombola. There’s also no race to form patterns when playing Keno; instead, you win simply by matching numbers on your cards with the ones that have been drawn.


It's common knowledge that a wide variety of bingo players, also like to play poker games, both money-based ones and online equivalents where you can train without spending money. Soon we will add an article that discusses the different type of poker games you can play.