The Bingo Language Part II

Here is the second installment of the Bingo Language used in Bingo. If you are a regular player, I am sure you will find them useful. They are not only used on online bingo or UK bingo, they are also heard on other bingo games.


• Consolation Prize
Whenever there is no winner in a fixed number of calls, this prize is then being given on some special games.

• Coverall
It is a pattern that requires you to cover the entire square of the card which are numbered in order to win. To cover the whole card, 50 to 60 out of the 75 bingo numbers have to be called. To date, as few as 43 numbers have been recorded to get blackouts. It has the same meaning with blackout.

• Daube
It is a tool used for marking the numbers on the card. An ink-filled bottle or pen with foam on the tip. The square in the bingo card is marked using the foam tip.

• Early bird game
A bingo game which is played before a regularly scheduled game starts.

• Flimsy or Flimsies
These are bingo cards patterned on thin sheets of paper. Flimsies are printed in a one, two, four, six or nine card layout but usually they are three cards printed on one whole sheet. On a special game, the win on a flimsy is normally higher compared to that of the win on a regular game. The sheet generally costs $1 or $2. In some areas, it is called “Throwaways”.

• Free pace
This is the square located in the middle of the card. Similar to a Joker or a Wild square, there is no number assigned to it. In every bingo game, you get this free and it also counts with respect your winning pattern.


• G.T.I. or T.E.D.
Applies every time you play multiple packs at one time, this is an electronic dauber system. Only one is allowed for a player to use and a rental fee is also required to obtain these.

• Gameboard or Game Board
It is an electronic display attached to the bingo board which shows the pattern required to win in that specific game. It displays a similar image as that of a bingo card showing the bingo variation you are playing, such as regular, blackout, four corners, chevron and others.

• Game room
Other online games divide the players into game rooms since the smaller group makes a more controllable chat room.

• Hard Card
Compared to that of a flimsy, this type of bingo card is printed on a heavy cardboard material with shutters used to cover each called number.

• Hard-Way Bingo or Hardway Bingo
It is a bingo in a straight line without the use of the free space.

• Jackpot
This is a big prize being rewarded to a player completing a difficult pattern within a specified number of balls such as a blackout.