75 ball v 90 ball

What visuals do you conjure up when you think of bingo?  For me it is the image of the ladies and gentlemen going to their bingo club with all their ‘Sunday best’ on, giggling, hoping for that all important win. The traditional 90 ball bingo would have been the game played in the bingo halls historically and still remains an essential part of the modern online bingo websites.  The development of bingo websites has brought another version to the fore which is equally as exciting, namely 75 ball bingo.  The American style 75 ball game is similar to the 90 ball but has added another facet to the game, giving a whole variation of different choices and making a more comprehensive bingo experience, with the gameplay no longer so finite.

The main characteristics of the 90 ball game are that the bingo cards have various numbers between 1 and 90 arranged in 3 rows and in 9 column, a win is possible for either gaining all numbers on one line, two lines or a full house which is all the numbers obtained on the card. Smaller prizes are available for one line or two line wins and the prize pot increases to the jackpot for calling a full house.

I suppose the screamingly obvious difference is in the name, 75 ball.  Yes you’ve guessed it! There are 75 balls instead of the 90 referred to above, cards have 5 row and 5 columns and the word BINGO is spelt across the top of the columns with game play usually in a pattern arrangement.  There are huge variations of patterns possible, and a win is declared when balls have been called so that the pattern is completed by the player to match the one preset. 

The above descriptions are by no means comprehensive, and there are other variations on both games, for example 80 ball.  One thing that they all have in common is the excitement and anticipation they bring of that jackpot win – House!