Bingo was the game O!

BINGO!!! It is yelled across the country everyday in I’m sure almost every town. I have come to know it as one of the most underestimated games of all time. Just the mere mention of the word and I’m sure the thought of a senior citizen pops into your head. But you must also remember that the oldest are the wisest and let me tell you first hand they do not take this game lightly.

Not only is it played in churches, community centers, classrooms and in school gymnasiums but there is also a huge market online like almost everything else in the world. It is a form of legalized gambling that is generally used for “charity” but in my opinion it just helps some gamblers get their fix.

I was shocked to learn that the game of bingo originated in Europe around 1530. It was originally called Lo Giocco del Lotto D’ Italia (no idea what that means). After making its way around Europe the trend finally hit the United States. It was originally played in fairs and was called beano. The caller would pull numbers 1-90 and people would use beans to mark their card and yell beano when the won. Once Edwin S. Lowe, a toy salesman, heard someone accidentally yell out Bingo instead and hired a math professor to help increase the number of cards you use. He then took his new game to a bunch of his wealthy friends in New York and the game took on from there. This is the game that we have come to know and love.

I recently went to bingo with my mother and it was nothing like I had expected. It might be one of the toughest crowds I’ve ever seen. I’ve been to a Yankee vs. Red Socks game and I think the crowed at bingo was a much harsher group to deal with. The ladies will start swearing at the caller and ripping up their cards before anyone even calls bingo. Like a sixth sense they’ve acquired, they can tell if someone is going to hit just by how many B’s or N’s are called. And you can forget about if you are a new player and you yell bingo more than once. I won two small pots and they were yelling for me to leave. I couldn’t believe it yet I was oddly entertained by it. If you ever want to learn more information about the game you can visit the www.bignoguidebook.com.

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