Member Advice on Bingo > Reviews (25)

I work in a Bingo Club called Planet Bingo. Planet Bingo has 7 clubs altogether, Antrim, Portadown, Carrick, Newtonards, Star (Belfast), Galaxy (Belfast) and Planet Belfast.

Bingo starts at half 6, with 3 free games. These are on the slots, prize money being £3 on each game. Usually when you play the slots you put 20p's in depending on how much the game is 20p, 40p 60p etc to win more prize money or gifts.
After this we have a £1 game, this is where the winner takes away all their books and flyers for that night free!

At 7 o'clock you can buy a 2 page book on your way in at the book sales counter. This is for a link game with Portadown and Carrick with a caler from Portadown calling one night and a caler from Carick calling the next. You play each page for a single line (£10) double line (£20) and a full house (£70).

Each page is spilt up into 6 boxes, each box having 3 rows with 6 numbers in each row ranging from 1-90.
When playing for a single line you have to match 6 numbers in one row in any of the 6 boxes.
When playing for a double line you have to match 12 numbers in one of the 6 boxes, so this means you will have 2 out of your 3 rows fully marked off.
When playing for a full house you have to match all 16 numbers in one of the 6 boxes. This means you will have all 3 rows in one of your 6 boxes completely marked off.

When you have won a single double or full house you have to shout, Bingo! Most people in the Bingo i work in shout Check! or Here! and you hold your claim up so the staff know who has won. they will then take your book and shout out a security number. This is little number that is printed at the side of each box. The caller will then type the security number in and it will come up on the screen if it is a correct win. The member of staff will then pay you your winnings.

When you are purchasing you books and flyers when your enter, you dont have to buy them all, just the books and flyers that you wish to play. You can also buy a Single or Double book. Single is a thinner book, and as i explained before , its spilt into 6 boxes with 3 rows etc.
The Double box is exactly the same only its doubled over, so it has 2 columns with 6 boxes and having 3 rows in each!

In Planet Portadown, Portadown the evening is layed out like this:

Early Early Bird - £1,Link up with Carrick, 2 page book . Single £10, Double £20 House £70

Half 7 scoop - £1, all clubs playing, 1 page, playing straight full house. Depending on what one of the 6 boxes you call on. £200, £250, £300, £350, £400, £500.

8 page book - £6 single, £8 double (most nights) In house game, only play first 5 pages. Single £10, Double £20 House £100.

Big Link - £1 Single, £2 Double. All clubs playing. Single £50, Double £100, House £1000. Call on the house on number 5 or 10....£10,000

Holiday game - £1, straight full house. All clubs playing. House £100. The person who calls on the least number at the end of the week takes away £2500 or a holidays for 2 anywhere in the world.

Golden Numbers - £1, In house game, Single £10, Double 2 tickets (for various events), House £50.

2 Page Jackpot Book - £2, in house game, Single £10, Double £20 House £80.

8 Page Book, finishing last 3 pages, Single £10, Double £20, House £100.

I have written this out to give you a rough idea of the kind of prize money and prizes that can be won. This is just in the bingo that i work in so many might be a bit different.

When flyers and books arent being played you can play the slots. Slots only take 20 pence coins, again though, this may be different in some other Bingo Halls. You play on a board, which will have an individual number on it, if your board says 34 then be sure to put your money in slot 34! Your board will also have 16 numbers ranging from 1-90. Your board will not have all of the number, so as the caller calls out the numbers that match your board you pull alittle slide over the number.

The caller will tell you how much the game is to play (20p, 40p 60p etc), what you are playing for (cash, prizes) and what type of game yuo are playing (Line, Double, House, Line and House etc). They may also tell you that your Free Squares are on. If it is a line game your free square is the top left square, if its a house your free squares are the 4 middle squares. If your slot number is the winner, you dont need to shout up, the caller will announce what number has won the game. The staff will then bring your prize/prize money down to your table.

Many people think that Bingo is just for old people, i thought that when i started too. If you are one if these people, you would be very suprised if you came to Planet Bingo! We have party nights which all the staff and costumers stay behind after the bingo has finished, a group/band comes in and provides our entertainment, we all have a drink and a laugh and you can assure by the end of the night everyone is dancing on the tables. In the main Hall in Belfast (The Galaxy) has a party night on the last Sunday of every month. We have had the Nollens, Paper Lace etc, Abba Tribute Band is coming this month! I love working in the Bingo, and now id love to play it, staff arent allowed to play in their own clubs :-(

Check out our website www.planetbingo.co.uk
Its not totally finished yet but have a look anyway!!
Go on...Give it a go.....its not what you think!