Using nicknames, rhymes, and humorous asides is a way of announcing or repeating the bingo number drawn. In a crowded, noisy room, it also helps to confirm the number called.

Bingo Lingo example:
I-22 = Two little ducks
O-67 = Stairway to heaven.
G-53 = Here comes Herbie!
O-69 = Favorite of mine.

Blackout – Blackout is a bingo pattern where you must cover the whole card to win. Usually, 50 to 60 of the 75 bingo numbers have to be called to cover all the numbers on a card, but blackouts in as few as 43 numbers have been recorded. Blackout games are typically the Big Money games and also go by the these names: Lights Out, Full House, and Coverall.

Buy-in – The minimum purchase per person to play bingo.
Caller – A caller is the person (or machine) who calls out the bingo numbers for the players.
Crazy Bingo – Any wall. A game pattern that can be played in more than one direction on the card. Example – A letter “T” can be turned sideways or upside down.
Dauber – A tube of transparent ink for marking bingo cards.
Early Bird Game – An early bird bingo game is a bingo game that starts before another regularly scheduled
game.

Flashboard – The board containing illuminated numbers that show the numbers called during a bingo game and the pattern in which you are playing for.

Free Space – The space in the middle of all bingo cards that is “free” to the player and is considered “called.” Free spaces usually count towards winning a bingo game. Some bingo games are won by playing “the hard way” or without the benefit of the Free Space.

Hard-Way Bingo (Aka The Hard-Way) – Without the benefit of the Free Space. A hard-way bingo is a bingo pattern in a straight line without the use of the free space. Player can not rely on the free space in the middle. Hard-way means the Free Space is not allowed to be used in obtaining a Bingo line.

Multiple Winners – Multiple winners are when two or more players bingo at the same time. When this happens, the (cash) prize is divided among them. For example, if there are five winners on a $500 game, they each receive $100.

Ons – Ons refers to the number of bingo faces per sheet. A 6 ON would have 6 faces per sheet. OffBeat Bingo often hosts games that feature 3 ON which gives the player three squares to watch.

Pattern Games – A design that can be drawn on a bingo card and is declared the pattern to win a particular bingo game. Dozens of Pattern Games can be played.

Payout – The payout is the percentage of sales paid out by the house. This compares with a payout of approximately 45 percent on state lottery games.

Postage Stamp Pattern – A postage stamp pattern is matching four numbers to form a postage stamp (a 2 x 2 grid) in any of the four corners.

Progressive Game – A progressive game is a seal card game with a designated jackpot that, if not won, is carried forward and added to the jackpot of the subsequent deals of the game until the jackpot is won.

Progressive Jackpot – A progressive jackpot is a jackpot that gets bigger until it is won. It builds daily, weekly or monthly if it is not won in a specific number of calls. If there is no winner in X number of calls, consolation prize(s) of lesser dollar amounts are paid. Different variations of progressive games add dollars, numbers or both to the jackpot. There is usually a separate buy-in for progressive jackpot games.

Session – A session is an entire evening or daytime program of bingo consisting of regular games usually played on hard cards and special games played on throwaways, flimsies or paper sheets. A session usually lasts somewhere between two and a half hours and three hours and 15 minutes.

Sizzler – A type of session in which your buy-in packs also include the four major blackout games.

Seven Regular Ways – The patterns looked for on a majority of the regular games played. The seven regular ways to bingo consist of; Horizontal line, Vertical Line, Diagonal Line, 4 in the corners, Postage Stamp(in corners only), Small Plus Sign and Small Letter x. In a Seven Regular ways game any one of these patterns constitutes a bingo, and will lead the player to a win.

Speed Bingo
Speed bingo is a variation of regular bingo. Numbers are called very quickly and you can bingo in as few as three numbers.

Speed Game – A speed game is a bingo game in which the winner splits the sales of the game (the pot) with the bingo hall or house. For example, the winner might get 60 percent of the sales and the house would keep forty percent. A speed game can also be played as a coverall with quickly called bingo balls.

Split Pot – A split pot is a bingo game in which the winner splits the sales of the game (the pot) with the bingo hall or house. For example, the winner might get 60 percent of the sales and the house would keep forty percent.

Throwaways – Games not included in regular buy-in packets (except on Sizzlers). Throwaways are often sold both at the till and on the floor during the games.

Work Up Games – Games that are played en route to a blackout. The caller identifies the type of Workup game or games to be played at the beginning of the blackout game. Once a workup on a game has been won, Callers will continue on that same game sheet for a complete Blackout.

Wild Number – The wild number is the number played on a double bingo that leads into a triple bingo. The first number out of the hopper determines the wild number. For example, if 42 is drawn, all numbers ending in 2 should be marked off. Wrap Up – The wrap up is the name of the last game of a session.