Card bingo 101

How to Play Card Bingo in 3 Simple Steps

Bingo is one of the most popular games in the world, played by millions of people every year, from bingo halls to casinos. There are also numerous variations you can play within the regular bingo world and card bingo.

However, some enthusiasts don’t know how to play card bingo, and it is pretty easy to understand. Whether you want to play multiple cards bingo or a fun game of playing card bingo, here is everything you need to know.

History of Bingo

Bingo has a long history that goes all the way back to the 1500s in Italy. It started off as a lottery-type game played by Italian citizens before moving across to France in the 1700s, where it was enjoyed by the upper classes.

Edwin S. Lowe is responsible for creating Bingo, and he also hired a math professor to help generate more number combinations than Beano. Lowe, and his company, would go on to be responsible for spreading the game we see and play today.

How to Play Card Bingo

Card bingo has sprung up as an incredibly popular variant of regular bingo. Not only is it very easy to understand and play, but it only requires two decks of cards and a group of friends to play with.

As mentioned, the first thing you will need is two decks of regular playing cards. You can leave the Jokers in if you want, but most games take them out to remove their random nature.

Within your group, you choose one player to be the caller; this person will draw and call out the cards. The caller deals five cards, face-up, to each player. They then deal out cards from the second deck, and when players match cards, they flip that card over.

The winner is the player who flips all five of their cards over first. Card bingo doesn’t work like Rummy or similar games where you can pair up an Ace of Hearts with an Ace of Spades; you must match an Ace of Hearts with an Ace of Hearts.

Card Bingo Variations

Much like regular bingo, there are numerous card bingo variations you can play if you get bored of the standard version.

Thirteen Card Bingo

Thirteen card bingo is great if you are playing with larger groups or if you want games with smaller groups to be speed rounds. You add more decks to the game and can play with five or six at a time.

Bingo with Bets

Bingo with bets is a very popular variant and is a version that does away with suits and instead adds values to the different types of cards. Aces are worth 11 points; face cards are worth 10, and cards 2-10 are worth their face value.

The dealer then deals five cards face down to each player, and five cards are dealt to the table. The dealer then reveals each table card, and if a player has the matching card, they are discarded. The winner is the first person to discard all their cards or have the lowest total in their hand after all the cards are revealed.

No Suit Bingo

No suit bingo is a much simpler version of the game where players are dealt five or ten cards depending on the group. The dealer then calls out cards; King, Ten, Ace, etc. The first person to have all their cards called out wins.

Jackpot Bingo

Jackpot bingo is a version that ignores suits but incorporates parts of regular card bingo, poker, and 13 card bingo. At the beginning of the round, players pay in a stake and a double stake to the jackpot pile.

The dealer then deals out six cards to each player face down and then 12 cards to the jackpot pile. The dealer then flips the jackpot cards one at a time, and players discard their card if it matches. The first player to get rid of all their cards wins the stake pile and the jackpot.