When starting out playing Bingo you can get overwhelmed with the amount of Jargon you come across. Here we list the most common ones for your pleasure!
The most common jargon found in Bingo:
- Auto-Bingo – game function where the software automatically calls ‘Bingo!’ for you if you win
- Auto-daub/auto-dab/auto-play – game function where the software automatically marks your cards as the balls are drawn
- Auto-purchase – game function where the software automatically purchases cards for you when a new game starts
- ‘Best order’ function – game function where your cards are re-ordered after each call so that the ones nearest to Bingo are at the top
- Bingo Balls – the balls with numbers that are called out
- Bingo Cards – the cards with your numbers printed on it
- Bingo Patterns – see ‘patterns’
- Bingo Specials – see ‘specials’
- Bingo Touraments – see ‘tournaments’
- Blackout – a game where you must mark off all the numbers on your card to win (aka coverall)
- Caller – the voice calling out the numbers as they are drawn
- Card – your Bingo card!
- Catch-up – game function which when clicked instantly marks your cards for all the numbers that have been called so far.
- Chat games/chat specials – novelty games, often free, which are organised for Bingo players who are currently in the chat room
- Chat room/chat window – the area on your screen where you can enter messages and read other peoples’ chat
- Chat Room Moderator / Chat Moderator – staff from the Bingo site who oversee and organise the chat room and chat games
- Chat shortcuts – buttons you can click to enter common chat messages
- Coverall – a game where you must mark off all the numbers on your card to win (aka Blackout)
- Dauber/dabber – the pen you use (or rather the virtual pen in this case!) to mark off your numbers
- Emoticons – buttons you can click to show emotions in chat messages eg smiley faces
- Free space – the centre square on the Bingo card, which has no number to mark off
- Game board – grid of numbers with those that have already been drawn out highlighted in some way
- Patterns – the arrangement of squares you need to mark off on your card to win the current game
- Pre-purchase – game function where you can order game cards in advance
- Progressive – Jackpot that increases after each game until it is won
- ‘Small cards’ function – game function that lets you ‘zoom out’ and view lots of cards at the same time
- Specials – novelty games with special rules, prizes etc. Often played only for people in the chat room
- Tournaments – series of Bingo games where the player winning most games by the end of the tournament wins a prize