howtoplaybingo.co.uk

Irish Bingo — how the game is played in Ireland, and how it differs

Irish bingo means two different things, and people searching for it usually want one of them. There is the 90-ball bingo of Irish parish halls, and there is a quick family and pub game played with ordinary playing cards. Here is how to play Irish bingo in both senses, with the Irish bingo rules for the card game set out step by step.

In the card game, a matched card is turned face down. Turn all of yours over first to win.

Irish bingo: two games with one name

If someone in Ireland says they are going to the bingo, they mean the hall game: 90-ball bingo, played with tickets and a caller, usually in a parish hall, a GAA clubhouse or a community centre. If someone suggests a game of Irish bingo at a family party or in a pub, they probably mean the card game. The two have nothing in common except the name and the excitement of waiting for the last call.

Two packs of playing cards side by side in an open wooden box
Two decks of playing cards in a wooden box: the playing-card version of Irish bingo needs one deck to deal and one for the caller. Original by Goose Green Photography, CC BY 4.0.

We cover the hall game first, briefly, because it follows the same rules as British bingo, and then the card game in detail, because it is less well documented and the rules vary from table to table.

Parish-hall bingo in Ireland

Bingo in Ireland grew up in parish and community halls, and for decades it has been one of the main ways of raising money for churches, sports clubs, schools and local charities. The game is the standard 90-ball game: tickets of three rows and nine columns, fifteen numbers each, and prizes for a line, two lines and a full house. The full rules are on our 90 ball bingo page.

What gives parish bingo its character is the setting. Sessions are often weekly, the players know each other, and the caller is usually a local volunteer rather than hall staff. Callers use the same traditional nicknames as in Britain, with local additions. Ireland has its own gambling laws and regulator, separate from the UK's, so the rules on licences and prizes for fundraising bingo there are not the same as in Great Britain.

Irish bingo with playing cards: the pub game

The other Irish bingo is a pub game and family game that needs nothing but two packs of ordinary playing cards. It is quick to learn, works for any age and any number of players from three upwards, and it is a good way of playing something like bingo when you have no tickets or numbers. The cards take the place of numbers: instead of waiting for 22 to be called, you wait for the seven of hearts.

You need two complete decks of 52 cards, ideally with different backs, and somewhere to play. One deck is dealt to the players, and the other belongs to the caller. Some groups play for small stakes such as coins in a pot; others play for sweets or just for the win.

Irish bingo rules, step by step

The Irish bingo rules below are the most common version. Families and pubs have their own variations, so agree the rules before you deal.

  1. Choose a caller. The caller does not play, or plays a hand of their own if everyone trusts them.
  2. Deal the first deck. Shuffle and deal all 52 cards evenly among the players, face up in front of each of them. Put any spare cards aside so that everyone holds the same number.
  3. Shuffle the second deck. This is the caller's deck. It must be complete and well shuffled.
  4. Call the cards. The caller turns up one card at a time and names it clearly: "the seven of hearts".
  5. Turn it face down. Whoever holds the matching card turns it face down. Exactly one player will hold each card, unless it was set aside.
  6. Call bingo. The first player to turn all their cards face down shouts "Bingo!" and wins the game.

Because every card is in someone's hand, every call means something to somebody, and the game moves quickly. With six players, each holding eight cards, a game rarely takes more than a few minutes. It is pure luck: the order of the caller's deck decides everything, and the only mistake you can make is failing to turn over a card that has been called.

Variations on the pub game

Most tables adapt the Irish bingo rules a little. Common versions include:

  • Stakes per card. Each player puts a coin in the pot for each card they hold, and the winner takes the pot.
  • A first-to-half prize. A small prize for the first player to turn over half of their cards, like the line in 90-ball.
  • Choose your cards. Instead of dealing, players pick their cards from the deck, face up, a few each, before the calling starts.
  • Suits only. For young children, deal only one or two suits and call from the same suits.
  • Last player standing. Play on after the first winner to decide second and third places.

If you prefer a numbers game, you can also run a proper 90-ball game at home with our free bingo caller and a printed strip from our bingo tickets page.

What differs from the British bingo hall

For the hall game, very little differs. The tickets, prizes and calls in an Irish parish hall are recognisably the same as in a British hall, though the atmosphere is often closer to a club night than a commercial session, and the proceeds usually go to a local cause. The rules on who may run a game and what prizes may be offered follow Irish law, not the UK's Gambling Act 2005.

The card game is a different game altogether, closer to snap than to hall bingo, and it has no connection to the 90-ball rules or the calls. What it shares with bingo is the shape of the game: a random call, a match, and a race to be the first to complete everything you hold. If you are new to bingo itself, start with our guide to how to play bingo.

FAQ

How to play irish bingo?

In the playing-card version, deal all the cards of one deck out to the players. The caller turns up cards one at a time from a second, shuffled deck and calls each one. If you hold the matching card, turn it face down. The first player to turn all of their cards face down calls "bingo" and wins.

What is irish bingo?

The name is used for two things. It can mean ordinary 90-ball bingo as played in parish and community halls across Ireland, often for local fundraising. It is also the name of a simple family and pub game played with two packs of ordinary playing cards instead of tickets.

How is Irish bingo different from 90-ball bingo?

Hall bingo in Ireland is the same 90-ball game played in Britain, with the same tickets and the same three prizes. The card game called Irish bingo is different: there are no numbers or tickets, just the playing cards in your hand, and there is usually only one winner.

What are the basic rules for playing a game of Irish bingo?

Each player gets the same number of cards from one deck. The caller draws from a second deck and names each card. Players turn over any card that matches. The first player with every card face down wins. Many groups add a small prize for the first player to turn over a set number of cards.

How many players do you need for Irish bingo?

Three or more works, and the game suits groups of four to ten. With 52 cards, deal them evenly and set any spares aside, so that everyone holds the same number.

Is winning at Irish bingo based on luck?

Yes, entirely. Every player holds the same number of cards and the caller's deck is shuffled, so the order is random. The only skill is paying attention so that you turn over every card that is called.

Can you play Irish bingo with one deck of cards?

Not easily. You need one deck to deal to the players and a second, complete deck for the caller to draw from. Two cheap packs with different backs make it easier to keep them apart.

Do Irish bingo halls use the same calls?

Largely, yes. Irish callers use most of the same traditional nicknames as British ones, with local variations and jokes. Our bingo calls page lists all 90.

Keep going