Too fast, too slow
It's
a group average
Dear Aunt Bingo,
I have noticed that the caller calls too fast for "paper" players. Machine players pay an extra $5 per six-pack for using the machine instead of the paper/dauber method. Paper players are at a disadvantage. They cannot keep up with the caller.
Is there a uniform speed callers must use? Some call at 17 seconds, some 10 seconds. However, some callers don't wait for the "beep" to signal the time for the next number to be called. They might call in two or three seconds, or irregular sequences, making it difficult if not impossible to keep up. I, and others, have lost our Bingo because of this violation. To complain is useless - management claims that "the machine is set" and no change is allowed.
Please advise. Thanks for your help. Love your column. - McC., via e-mail
Dear Aunt Bingo,
The callers at several of the Bingo halls I go to insist upon calling the numbers too slow. They don't get it that players get bored and restless if they have to sit too long between numbers. When that happens, people begin to talk and laugh and make noise, so that when the next ball finally is called, it is not always easy to hear.
What can a player do to get the callers to speed up? - Bingo Napper, via e-mail
Dear McC and Napper,
Taking a page from the children's story Goldilocks and the Three Bears, one thing I have learned over the years from writing this column is that some players feel that callers call the numbers too fast, others insist that the callers are too slow, while the rest feel the calling is juuuuuuust right.
Typically there is one reason why Bingo halls choose the particular
pace they use for calling numbers: It's the length of time the majority of players prefer. If they hear from multiple players that the pace between calls is too fast or too slow, they adjust accordingly.
This is one of the reasons why it is so great that Bingo blower machines have a timer to help keep the caller on track: There is no guessing involved; every pause between calls is the same length as the one before and the one after. And to the best of my knowledge, these timers are adjustable to the pace the majority of players say they are most comfortable with.
Certainly the introduction of handheld electronic Bingo units has changed things, but their use shouldn't create a handicap to paper players - unless the hall manager is purposely trying to demonstrate the speed of the electronic devices and encourage more people to use them. If that's the case, he or she is going about it the wrong way.
As long as there are new players and seasoned players, social players and serious players, single-pack players and multi-pack players, not to mention newer and faster technology, it is going to be impossible for a caller to meet the needs and speeds of every player in a Bingo hall.
- Aunt Bingo
Dear Aunt Bingo,
I thought it might be fun to celebrate my sister's 25th wedding anniversary at a Bingo hall, where we could have a party with food and music, etc., then have everyone sit down and play a session of Bingo. Is this something you think a Bingo hall would allow? How do I go about talking with someone about doing this?
- E.P., Georgia
Dear E.P.,
I think that is a charming idea, especially if your sister and many of the other guests are real Bingo fans. However, if I interpret your letter correctly, you are looking to have a licensed Bingo hall hold an entire session just for your anniversary party, which is highly unlikely. Bingo halls can't simply hold Bingo whenever they feel like it; they are governed by rules and regulations that strictly enforce when their games are offered and how many sessions they can hold per year.
A much better idea might be for you to pull a group of your sister's friends together and perhaps surprise her with a Bingo outing at one of her favorite places to play. Your group can grab a table or two, treat her to as many packs as she can handle, and have a grand old time.
- Aunt Bingo
