Bingo UK

Bingo UK, or Housey Housey, is a form of the game of bingo that is unique to the United Kingdom. While it shares many similarities with the bingo that came over from the United States several decades ago, there are enough differences to label them as two separate versions of the game. Seeing as a clear majority of internet bingo originates from the UK, it is no surprise that bingo UK sites are growing in popularity. People who are familiar with the bingo US version of the game, or are new to bingo altogether, should take note of the rules of bingo UK before logging into internet UK bingo rooms and trying to play.

First of all, the card for bingo UK has 27 spaces that are arranged into 3 rows and 9 columns. This is the same whether someone is playing live bingo or online bingo UK. Each of the three rows is populated with 5 numbers and 4 blank spaces. It is common for each column to have one or two numbers in it. It is rare that all three of the spaces in a column will have a number in it, but it is not unheard of. Each row on the card will have numbers in five of the spaces. In the end, fifteen of the spaces on the card will contain a number. Numbers are arranged in the columns in the following manner:

• Column 1 - Numbers 01 to 09
• Column 2 -Numbers 10 to 19
• Column 3 - Numbers 20 to 29
• Column 4 - Numbers 30 to 39
• Column 5 - Numbers 40 to 49
• Column 6 - Numbers 50 to 59
• Column 7 - Numbers 60 to 69
• Column 8 - Numbers 70 to 79
• Column 9 - Numbers 80 to 90

The last column breaks with the pattern of the other columns by allowing one extra number to be used. Those familiar with bingo US will find this card to be a departure from what they are used to. In the United States, the game is played with a card that features 5 rows and 5 columns for a total of 25 spaces. The numbering in poker US also only goes up to 75.

The live version that is played in bingo halls involves a caller pulling numbers from a bag, a tumbler, or reading the numbers from a Random Number Generator. Those playing online bingo will generally be shown numbers on the computer screen from a Random Number Generator that is built into the bingo sites software. When a number is displayed, and it matches one on their card, they will mark off the number on their card.

As players mark the numbers on their bingo cards that match what the ones produced by the Random Number Generator, they will obviously form patterns. The three different winning combinations are as follows:

• One Line - Winning with one line happens when all five numbers on one of the horizontal rows is marked.
• Two Lines - Winning with two lines happens when all five numbers on two of the horizontal rows is marked.
• Full House - Winning with a full house happens when all fifteen numbers on the card are marked.

In the UK, a very common format is for a one line game to be followed by a two line game and then a Full House game is played after that. Thanks to the popularity of the UK's National Bingo Game, there are many places that play bingo only a full house version of the game. Obviously this is more difficult than trying to fill one or two lines.

Those who are familiar with the American version of bingo should have no problem picking up the version that is played in the United Kingdom. New players who have no experience whatsoever with the game will also find that the learning curve is not a very sharp one. Players who are making the transition from the bingo halls to internet bingo will have more of an issue dealing with the computer interface rather than the game itself. To this end, the website, www.silkbingo.com has created their user interface that is easy, intuitive, and built with the end user in mind. Even so, online bingo will be a new experience for many people. Those folks who are taking their first steps in the online bingo world should start by playing free bingo at their chosen site. Once they are comfortable playing in the new format, then they will be ready to start playing bingo UK for money.