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Just Punch Them Out And WIN!

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A Sport Like No Other

One of the many perks of spectating at a basketball game, is the chance to win big bucks playing Bingo at halftime. Think of it as a truly rousing sporting event WITHIN a sporting event. And the game is quite simple. All you have to do is fork out a dollar per card, to get a chance to win BIG. The play is intense, the excitement is palpable, and the potential for winning is great. The last pot was worth 850 dollars! Which is nothing to sneeze at.

And so far, to date, after playing many many rounds over the seasons, I've not been very good at it. I've not won a THING. I'm GREAT at playing, but I don't seem to be very good at WINNING. I've included some of my leftover cards here, and will share a few of my thoughts and theories on playing the game of Bingo.

My Strategies and Tactics

It's All In The Initial Pick

I try to select a GOOD card. The ladies that sell them, as you walk into the stadium, dress up in really wacky, wild outfits. And they give you a choice of which card you want from the pile they hold out in front of them. I NEVER pick the first card, on top. The one's in the middle seem to be better. I never pick the bottom card either. There must be a reason it's down there, at the very bottom.

Pay A-t-t-e-n-t-i-o-n During Play

The basketball play-by-play announcer calls out the letter/number combinations over the P.A. system, after they are picked by one of the oddly-dressed ladies. And do they ever go FAST. I listen well during play, and sometimes verify 'the call', if I have time, when they show it on the giant scoreboard. It's a little white bingo ball image, with a letter and number on it. But the scoreboard is WAY up in the air, and the card is down on my lap. Sometimes, there just isn't enough time to listen, look at the paper card, re-check the scoreboard image up above, re-focus on the card in your lap, then punch a selection, before the next number gets called. This is one stressful sport.

I DO wish they would go slower sometimes. (Yes, I've TRIED the obvious: holding the card up in the air, visually comparing it 'next to' to the big screen so far away in the gym, to 'mirror' the card to the screen during calling. But it doesn't seem to help. It's darn hard punching the numbers out on the card, while held up over your head. Plus, I get yelled at now and then. I have NO idea what "down in front, idiot " means in the world of Bingo, but the folks behind me seem to use it often when I do this during the game.)

Accuracy In Punching Is KEY

Having large hands can be a detriment during punch-out Bingo. If you DO win, they have to verify your numbers at the desk. The ones you've folded over after the call. (NEVER pull the number off altogether. FOLD them over. Or you won't get the money.) Getting really excited during play, then overly aggressive in this step of the game can be a disaster. Grace and finesse at punching are key here. I suggest using your smaller fingers, if you happen to be clumsy or ham-fisted about number 'tagging'. I take great pride in my number-pushing ability and grace in the heat of the game. And believe you me, I've practiced hard and long to get to this pinnacle of my life.

Talk Your Way Through It

Discussing letter/number combinations out loud to yourself during the match seems to help in focus as well. Using clever little phrases I call yesnomers about the call seems to 'keep me on point' and 'dialed in' during play. (Note: those sayings are not mine. I borrowed these little gems from the basketball coach, from listening to the transistor radio during his post-game interview, after the BB game is over).

The following below [↓] are a few examples of my own, personal yesnomers, used during our Bingo play. I've showed the letter/number combination the caller reads aloud to the left, followed by my wordplay witticisms that help keep me focused during an intense match to the right.

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Example Call And Verbal Repartee

_{(Shown by B-I-N-G-O letter)}

B

B1- "Bomber-This CARD Is A Bomb!"
B4- "Before WHAT?!" (That one really cracks me up)
B9- "Thank Goodness, Doctor"
B12- "A GREAT Vitamin"

[They never seem to call these, but if they do, I'm ready]:
B17-"Best Bomber Of WW II"
B25- "Second Best Bomber of WW II"

I

I18-"Not Anymore (I'm Not)" (Works for ANY number they call--I'm over 30)
I21-"NOW I Can Drink Beer"

N

N(Any#)- " 'N Why Don't You Call Better Numbers?!"

G

G(Any #)- "Gee, That Number Sucks"
-or-
G(Any #)- "Gee, 61...I Don't Need YOU"

O

O(Any#)- "Not Confident In Your Call?"
O69- "Wheeeeee" _{(Usually not said too loud)}

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In Summary

Even though I use this creative catalog of out-loud mutterance's during the game, it still doesn't seem to help much. I suppose it COULD be because there are only 5 letters of the alphabet used in the world of Bingo, and they only call out numbers 1 thru 75 during a game. This greatly limits the breadth of this verbal master-plan during play. If they would only branch out, and use more combinations, I might be able to come up with better sayings. And win more. I've suggested it, but don't think that's happening anytime soon.

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The "Freebie"

My last big strategic move during play is to always wait till the last moment, to punch the 'Free', center spot. I wait to push this space out at the very LAST possible moment, once I've gotten a row completely filled in. I like to think of it as a 'gimme', at the very last second of play. Adds a huge excitement to an already riveting game, and shows I'm in full control of my situation.

The Free Squares

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More Logic -- I've always felt that punching out the 'Free' hole first, BEFORE you start the game, might decrease your odds of winning in the end. Call it Bingo Karma, or some other sportive moojooh. It feels like you're getting cocky, or maybe a bit ahead of yourself during a contest. By NOT punching the center first, it might boost the odds of winning in my direction. Sort of a landslide of last second, positive energy in number selection/winning potential. Though to date, this part of the strategy hasn't helped me win the 850 dollars either. I suppose the logic could be flawed. But I highly doubt it. I've thought through this strategy long and hard over many, many years of play.

Long-Standing Point Of Contention On Bingo Strategy Concerning-"Freebie"

A few of my friends punch out the freebie FIRST, before the calling even starts. Seems incredibly bold to me. Though they claim this part: "gets their head in the game from the start ", "focuses them on the play at hand ", and "builds confidence as you see results on the card, BEFORE the game even starts ". And though my friends sound a bit like the coach on the radio, I've never heard him say ANY of these things after a sporting event. Ever! So, I stick with my tried and true system of Bingo. (Though, to be honest, one friend DID win 250 dollars once. So maybe I need to re-think this "Freebie" strategy, going forward. I'll spend some more time pondering this, though I hate to mess with a staid sporting system, once it's firmly in place.)

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I Always Get The BROKEN Cards!

One Of My "Lousy Punch" Games-Won In A Landslide By Someone ELSE In Section 109

A Little Help

Does anyone out there in the world of Steemit play Bingo? For example, at other big sporting events, in the Grange Hall, Bingo Parlor, or even at home on your own? (I DO have a giant, glass-globed Air Bingo Machine. It blows the balls all around, before your shoot them into one of two Plexiglas 'arms' for the pick. I haven't used it yet, because it needs a new air-supply device. Plus it's BIG.) If you Bingo specialists out there have any great tips, tricks or theories to help with winning in this sport, I would LOVE to hear about them. Any strategies you've come up with over time, that you don't mind sharing my way, would be greatly appreciated.

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Of The Discards And Such

I'm always wondering what to do with the piles of old cards I keep after each game...

Some Possible Uses For Old Cards

• Future Bingo-Practice Cards
• Improving Your Speed-Bingo, Number 'Punching' Abilities
• Letter/# Call Recognition Increasement_{(Record/play calls - home stereo & practice play)}
• A Fine Base Material For Decoupage
• One-Time Soup Strainer
• Paper Airplane Engineering Practice _{(holey, poor aerodynamics to overcome)}
• Christmas Advent Calendar _{(Flip over & draw Holiday scene on back)}
• Wad Them Up After You Lose, Throw Them On The Basketball Floor In Disgust

Any Other Ideas Out There?

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Send 3 Steem - TODAY!

If anyone is interested in receiving a batch of my old, used Bingo cards, let me know. I have LOTS of used-up cards from many seasons of playing Bingo. And though most (all) were broken, they still have oodles of possible uses.

If you would like to purchase some of these classic cards, feel free to send 3 Steem per card, and I will mail them to you. The uses are endless [see above↑], and other possible possibilities for projects, of which you can come up with on your own, are great indeed. Don't delay. Hurry, supplies ARE limited. Our operators are standing by. Operators of Bingo CARDs, that is. Which would be ME.

Thank you greatly for tuning in, and thank you even MORE greatly, ahead of time, if you DO decide to make a purchase.

~ Finto ~

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Thanks for stopping in and viewing a bit of my riveting, Bingo history. If you have any thoughts about how to win at Bingo, tips and tricks for helping in this direction, spending money to earn money and other top-end investing strategies, the sport of Bingo in general, or anything else this post reminds you of, please feel free to comment away in the spaces below. I'd LOVE to hear from you.

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Please UPVOTE, COMMENT and FOLLOW if you enjoy my works.

And go to @ddschteinn -- There's a whole lot more...

_{Posted: 02/24/2019 @ 10:08}

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Excerpts From Late-Night Conversations With A Mechanical Cat

Fact Number 123

More Stinky the Cat Classics from CatFacts of Yesteryear

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