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Beginning bingo players may not always be aware of the unwritten rules of bingo hall play.   Some of these items are fairly obvious, but are commonly violated nevertheless.    Bingo halls should be thought of like any public, social situation where certain types of behavior (i.e. screaming or smoking) aren’t always welcome.   Here’s an excerpt of a good list of rules to abide by regardless of where you play:

“Pipe down. The most important of all unwritten rules. You’ll notice that regular players pipe down instantly as soon as the caller gets down to business.

Watch out for lucky seats. Some players are very particular about where they sit. If you grab a seat that happens to be a lucky one, you might be asked to move. It’s a good idea to go along with the request.

Don’t be a parrot. Some people have a habit of repeating numbers as they are called. This might help them concentrate, but it can be very distracting for other players. Try to keep talking and extra noise to an absolute minimum while numbers are being called.

Keep kids quiet. Most people will understand if you have to bring the kids, but they won’t tolerate rambunctious youngsters running around and yelling while they are trying to concentrate. Bring an activity or three to keep your children occupied while you play. Sometimes, the hall may offer “fun” bingo cards to keep the kiddies occupied.”

HowStuffWorks “Bingo Rules and Etiquette”.

The UK is just as fanatical about bingo as we are in the United States.  And just as rules and prizes change from one bingo hall to the next, there are differences between the UK and US versions of the game.

We came across an article in BingoMag that lays out the main rules of each.  Now wherever you are, you’ll have your game on. (more…)