One of the most important parts of any bingo game is the humble bingo card. Players look at them every time they have a game and barely think about them, but they really do deserve to be looked at a little more. So, let’s take a closer look at bingo cards now and see exactly how they’re numbered!
Before we start though, it’s important to remember that there are many different types of bingo, and this means that there are loads of different types of bingo cards. We can’t possibly cover every type of bingo card on this page, so we’ll just be looking at cards from the three most popular versions of the game: 75-ball, 80-ball and 90-ball bingo.
Numbering on 75-Ball Bingo Cards
Bingo cards for 75-ball bingo contain 24 numbers, spread across a 5×5 grid. The eagle-eyed amongst you will have realised that this leaves one blank space. This is the case on every card and this blank space counts as a matched number. It is placed directly in the centre of the card and the space is often covered by a star.
Something that you might not have noticed is this: the first column only contains numbers from 1-15, while the second column only has numbers 16-30. The next column contains numbers from 31-45, while the fourth has numbers from 46-60. The final column contains numbers from 61-75. This makes it easier to mark off bingo cards when in a club, however it makes no difference online, as the cards are marked automatically for you!
Numbering on 80-Ball Bingo Cards
Despite the game of 80-ball bingo having more numbers than 75-ball bingo, the bingo card for the game has less numbers. You’ll find that there are 16 numbers in total on an 80-ball bingo card, and they’re arranged within a 4×4 grid. This means that there are no blank spaces on an 80-ball bingo card.
In this form of the game, you’ll find numbers from 1-20 in the first column, and numbers from 21-40 in the second column. The third column contains numbers from 41-60, and the final column has numbers from 61-80.
Numbering on 90-Ball Bingo Cards
90-ball bingo has traditionally been the most popular version of the game in the UK and the tickets have always looked the same. They’re just three numbers high and nine numbers wide, meaning that there are 27 numbers in total on every 90-ball bingo card.
As with the other types of bingo mentioned, different ranges of numbers go in different columns. We’re not going to list all nine columns though – just know that the small numbers are on the left, and the value of the numbers increases as you move right across the card.
So, there you have it: an explanation of how bingo cards are numbered. Now you’ll know exactly what you’re looking at when you buy your next card online or in a bingo hall.
