Everything About Online Bingo Cards And Calls

Bingo is one of the most famous games played worldwide, and to play bingo, cards are used. Online bingo can use online bingo cards, and players can also generate their own bingo cards with a free bingo card generator. Using virtual bingo cards is not complicated at all, as players will find guidelines as they generate the card.

The other thing worth noticing is the bingo numbers, which are also known as bingo calls. Players might have heard of the terms bingo lucky numbers, bingo winning numbers, bingo game numbers, and bingo calls numbers. These numbers represent the huge list of bingo calls that we will describe further in this article.

Irish Bingo Cards Explained

Bingo cards are basically the cards used to play online bingo here in Ireland. There are a total of 2 main types of cards you'll encounter. One is a 5x5 grid designed for 75-ball bingo, popular in the States. The other uses a 9x3 grid for 90-ball bingo, often called Housie in the UK and also common for Irish players.

75-Ball Bingo Cards

Players use cards with five columns of five squares each. The centre square is a free space, and the other squares have numbers. The columns are labelled with letters and numbers:

• B - Numbers 1 through 15
• I - Numbers 16 through 30
• N - Numbers 31 through 45
• G - Numbers 46 through 60
• O - Numbers 61 through 75

90-Ball Bingo Cards (Housie)

In Ireland and the UK, these cards are commonly referred to as tickets. They typically have three rows and nine columns. Each row contains five numbers and four empty spaces, arranged randomly. The numbers are distributed across the columns like so: 1-9, 10-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, and 80-90.

Understanding Bingo Calls in Ireland

Bingo calls are also known as bingo numbers or bingo lingo. While many players understand the basics, there's a rich history behind the unique phrases used to announce the numbers, especially for the 90-ball game popular here. There are up to 90 bingo calls, and we'll explore some of the most common ones you might hear in Irish bingo halls or online.

1. Kelly’s eye: A common bingo call for the number 1. It's thought to be a homage to the Australian folk hero Ned Kelly, or possibly has roots in military slang.
2. One little duck: The number 2, perhaps because it looks like a solitary duck. Visualising shapes can help players remember these calls.
3. Cup of tea: Simply means number 3. A nice cuppa!
4. Knock at the door: Associated with the nursery rhyme "One, two, buckle my shoe". Some might also know it from the Freddy Kruger films.
5. Man alive: For the number 5. This became a popular bingo call, referencing a groundbreaking BBC documentary from 1965 that captivated UK audiences.
6. Tom Mix / Half a dozen: Refers to the number 6. Tom Mix was a pioneering cowboy in silent films, known for his stunts. He made over 336 feature films between 1909 and 1935.
7. Lucky seven: The number 7. A universally recognised lucky number in bingo and gambling.
8. Garden gate: For number 8. This call is rooted in Cockney rhyming slang.
9. Doctor’s orders: Number 9. This phrase refers to a potent laxative pill from WWII era, used when a precise diagnosis wasn't possible.
10. Prime Minister’s den: This refers to number 10, referencing 10 Downing Street. Calls can change with the times, like "Cameron's Den".
11. Legs eleven: A visually distinctive call for 11, as the number resembles a pair of legs. You might hear a whistle in response in a lively bingo room!
12. One dozen: Exactly what it says – 12.
13. Unlucky for some: Number 13. While considered unlucky in many Western cultures, it's a symbol of luck in Italy.
14. Valentine’s Day: A sweet call for the number 14.
15. Young and keen: A playful name for 15. You might also hear "Rugby Team" for this number.
16. Sweet 16 and never been kissed: A well-known milestone birthday, representing 16.
17. Dancing Queen: Number 17, a nod to the iconic ABBA song. A classic for a reason!
18. Coming of age: Number 18, signifying the age when you're legally an adult.
19. Goodbye teens: The last birthday of adolescence, number 19.
20. One score: Refers to 20. This call alludes to Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, which begins with "Four score and seven years ago."
21. Royal salute / Key of the door: Number 21, referencing the 21-gun salute used in military and royal parades.
22. Two little ducks: The number 22, visually doubling up on the "one little duck".
23. Thee and me: A rhyming call for 23.
24. Two dozen.
25. Duck and dive: This is simple to acquire if the number 2 is represented by a duck and the number 5 follows as a snake. A snake would make a duck dive for cover.
26. Pick and mix.
27. Gateway to heaven.
28. In a state/Overweight.
29. Rise and shine.
30. Dirty Gertie: Also Known as Dirty Gertie from Bizerte, this World War II song has endured ages to be played in bingo parlors all around the world.
31. Get up and run.
32. Buckle my shoe: This bingo call is an extension of the children's rhyme from number four. Jimmy Choo is a well-known shoe designer.
33. Dirty knee/All the threes/Fish, chips & peas.
34. Ask for more: Oliver Twist reference.
35. Jump and jive.
36. Three dozen.
37. More than eleven.
38. Christmas cake.
39. 39 steps: The Hitchcock picture The 39 Steps, from 1935, is being seen today.
40. Life begins: Another bingo call honoring a significant birthday when things start to get wicked.
41. Time for fun: Life has started.
42. Winnie the Pooh: This bingo call honors A. A. Milne, the creator of the honey bear fable and enduring favorite of British childhood, Winnie the Pooh.
43. Down on your knees.
44. Droopy drawers.
45. Halfway there.
46. Up to tricks.
47. Four and seven.
48. Four dozen.
49. PC: This bingo call is in reference to the 1946-53 show centered on the exploits of an unorthodox copper who invented the term "rise and shine." The Adventures of P.C. 49 are still being used as bingo calls years after they originally aired.
50. Half a century.
51. Tweak of the thumb: I love my Mum
52. Danny La Rue: a bingo call that pays homage to the Irish musician known for his passion for cross-dressing, Danny La Rue.
53. Here comes Herbie/Stuck in a tree.
54. Clean the floor.
55. Snakes alive: Linked to the Number Shape: Fifty-Five (and mentioned in 25, duck and dive).
56. Shotts Bus: Was She Worth It?
57. Heinz's varieties: Despite having many more recipes, Mr. Heinz chose to stop developing variants of his favorite number, 57, so that Heinz baked beans would only be sold in 57 different cans.
58. Make them wait.
59. Brighton Line.
60. Five dozen.
61. Baker’s bun.
62. Turn the screw/Tickety-boo: Often known as tickety-boo in bingo, it is army slang for everything being alright.
63. Tickle me 63.
64. Redraw.
65. Old age pension: This bingo call shows the customary retirement age in the United Kingdom.
66. Clickety click.
67. Stairway to heaven.
68. Saving Grace.
69. Favorite of mine/either way up: If players look at the numbers from the bottom up, they signify the opposite. This is also referred to as "Meal for Two," and order number 69 on a takeout or restaurant menu designates it as such.
70. Three scores and ten.
71. Bang on the drum.
72. Six dozen.
73. Queen bee.
74. Hit the floor.
75. Strive and strive.
76. Trombones.
77. Sunset Strip: This bingo call is based on an American detective series produced by Warner Brothers between 1958 and 1964, which was shown in prime-time on Saturday nights in the UK.
78. 39 more steps.
79. One more time.
80. Eight and blank: This one is straightforward to find, but you can also see it referred to as "Gandhi's Breakfast", since the number 8 is meant to symbolize a cross-legged, sitting Gandhi.
81. Stop and run.
82. Straight on through: Related to journeying, but also known as a "fat lady with a duck," which refers to the pictures the numerals may and have portrayed before.
83. Time for tea.
84. Seven dozen.
85. Staying alive: The Bee Gees' 1977 global smash that was featured in the motion picture Saturday Night Fever.
86. Between the sticks: Goalkeeper lingo used in football.
87. Torquay in Devon.
88. Two fat ladies: Two Fat Women Returning to the graphics, the number 88 resembles the curves of two curvaceous women.
89. Nearly there.
90. Top of the shop.

These are all the bingo numbers, so players can read them once and get to know about the origin. However, some calls are just simple, so there’s no explanation for them.

Learning Bingo Calls

Bingo calls can be easily learned as players can just learn them online by taking quizzes. Just google “bingo call quiz”, and that’s how players will be able to test their knowledge. If they can’t remember every single one, then by taking quizzes, players will be able to learn them much more effectively.

Bingo Calls Chart

It's simple to use the chart to discover the names of the bingo number calls and their origins; all you have to do is click on the numbered ball you want to learn about, and an Answer Box will appear with the information. Afterward, you can either click anywhere outside the Answer Box to get back to the main chart, or use the next and previous arrows inside the answer box to go through each number call explanation one at a time.

Conclusion

Bingo is one of the most played games worldwide, and bingo cards are used to play this game at top online casinos. Players can also generate online bingo cards with a free bingo card generator, as it is not hard at all. In the article, players will find a huge list of bingo calls that are difficult to memorize, but they can take quizzes to learn them.