Figuring Out The Odds
How do you win bingo without a plan? Provided you have your budget in check, the first step would be figuring out the odds of the specific bingo game you are playing. The odds in bingo can shift quite wildly, depending on the variant and the number of players/tickets present. This means that there are no fixed odds in bingo. You must instead play it by ear, so to speak. You also need to keep in mind that the number of balls present in a game will impact your likelihood of winning. It is more likely that one of your numbers will be called in a 75 ball bingo game than a 90 ball bingo game.
The winning patterns available in any given game do increase your chances of winning when more are present. It does, however, increase the chances for everybody to win. So, there is not much advantage in looking for a variant with the most active patterns.
The biggest impact on your chances of winning is the number of players present. It is actually the number of tickets active in the game, but it is safe to assume that more players equal more tickets. It isn’t necessarily easy to figure out on the fly what your odds are. It may therefore be best to try some rounds in free-play mode when available to get a more fixed read on your odds.
Strategies on How to Win Bingo
Once you have a firm grasp of how your odds of winning may be impacted, it is time to formulate some bingo strategies, as well as applying the proper practice to each game round. Just keep in mind that some of these strategies are recommendations or suggestions and not clear-cut paths to winning. Some of the suggestions listed below may even be outright avoided depending on your disposition.
Timing
Bingo is different from other casino games in a number of ways. For example, no other games have such a big emphasis on the importance of timing. This isn’t concerning when to bet and when to fold either, but rather the timing of when you choose to play. As mentioned above, the higher the number of players present, the more tickets there are likely to be, which therefore decreases your odds of winning. It, therefore, makes sense to play during off-peak hours when fewer players are present and your chances to win increase.
Buy More Tickets
Not a strategy that is viable for everyone. However, keep in mind what was just mentioned about an increase in other player’s tickets means there is a decreased chance of you winning. Buying up more tickets counteracts this by giving you a bigger pool of numbers to scratch off. This will of course require that you wager more funds to buy up the tickets and can therefore lead to greater losses. It is, therefore, best to buy in moderation and to remember that it is generally recommended that you play more rounds than buy more tickets. Playing more rounds will increase the likelihood that your numbers will eventually be called.
Counting Numbers
Counting numbers is skirting the line of pseudoscience, but one that many still subscribe to. There is a basis of logic behind it. But, you must remember that the draw of the numbers is ultimately random. Its basis is formed on the principle that a game of bingo will have an even distribution of even and odd numbers, as well as high and low numbers. Essentially, what you can take away from this is that it promotes the idea of playing more rounds than buying more tickets if you are on a fixed budget. The more calls you can participate in, the higher the likelihood of a call eventually being one of your numbers. Joseph E. Granville was the first to propose this idea. However, his credentials as a mathematician were marred due to his poor stock market investments.
The Tippett Theory
Named after British statistician L.H.C Tippett, the theory is based on median numbers. Tippett theorized on randomness, suggesting that; there is a greater chance that numbers will drift towards the median number as more get called out. A 90 ball bingo game would have a median of 45 (rounding down), as there are 90 numbers in play. The Tippett theory suggests that the longer the game goes on, the more likely numbers close to 45 will show up. Shorter games have the inverse effect. Keep in mind that a theory is usually an intention to explain things and not a fact in itself.
What About Jackpots?
Bingo games with jackpots give players the opportunity to win some seriously big prizes. You usually have the odds stacked against you winning one though. As such, it doesn’t necessarily make sense to go chasing them. Many games may make up for large jackpot prizes with a higher cost of tickets or additional win conditions. There is of course always an added thrill to a game with a jackpot included and somebody’s got to win it. Just make sure that you double-check the rules of any jackpot games and that you are comfortable with any changes to the rules made as a result.
Last Piece of Advice
Many how-to-win bingo guides might make statements about a specific perfect strategy. Numbers are drawn completely randomly though. It is therefore impossible to come up with any solid predictions or guaranteed strategies on how to win online bingo. Instead, the best advice you can be given is to effectively manage your budget and learn the odds. Games with free play-mode are also strongly encouraged, as these let you test out the game before wagering any real money. This is particularly great if you are trying out a new game or bingo variant for the first time.
