Bingo, or Housie as it is known in New Zealand is a game of chance that originated from the country of Italy in the early 1500’s. In the game, players are provided with tickets that have a set of numbers on them and as numbers are called out randomly by a caller, the players mark out the numbers. The first player to achieve a pre determined winning combination is adjudged the winner and is the given the main prize. It is slightly different from the American version of Bingo in terms of the methods of calling and also the tickets that are used.
Most Housie tickets are made up of a matrix of three rows by nine columns, thus containing twenty seven boxes. These boxes are filled with close to fifteen numbers and the rest are blank spaces. Most columns contain two numbers, also rarely there are three numbers in the same column. The number are arranged in the nine columns in such a way that the numbers on the tickets that belong to the first ten set of numbers, that is, zero to nine, are found in the first column, and the numbers that are part of the next ten numbers are found in the second column and so on. Thus all the fifteen numbers are found in some of the twenty seven boxes.
There is a post called the caller, whose job is to pick out a number from the RNG (Random Number Generator) and read it out loud to the contestants. He must make sure that the number is read out clearly so that no confusion is present among the contestants over what number was called. This must be done to ensure that the wrong marking of the numbers does not occur. This can be done in the usual format of following the format shown by the following examples: ’66 – the double six, sixty six. Or, 54 – Five and four, fifty four. The caller also has the added responsibility of checking whether a claim of a winning combination is valid or not.
When the caller calls out a number that is obtained from the RNG, the contestants must use a device called a dauber to mark that number if it is found on their ticket. As the game progresses, if a player possesses a ticket that has a winning combination then he or she must immediately shout out ‘Bingo!’ to signal to the caller that he or she possesses the correct combination. It must be remembered that in all cases, the last number called must be in the winning sequence.
Also, the player must keeping mind that he or she must shout the required word before the caller proceeds to the next number. If they fail to do so and the caller has gone one to the next number, then the claim is deemed invalid. That is, the number that is called most recently must be part of the winning combination (Line, Rwoo Lines or a Full House).
Housie is a game that is really spreading like wild fire in Australia as there can be nothing better to do on a hot Saturday afternoon to do than to sit back in a cool play and win some prizes at the local bingo competition.
Tags: aussie housie, bingo
