Nov 7, 2007 5:41 pm US/Eastern
Uncovering The Best Kept Bingo Secrets
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
Each week, thousands of Western Pennsylvanians head to the Bingo hall in hopes of cashing in on a big jackpot.
Some bring good luck charms -- from stuffed animals to pictures of their loved ones – to help increase their odds.
But others are hoping some simple strategies outlined in a book might pay off.
Financial writer Joseph Granville details some of these tactics in his book, "How To Win At Bingo."
We put some of his theories to the test to see if they really could help you cash in.
Tip #1: Pick Cards With Good Symmetry
One of Granville's suggestions has to do with the Bingo cards themselves. He says if you can choose your own cards, pick one with good symmetry.
What does that mean? If the numbers in the "B" column are all relatively low – like 3, 4, 7, 1 and 2, Granville says you might be better off picking a different card where the numbers in each column are more spread out. For instance, a card with numbers in the "B" column that include 4, 6, 7, 12, and 14, has better symmetry.
To make his point even clearer, Granville encourages players to look at the numbers as they light up on the Bingo board. More often than not, he says the board is balanced on both sides.
Is Granville on to something? Duquesne University Professor Antony Davies doesn't think so.
While Davies says it's true that numbers selected randomly will turn out to be well balanced, he adds, "the fact is not useful to you."
"It's like flipping a coin," Davies explains. "There's equal chance of getting heads or tails. I might flip it and get 4 heads in a row; but that doesn't tell me anything about what's coming next."
Tip #2: Look For Numbers With "Different Endings"
Another one of Granville's suggestions is to look for cards where the numbers have different endings. For example, he warns that players should avoid a card with a lot of numbers ending in 1 – like 1,11, 21, 31, 41, 51, 61 and 71.
The reason? He claims that the first six numbers called in most games will end in different digits.
Once again, however, Professor Davies disagrees with the reasoning. "There's nothing to it. It's purely random."
Tip #3: Play Fewer Cards?
While visiting some area Bingo games, we found some people playing more than 40 cards. Computers at Oakland Catholic High School allow them to play more than three times that amount.
"I think if you have a 144 cards and the person next to you has nine," player Ralph Damico told KDKA, "yeah your chances are better."
Granville, however, says players might actually be better off with fewer cards.
His theory is that by spending less money, players will be able to play more nights of Bingo – actually increasing their chances of winning.
While Professor Davies admits that playing a lot of cards "increases the probability of winning," he's quick to point out that it "increases also the cost of playing."
"If the House has done its math right," Davies adds, "the increased cost of playing is gonna outweigh what you gain from the increased probability of winning."
From a financial perspective that means that the more cards you have, Davies warns, "You're actually losing faster."
Tip #4: Play At The End Of The Month
Does when you play Bingo make a difference in whether you go home a winner? St. John of God Player Mary Ann Jones thinks so.
Jones says it's definitely better to try your luck at the end of the month – when there's less competition.
"As the month goes on," Jones explains, "people's money dwindles; so our players are obviously are gonna dwindle. So if you have less amount of people playing the game, your odds are gonna increase." But Davies jokes that there's really one sure fire way to win: "Write a book about how to win at Bingo,' that's how you win at Bingo!"
He says he thinks players have a better chance of putting their money to work for them by investing in the stock market or even playing the slots.
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