Game of Family Bingo
Quote: familybingoHi, I'm trying to set up a game of bingo for 21 players that will result in just one winner. Sounds simple right? Well, I want the play time to be 40 minutes to one hour. I'd also like to have some excitement in it (this is for a friendly family competition - competing for a very tiny but very coveted cup so I want the chance to generate some friendly competitive banter haha). I only know the very basics of Bingo but I'm pretty sure someone would get a single row in much less than 40 minutes. So I started thinking maybe the first person to win 3 rounds, but I have no idea how long that would take. Anyone have any suggestions on how I should set this up?? Please help, I'm open to all ideas.
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1.) Balls are drawn one every 50 seconds. Until #5
2.) Each player gets five cards.
3.) The game is coverall.
4.) When any player is only one away from a Bingo, they must verbally declare, "One Away!" This is true even if someone else has declared it or THAT player has declared it on a different card already.
5.) After, "One Away," is declared, balls are drawn one every 60 seconds.
6.) If multiple players get a confirmed Bingo, then the game will come down to their remaining four cards. Balls will be drawn every five seconds until one player or the other has a second Bingo, then a third if both got two, etc...There will be no more, "One Away," rule for this part.
Quote: familybingoThanks Mission 146, you think that will be about 40-60 minutes to get a winner? I'm really glad I asked because I would have guessed it would take much longer for a coverall. Having said that, we might end up faster, my family will be impatient for the next number so I'm not sure I'll be able to wait 50 or 60 seconds before calling another lol.
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You could ask trivia questions between the calls for small prizes.
Quote: billryanA good game of bingo needs a good MC. If people are impatient, it's because the MC isn't entertaining the crowd.
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Haha, well entertainment isn't my strong suit, so family impatience it is lol.
Quote: Mission146Quote: familybingoThanks Mission 146, you think that will be about 40-60 minutes to get a winner? I'm really glad I asked because I would have guessed it would take much longer for a coverall. Having said that, we might end up faster, my family will be impatient for the next number so I'm not sure I'll be able to wait 50 or 60 seconds before calling another lol.
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You could ask trivia questions between the calls for small prizes.link to original post
Oh I could do that, thanks.
Quote: familybingoThanks Mission 146, you think that will be about 40-60 minutes to get a winner? I'm really glad I asked because I would have guessed it would take much longer for a coverall. Having said that, we might end up faster, my family will be impatient for the next number so I'm not sure I'll be able to wait 50 or 60 seconds before calling another lol.
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I think that would be about the expectation. If everyone had identical cards, or one identical number that would cause all cards to simultaneously win AND it was the last called number (this will not happen) then 75 numbers would be drawn. At 50 seconds each number, this would take 3,750 seconds, which is 62.5 minutes, so we know we're almost certainly not going the full hour.
There are 2400 seconds in forty minutes, so if we divide that by 50 seconds (for each ball drawn), then that would reflect a winner in exactly 48 draws. The probability of a Bingo in that many cards, or fewer, based on 100 cards out (and you're only going to have 105):
https://wizardofodds.com/games/bingo/probabilities/2/
Would be well under 1%.
Therefore, it is highly probable that the game will take between 40 minutes and one hour to conclude.
You can also make patterns on the bingo card that take less time than a coverall but more than just a row. Like "three horizontal rows" etc.
Another way is to have (trivia) questions leading to the numbers in play. Add multiple questions for the same number so (a) if people get the first one wrong they still have a chance (b) duplicate questions means you "draw" more numbers and people might not realise they got an earlier one wrong. I've never done it but it sounds an idea.
Quote: familybingoI'm not sure I'll be able to wait 50 or 60 seconds before calling another lol.
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This would be the reason to have 4 rounds.
3 standard or pattern rounds for minor prizes, and the final coverall round for the Grand Prize.
Be sure to disqualify anyone who does not shout "Bingo!" before the next ball is drawn. "No late bingos" is an important rule.
Quote: gordonm888As I remember Bingo, there were at least 4 numbers called per minute. And coverall games maybe lasted about 10 minutes.
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You can also make patterns on the bingo card that take less time than a coverall but more than just a row. Like "three horizontal rows" etc.
You’re correct, but he wants the game to last between 40-60 minutes, that’s why I came up with the intervals.
Quote: charliepatrickAt one charity event I made my own based on a pack of cards. Each player had three lines of five cards each (this is how UK typically works). Thus you can play for two lines and if you gets two winners then it's the next one to have a number drawn on their card or the nearest to the house (coverall). Technically there might still be a tie, I'm not sure how you can over come that.
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Another way is to have (trivia) questions leading to the numbers in play. Add multiple questions for the same number so (a) if people get the first one wrong they still have a chance (b) duplicate questions means you "draw" more numbers and people might not realise they got an earlier one wrong. I've never done it but it sounds an idea.
I'll give that some thought, thanks!
Additionally, back in the 80's, I worked a bingo hall weekly, selling specials boards. After a couple months I was asked if I wanted to call a couple games.
As a caller, I learned something that helped me out when I became a DJ. When talking on the mike, talk slowly, clearly, annunciate, and most important, if you can't hear your amplified voice, the problem is not the volume control on the amplifier, it's you. Speak louder and closer to the mike.
Also, when announcing G-50 and G-60, repeat it saying "Gee Five Zero" or "Gee Six Zero". Fifty and Sixty sound too similar. No need to do it for the numbers between 51-59 and 61-69 because 61-69 are in the O column.
I have never heard of requiring people to announce "One away". Similarly, requiring people to announce "Bingo" before the next number is called is very common. The rule is often written as "Must have bingo on the last number called."
Some bingo halls that have a video system where the caller can turn the new ball so the video can show the next number before it is called. Back in the day, after calling the number, I was required to pull the next ball, turn it in my hand and hold it out so the first few rows could see it. It was to 'keep it honest'.
Often a murmur will ripple thru the room as a person waiting for that new number gets excited. Sometimes the person embarrassingly calls bingo when the number appears on the video.
One comment about the coverall and Foxwoods. In their room, they had about 24 of those displays mounted high in the walls, but half of them had 40 numbers already called for the final game which was the Jackpot coverall. Yeah, they also had two complete sets of ping pong ball systems on stage. In order to win the Jackpot - which was progressive, you had to have the coverall within 48 numbers - but they only pulled 40 ahead of time. It was great marketing. During the breaks in the initial games, you'd mark your coverall boards. If you didn't have many that were close, you could buy more.
When they switched to the final game, all the monitors would also switch, and they'd ask if there was any winners yet before proceeding. Obviously, there was no requirement to get the coverall on the 40th number, since there was no ability to call bingo sooner.
My point is, even with a capacity of 3,000 players, each having several boards, it was almost unheard of to have a winner within the first 40 numbers, and also kinda rare to get it within 48. Consider that when you set up your family game.
Side note, one of the games required "Jail Bars" which was three columns: the Bs, Ns and Os. It was played right before the break because the winner was brought on stage and put into a money booth. I won it one time and got out more money than they had ever seen. Part of my strategy was due to my height. I'm 6'0" but I guess they got a lot of blue-hairs in there. I was able to reach the roof where a lot of bills were stuck to the vent, and simply swiped them down. :)
Quote: DJTeddyBearI haven't played in many years, but the wife & I used to play somewhat regularly at Foxwoods - the world's largest bingo hall. (Or it was at the time.)
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Additionally, back in the 80's, I worked a bingo hall weekly, selling specials boards. After a couple months I was asked if I wanted to call a couple games.
As a caller, I learned something that helped me out when I became a DJ. When talking on the mike, talk slowly, clearly, annunciate, and most important, if you can't hear your amplified voice, the problem is not the volume control on the amplifier, it's you. Speak louder and closer to the mike.
Also, when announcing G-50 and G-60, repeat it saying "Gee Five Zero" or "Gee Six Zero". Fifty and Sixty sound too similar. No need to do it for the numbers between 51-59 and 61-69 because 61-69 are in the O column.
I have never heard of requiring people to announce "One away". Similarly, requiring people to announce "Bingo" before the next number is called is very common. The rule is often written as "Must have bingo on the last number called."
Some bingo halls that have a video system where the caller can turn the new ball so the video can show the next number before it is called. Back in the day, after calling the number, I was required to pull the next ball, turn it in my hand and hold it out so the first few rows could see it. It was to 'keep it honest'.
Often a murmur will ripple thru the room as a person waiting for that new number gets excited. Sometimes the person embarrassingly calls bingo when the number appears on the video.
One comment about the coverall and Foxwoods. In their room, they had about 24 of those displays mounted high in the walls, but half of them had 40 numbers already called for the final game which was the Jackpot coverall. Yeah, they also had two complete sets of ping pong ball systems on stage. In order to win the Jackpot - which was progressive, you had to have the coverall within 48 numbers - but they only pulled 40 ahead of time. It was great marketing. During the breaks in the initial games, you'd mark your coverall boards. If you didn't have many that were close, you could buy more.
When they switched to the final game, all the monitors would also switch, and they'd ask if there was any winners yet before proceeding. Obviously, there was no requirement to get the coverall on the 40th number, since there was no ability to call bingo sooner.
My point is, even with a capacity of 3,000 players, each having several boards, it was almost unheard of to have a winner within the first 40 numbers, and also kinda rare to get it within 48. Consider that when you set up your family game.
Side note, one of the games required "Jail Bars" which was three columns: the Bs, Ns and Os. It was played right before the break because the winner was brought on stage and put into a money booth. I won it one time and got out more money than they had ever seen. Part of my strategy was due to my height. I'm 6'0" but I guess they got a lot of blue-hairs in there. I was able to reach the roof where a lot of bills were stuck to the vent, and simply swiped them down. :)
Wow! Thanks for the very thorough answer!! And I enjoyed your money booth story too :)
