Are there winning strategies in online bingo?
There will always be those involved with any form of gaming who genuinely believe that they have the 'secret formula' to winning. There are hundreds of books and websites devoted to such dubious notions. It’s important to remember, however, that, whether you enjoy a flutter on the horses or have a penchant for online bingo, most games are simply a question of chance or beating the odds.
Having said that, there are ways to increase your chances of a win when playing live or Internet bingo. While these methods do not come with a money-back guarantee, follow these simple tips and you'll increase the odds of winning greatly.
The most important method of play if you're looking for a win above the social and interactive side of play is to join only play in the quieter games. Find the room on your favourite site that is the emptiest and join in no matter how small the jackpot.
Playing against fewer players simply ups your chances of winning. This is especially true in set games where the money does not roll over into a PJP. Consider that most people will join in the biggest games on a weekend, looking for a big win, but there also will be other smaller games running simultaneously in other rooms. Larger internet bingo sites such as Mecca offer lots of alternative games at all times so no matter how you want to play, there's always going on.
Tuesdays and Wednesdays are notoriously quiet for Internet bingo traffic so look around and see what's on offer during these days. Avoid games that are related to ongoing tourneys - no matter how small the prize - as these will always attract more players who are chasing a larger prize.
Another important tip when playing 75-ball bingo or when playing for an ongoing tourney prize in particular, is to keep your eyes peeled for the pattern. A good way to watch for your pattern emerging while not being distracted by an imminent Full House win is to “pre daub” all the numbers you won't be needing during that session. Less squares to look at means you won't be as easily distracted and are less likely to miss numbers when they're called. Many of the sites online allow you to personalise your game, which gives you the freedom to choose different colours to daub with. Utilising differing colours between patterns and the main game can help you stay ahead of the rest and will help you to visualise the pattern more easily.
Bingo is a game of chance; so, winning depends on luck more than anything else. Yes, there are ways to improve one's chances of winning through smart decisions (or so called Bingo strategy).
Below there are some basic and common bingo strategies that could go a long way towards improving your bingo success rate and your overall enjoyment of the game. More experienced players are probably already familiar with most of these concepts and suggestions, the beginners should find the information quite useful aswell as serve as a refresher for the experienced player.
Nonetheless - some tips are more obvious and/or useful than others, but they're worth repeating here.
Use the Auto-Daub Function
We know it takes away the only 'skill' involved in the game in the first place, but consistent use of the auto-daub feature, if available, is perhaps the most strategic decision you can make. Yes, it removes some of the excitement and mental aspect of the game, but it also eliminates the possibility for errors!
Play More than 1 card
Yes, it costs more, but playing several cards improves your odds of being able to yell out 'Bingo' and collect some of those prizes. Choosing how many cards depends on
- the number of players involved
- the cost of each card, and
- the prize money at stake
Experts suggest four cards as the optimal number, but this can vary depending on the number of opponents you're facing and the total prize money for which you are competing.
When playing with more than 1 card, pick cards which differ as much as possible
According to this bingo strategy, if you're playing with more than one card, it's best to make sure that each card has different numbers which aren't duplicated on other cards. The theory here is that if a number that you have on more than one card doesn't come up, you've compromised the value of more than one card. In other words, spreading out the numbers spreads out the risk and keeps you in the game longer! – and thereby increasing your chances to win.
When playing with more than 1 card, pick cards which are as similar as possible
The opposite of the more conservativespread the numbers/risk' strategy above, this strategy is also known as the numbers-concentration method. The idea here is that if you select cards with as many duplicate numbers as possible - which is easily done online - you can double or triple up each time you hit a number! Essentially, you're maximizing the benefit of each lucky strike.
Choose games with Fewer Players
While a game with fewer players means smaller prizes, it also means that you have a better chance of winning than at larger games with more players. Seriously, you'll improve your chances of winning if you follow this guideline. To achieve this, try signing-on to sites duringdown' hours when less players are logged in and playing.
Go After the Big Prizes
We know this is contradicting to our other bingo strategy tip (Choose games with Fewer Players) but each suggestion has its merits. By going after the big jackpots and prizes, you're probably then choosing to play games with more players (ofcourse a lessor chance of winning). However, you're also making sure that when you do win, it's a big win! So big, perhaps, that it covers your losses from several previous exits. Worthwhile giving it a shot !
Chat Room Games
To supplement your winnings or make up some of your losses, try playing in any number of the chat room games online. Often, these games, which play while the normal game is running, can feature some nice bonus dollars and can be great fun.
Finally although it would seem like a contradiction in terms no matter how big the jackpot, don't play too many cards at any one time. It's tempting to buy a stack of cards when there's a huge pot of cash up for grabs but the more cards you have to follow the less likely you'll be able to stay on top of what's going on. No one wants to realise that they had the winning card but didn't notice because they were looking at a different card at the time!
If you combine all these tips into your play routine you should find your chances of winning are much better as well as making your game more fun. Good luck.