admin — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 14:04:02 +0000

A world without Bingo L
A pessimistic friend of mine was asking me to imagine a world without online or live (land-based) Bingo. “Why?” was my obvious reaction! He explained that it was just a way to realise the value of Bingo, by imagining it wasn’t there. How would we feel? What would we do?
Well, being a selfish sort of soul, I thought about me. and that I’d be out of a job as a Bingo caller, and wouldn’t be able to write about my favourite game! But that aside, I started thinking about the absence of the particular pleasure that the game of Bingo brings to millions of us.
Firstly I think we would miss the game itself. The simple mechanics, the easy-to-learn rules, and the clear format of both online and live Bingo games. There is simply no other game like Bingo. Many other games require much more of a commitment in terms of concentration, time, and even risk. Take the game of poker for example. If you are going to play seriously (in other words you just don’t want to lose your money very quickly!) then you have to prepare for a game. Be in the right state of mind, not be tired or too relaxed, be careful about letting your expression give away your hand. Then you have to gauge the skill of your opponents.. if they are professional, then the likelihood is that they know the best hands, the odds, and will outplay you. Whereas Bingo is a game of luck. You can be a little tired- the auto dabber will mark your cards, is doesn’t matter if you’re having a drink or two, and/or a natter. The numbers will still be called and shown and if you miss a number online- no worries, it’ll be marked for you. We are all equal when we come to a game of Bingo, and each of us stands the same chance of winning!
Secondly I think we’d miss the fun. Yes. You don’t really need me to tell you that the anticipation before a game, the thrill as your numbers begin to get marked, and when you only a need one more for that row. the suspense of seeing if the next number called will clinch a win for you.
Finally, and arguably the most important, is that win or lose (and yes, we all like winning) Bingo players are a great crowd of people. Just dip into the chat rooms, or pop in for a live game and see, hear and feel the buzz. Bingo people are likeable, amiable and fun people! What would they all do and where would they all go if there were no Bingo?
Well, luckily we don’t have to worry. Bingo is here to stay and is growing day by day. A world without Bingo? No! Not on your nelly, or perhaps that should be not on your Kelly’s Eye!
Good luck!
http://www.bingocafe.co.uk

Generic Bingo Article #2 July 2011
Retro Bingo
I was having a beer with a couple of fellow ex-Bingo callers the other day, reminiscing about the sometimes rough and ready state of live Bingo in the 60′s and 70′s, way before the invention of the internet, personal computers, and online Bingo. We all agreed that Bingo, particularly online, is very civilised, and even land-based live Bingo has pulled itself up by the bootstraps so as to provide an excellent evening’s entertainment these days. But let me take you back in time.
I know there’s that saying “It’s grim up North” and who can forget the Monty Python sketch about Yorkshire men trying to outdo each other in the austerity of their upbringing (“I lived for three months in septic tank, had cold gravel for breakfast, and worked for 23 hours down mine..” etc.). But I have to say that I have been in some pretty challenging environments in the “softy” South!
As a caller’s assistant in a live Bingo game at a place on the coast in Essex, I found myself in a series of connected Nissan Huts (corrugated iron semi-round buildings from the Second World War). The players sat at trestle tables, all too high for the deck chairs that were used as chairs. Looking out from our table on a podium, we couldn’t even see some people’s heads! We had no Bingo randomizer and had a small sack of 90 numbers that were pulled by a non-playing member of the audience (price: a bottle of Mackeson Stout ale).
It was then my caller realised that not only was there no public address system for the main hut we were in, but that there were two other huts full of Bingo players, connected to the main one, by a small archway.
They say “Necessity is the Mother of Invention”. This couldn’t have been truer here. I managed to persuade one of the players, a coastguard, to nip out to get his main and spare Tannoy hand-held speaker and some fresh batteries.
And so the games began. The caller shouted out his numbers to the first hut, and I at the back, then ducked through the archway, switched on the first Tannoy and announced the number to hut two, where another official (he who sold the cards at the start) then did the same with the second Tannoy to announce the number to the final hut.
Amazingly it all went well, was very good natured, and we had a great time. The winner of the big cash prize, miraculously, came from the far away hut number three, and she used her good sense to grab the Tannoy, and amid howls of feedback and crackling, bellowed “BINGO!!” at a volume that echoed around the metal Nissan huts for what seemed like the next ten minutes!
Happy days. but thank heavens things are more sophisticated now!!
Good luck!
http://www.bingocafe.co.uk
Generic Bingo Article #3 July 2011
If The World Was Governed by Bingo Players..
Don’t you think the world would be a better place? I know there should be no such thing as a “typical” Bingo player. and we are all individual, but in my experience of online and land based Bingo, we share certain traits. Qualities even!
Firstly, while we all may be competitive, knowing that Bingo is wholly governed by Lady Luck, means that we avoid that sometimes nasty competitive streak that you can sometimes find in other games, such as Poker. I’ve played Poker face to face where there has been some serious gamesmanship. Not just that “poker face” so as not to give away whether you have a good or bad hand of cards, but other techniques, intentional or otherwise, that can out you off your concentration. Such as “eyeballing” where you try to stare down a player and give him or her an inferiority complex despite their hand of cards. Another one is flicking the hand of cards, or scratching the baize with your fingernails, or even an irritating sniffing as if you had a cold! None of this can occur at Bingo online!
Secondly, Bingo players are usually genial, good-natured, and celebrate other people’s wins without rancour or cursing.. With that sort of attitude I would imagine that a Bingo Player Government would be outward facing, fair and anxious not to do anyone down. We are sociable animals and genuinely enjoy the company and communication of our fellow citizens. We also have a good head on our shoulders for knowing when to play, and how much we can afford to spend. I would argue that Bingo has less obsessive players than some other forms of gambling like roulette and horse-racing. We usually cut our cloth according to our means, and don’t spend spend spend on cards when we need the money for other things.
Also, because the game is fair and we all have the same chance of winning in any given game, subject of course to the number of cards we buy, we’re all likely to have the joy of a win now and then. And when we win, that makes us happy!
So as sociable, happy and sensible people- why wouldn’t we be able to form a Government that creates a sociable happy and sensible society?
Well, maybe I have it all wrong, but I think I’d trust a Bingo playing prime Minister.. wouldn’t you??!
Good luck!

http://www.bingocafe.co.uk
Generic Bingo Article #4 July 2011
Thoughts of a Visitor to Britain on Bingo
One of my sons had the opportunity for a French student exchange earlier in the year. As luck would have it he was picked to exchange with a lad called Xavier who lived in the Dordogne region of France. So my son got horse riding, rock climbing and canoeing. Xavier came to London and got sightseeing, a couple of music gigs.. And Bingo! Xavier had dabbled on the internet in France, but stumbled across the many online Bingo sites here.. and was at first bemused, then amused, and finally hooked!
He was surprised at why a game that seemed to be so simple and so luck-based, could take a hold on us all! Pour quoi? He asked me. I said that there were a number of facets to its popularity. First, the simplicity itself meant that you didn’t have to have a degree to understand it. That meant that the game appeals to all types of people. While we all know there are variations and add-ons, at its heart it is about buying cards and seeing if the random numbers called cause you to fill your card (or a row) quicker than everyone else. He asked why this wasn’t boring!! I said that simplicity didn’t necessarily equate to tedium. Because he was under 18, I didn’t let him have a go, but showed him as I played a number of online games.
Next I explained that there was a thrill factor.. as the numbers are called and as your card fills, there is an anticipation coupled with excitement that grows as the game goes on. Will I get that missing number to get a prize?? Even if not.. and I come close.. that’s still fun. Yes? It took a few games of him and my son watching me.. and I saw that he was beginning to catch on! In relatively good English he said: “Mon Dieu.. you only need an eleven in the top row to win!”. Of course I explained that eleven was legs eleven and did an impressive wolf-whistle. He looked at me like I was barmy. Ahh perhaps I need to cover the names and sounds given to Bingo numbers at another session!
Finally I said that there was a community here, and online Bingo allowed you to interact and chat with people while you were playing online. He saw the comments and discussions going backwards and forwards, and I think his English took a few steps forward (and maybe one or two back!) by reading the chat lines.
So by the time Xavier returned to the French countryside, he was still holding on to his fascination with what he called “La Bon Malaise Anglaise” – the good English disease! I think I may have made a convert- he will be 18 later this year, and so is looking forward to playing Bingo online, and chatting with me. All I need to do is educate him on the names given to the numbers called. And when he comes back to visit us next year, I’ve promised to take him to a real live Bingo event. I think it may blow his mind!
Bonjour to Bingo!
http://www.bingocafe.co.uk
Generic Bingo Article #5 July 2011
Playing is good, winning is better!
I was having a chat with a bunch of players in an online chat room, trying to assess just what the draw of Bingo was for them. There were the usual comments that it is a sociable and friendly, and that it’s fun to play, but a theme emerged that can be summed up by the title: Playing is good, winning is better!
I guess the acid test is whether you would play Bingo if you knew that there was no chance of winning? Of course not! A vital ingredient of our favourite game is that there is a chance of winning. Of course you can increase that chance by choosing your online Bingo provider carefully, maximising your initial investment to take advantage of the best starting offers, and deciding what game to go for and how many cards to buy.
The discussion went on to say what the best points in a game were. We thought that the anticipation, tension and excitement builds up steadily as the game progresses. If you get a few early numbers marked off your card, there’s an early thrill factor. come on, come on.. I’m ahead! But nothing can compare to the bubbling excitement when you need only one final number. and then the explosion when it’s called- Yessss! It’s a Bingo win! We all agreed that nothing can beat that winning feeling, particularly when it’s a big win!
Rather to my surprise, some Bingo players told me that there is a sort of “afterglow” effect following a win. This can last for hours or even days after the win. even lasting through further games where you don’t win. I am no psychoanalyst so can’t explain in any detail why this is. but hey..you’ve probably experienced this yourself, so you tell me!
Finally there is a lasting legacy from a win. your winnings! That’s your money for you to spend, save or invest as you see fit. That’s a decision entirely up to you! Do you want to put it towards your holiday? Towards something for the home? Or bank it away for a rainy day? Or use it to have a week or month or more of Bingo games “free”, paid for through your winnings!
So in conclusion, enjoy playing my fellow Bingo players, and enjoy winning too- the very best of luck to you!
http://www.bingocafe.co.uk

A Bingo Win! What to do with the winnings?
I was chatting to online Bingo players last week, and asking them about one of the most enjoyable parts of Bingo. winning!! Many said that while the actual amount of money won was important, there was a buzz just from the fact that you had won a game of Bingo!
I then asked about what to spend the winnings on. I was a little surprised to learn that most people I chatted to, did not have a particular plan for spending their winnings. A few even said that if they formed a plan on what to spend their winnings on, that might decrease the chance of lady Luck visiting them! That’s pretty superstitious huh?
These were the sort of things Bingo players were likely to spend their winnings on:
A small win (i.e. less than ?50). The majority of players said they would re-invest the money in their online Bingo site and have, in effect, a week or two of “free” games. The second most popular expenditure on small winnings was to buy a few music CDs, or film DVDs.
For modest wins (?50-?250) the plans there seemed to be to take the family out for a slap-up meal, or buy an item of fashionable clothing. The latter was popular because it might be something that you wouldn’t normally buy, and each time you wore it, it would remind you of your Bingo win!
For bigger wins (?500-?1000), the most popular expenditure was a holiday, or adding extras to an already booked holiday. Almost as popular was something for the home, such as furniture, a new washing machine, or a mini-upgrade for the kitchen.
For the mega wins.. Well there was a lot of variation. For some, a new car was a priority, for others an exotic holiday or cruise, while one or two others told me, quite candidly, that they would have a “boob job” or some other cosmetic surgery. Again, a look in the mirror in the future would remind them of their Bingo win. One person said they’d invest the money in stocks and shares and watch the winnings grow year by year. Hmm that may be a bit risky in a recession- I think I’d prefer to spend rather than speculate!
So what would you spend your winnings on? Well, buy those cards and play some games, and maybe you’ll have to make a decision on how to spend your winnings soon! Best of luck to you!
http://www.bingocafe.co.uk

The Lord of the Bingo Balls
In the second period of Muddle-Earth, there was a young Yobbit, who lived with other Yobbits in an area called the Dire-Shire. It was a miserable place because there was no entertainment in Dire-Shire. Back in the misty past, the Yobbits had played a game called Bingo, and there had been much merriment and happiness.
However to the East, in a place called More-Draw, a ruler, Sore-One, sent his Bingo-wraiths into the Dire-Shire to steal something very precious. the original Bingo Ball- No 1, Kelly’s Eye. The valuable Bingo ball was duly stolen and kept locked away in a tall tower in More-Draw. Without the first of the 90 Bingo Balls, the game of Bingo fell into disuse and despair. For many cards had the number 1 on them, and therefore could not be completed. The Yobbit callers wailed and lamented and sought a hero to go forth to More-Draw and reclaim the one Bingo Ball.
Sure enough one Bingo Baggins stepped forward and with a band of companions, including Granddad the Grey, Gimme the dwarf, and Legoelevens the Elf, they struck out to get the precious back.
The obstacles in their way were many and various. the Pokerites at Texas HoldAll didn’t want to see simple game threaten their hold over the gambling dens and entertainment lairs of Muddle-Earth. The Awks thought the game was sinful, and that the Yobbits would be better off working all their lives and never having any happiness or entertainment to distract them from their farming.
Bingo Baggins defeated the evil she-crab, Shell-Job, and with the aid of the Ents. people from the Entertainment Forests of the South, ascended the tower where the one Bingo Ball was located. After a dramatic battle with the creature Kelly, who had placed the stolen Bingo Ball in his empty eye socket as a fashion accessory, Bingo retrieved Kelly’s Eye, and fled all the way back to Dire-Shire, which was renamed BingoLand in honour of the valour and courage of the Yobbit.
And so it came to pass that Bingo flourished once more across Muddle-Earth, and indeed spread far and wide, even unto the shores of the Grey Havens. known as Margate, and from there to all corners of Albion, and beyond into Europa.
Thanks heavens for Bingo Baggins!
http://www.bingocafe.co.uk
The Batty Chatty Lottery Lexicon! (Part One A-E)
In land-based live Bingo there’s a lot of banter, conversation and chat.. But what about online Bingo? Well it’s the same! Most online Bingo sites have chat rooms, and it’s a fact that one of the ley things that attract and keep Bingo Players to a particular site is the camaraderie and vitality of the chat room.
But if you take a browse at any chat room, you’ll see a lot of acronyms there, and for the uninitiated, that might be off-putting. Some you can work out pretty easily, or probably know anyway from your mobile phone texting. For example I think a lot of people will know that “ASAP” stands for As Soon As Possible, and was widely used in the second world war and in the Civil Service in the 50′s and 60s.
However I didn’t know “AFK” stood for Away From the Keyboard.. in other words you were off on a short break before coming back to the chat room. Strangely the acronym for returning to the computer is not “BTK” – back to keyboard, but “BAC”- Back At Computer! That’s different from “BFN” which stands for Bye for Now- I’m logging off for a bit. I also was flummoxed by “ASLP”.. which was a request to another person for their Age Sex Location and a Picture. How forward! But I guess pretty necessary if you getting along with someone and you want to find out where they live.
When referring to a friend, you can put “BF” or “GF” for boyfriend or girlfriend. You could probably work that one out for yourself, but how about “BTDT”? That stands for Been There, Done That! More common ones are “CU” or “CUL8R” for see you or see you later.
One that has started to appear in language as well as in text is “CWOT”.. my youngest son called me it the other day.. (pronounced “Kwot”) when I wouldn’t give him some money to buy something or other online in his World of Warcraft game. The cheeky blighter! It stands for Complete Waste of Time I found out afterwards!
I came across “EOL” the other day. It followed someone going off on one with a big rant about something or other.. I enquired what it meant and was told End of Lecture! So now you know!
Finally for this little Lexicon of Lottery, something that really annoys me when my boys are using my PC: “EAK” Eating at Keyboard. That usually means I have to get the blower brush to remove crumbs and chocolate from the keys afterwards!
http://www.bingocafe.co.uk
The Batty Chatty Lottery Lexicon! (Part Two D-L)
With the popularity of texting using mobile phones, and the desire to get a message across quickly before moving on to your next Bingo game, chat room acronyms are legion! This article continues the loony lottery lexicon of Bingo lingo.
“FCOL” stands for For Crying Out Loud! An expression you may use instead of “Heavens Above!” when you are frustrated or astonished by something someone has said or has told to you. If something someone has said has amused you, you may want to use one of these two: “FOCL” or “FOFL” Falling Off Chair Laughing and Falling On Floor Laughing. These being slightly more acceptable than one I see cropping up a lot on Facebook and non-Bingo chat sites.. “PMSL” .. the MSL stands for Myself Laughing. but good taste dictates that in a family article like this, I can’t tell you what the P stands for- but you may be able to work that out for yourself!
If you want to meet someone that you’ve chatted to in the Bingo chat room, suggest a “F2F” meeting- Face to Face. A familiar one to most people will be “FYI” For Your Information, used when giving someone some advice. One you will frequently see in Bingo chat rooms is “GL” for Good Luck, and “GG” for Good Game, once the game of Bingo has finished. A not so nice one is “GAL”.. Get A Life! This often used when someone is being a “PITA” a Pain In The Bottom! I guess we’ve all come across someone like this occasionally, when they get worked up about something relatively trivial, and keep going on and on about it. Bit like me moaning at my boys for making too much noise when I’m trying to concentrate on my online Bingo game!
More complimentary is “GMTA” Great Minds Think Alike, and “HAGD” Have A Good Day is a nice one.
One I hadn’t come across before was “IKWUM” which may sound like a native American Indian expression, but in fact stands for I Know What You Mean! “IMHO” is a nice slightly self-deprecating one when you want an expression of modesty after you have given a view. It stands for In My Humble Opinion.
And of course we all know what must be the most used expression anywhere.. “LOL” Laugh Out Loud. Something I often use when I see some particularly witty comment in a chat room exchange!
So pick up some of these expressions and use them when you’re next tapping away and chatting to your fellow Bingo players!
Good luck!
http://www.bingocafe.co.uk
The Batty Chatty Lottery Lexicon! (Part Three M-Z)
Concluding the acronyms used when conversing in Bingo chat rooms (and more generally on the Internet) we come to “NMH” Nor Much Here. Used perhaps when things are quiet in a chat room, or there are no Bingo Games starting yet. More forceful, if not downright rude, is “NOYB” None Of Your Business!
I’m sure most of us are familiar with “OMG” Oh My Gosh, when surprised by something, but I didn’t realise that “OT” stood for Off Topic. For example when someone is chatting on a matter unrelated to Bingo, or to the name of the thread or subject heading. “PLZ” and “THX” are commonly used expressions for please and thanks, while even my Mum knew this one- “SWALK” Sealed With A Loving Kiss… often used at the end of letters, or when signing off to a good friend in a Bingo chat room. Other ways of signing off are “TTFN” and “TTYL” Ta Ta For Now and Talk To You Later.
One I see a lot of in lively Bingo chat rooms is “WTG!” Way To Go! A congratulatory expression giving encouragement, support or admiration for someone. Less complimentary is “TWOT” standing for Total Waste of Time!
And because I haven’t yet come across any acronyms beginning with the letter Z I have to end with the very short and very obvious “Y”. Why I hear you ask? Y indeed!
It’s interesting the way some of these expressions are actually finding their way into spoken English, and not restricted to the keyboard/keypad medium. I’m sure I heard someone referring to a work colleague as a “TWOT” (see above), and I definitely heard two excitable girls at a bus stop laughing and saying ) O, M, G!! instead of Oh My God! I wonder if eventually we’ll further trim back our language so that we need only converse in grunts, or maybe even numbers! That would be a shame as our language is rich and various. But one can understand why, if time is short for typing or reading, acronyms are a good thing. For my part, I tend to use them (and save them) in my mobile phone handset, because they are easier to use and take less key strokes. That’s important when you have big clumsy fingers like mine, and when they make the keypads too small!
Well enough from me, good luck in your next Bingo Game, and hopefully you’ve found some acronyms (well, the nicer ones!) that you’ll want to use when you’re next online and chatting away in a Bingo chat room.
TTFN!
http://www.bingocafe.co.uk

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