We often get tickets or players in chat, asking why some people seem to win more often than others.

First of all, let me say that the mathematics of bingo probability is unbelievably complicated, so I’m going to keep this simple. It won’t be exact but it should be close enough for you to get the general idea.

Let’s take a look at the chances of winning:

In a game with 5 players, each holding 2 cards, there are 10 cards in play. Each player has a 20% chance of winning because he or she holds 20% of the cards that are in play. Next game, every player buys 6 cards each, so there are 30 cards in play. Each still has a 20% chance of winning (because 6 is 20% of 30).

Simple enough so far.

Now, if there are 5 players and one player has 6 cards, but the others only have 1 card each, there are only 10 cards in play. The player with 6 cards has a 60% chance of winning (6 is 60% of 10). The other players each have only a 10% chance of winning. If all 5 players buy the same number of cards for the next 10 games, statistically the player with 6 cards will win more often.

But that kind of buying pattern doesn’t happen very often, so let’s look at another, slightly more realistic, example:

Chocs, Midgey, Poppy, Snuggles and Womble decide to play 20 games of bingo.
Chocs and Midgey each buy 1 card per game, Poppy buys 5 and gets one free per game, and Snuggles and Womble each buy 10 and get two free per game. There are therefore 32 cards in play.
Chocs and Midgey have a 3.13% chance of winning each game.
Poppy has an 18.75% chance of winning each game.
Snuggles and Womble each have a 37.5% chance of winning each game.

Statistically speaking, over 20 games, Chocs and Midgey may not win at all. Poppy, Snuggles and Womble should all win. We would expect to see Snuggles and Womble winning the most games.

Because bingo isn’t as neat and tidy as that, what we actually see usually follows the pattern but it can vary slightly.

As I said earlier, the mathematics of bingo probability is unbelievably complicated and it depends on a whole stack of factors. But basically, although you can win with one card, you increase your chances of winning if you buy more than one.

Be lucky!

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15 Responses to “Why does she win so often and I never win?”

1. 1
   On August 27th, 2008 at 12:35 am JANNY08 said :
   

   eh lol,
   i look at this tomorrow, get me calculator out, but then ask himself cos he a mathematician (is that right). he will probably say do i care woman, its only bingo lol. he will say u done very well out of mania.

   JANNY WON OVER 14K . yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa biggest winner lol.

2. 2
   On August 28th, 2008 at 8:20 am gmpoppy said :
   

   rofllllllllll @ janny

   i understand the maths but i say basically u are betting against everyone else that you have picked the winning card, like a tombola draw, trubble is i always have wrong colour titcket at them tut

3. 3
   On September 1st, 2008 at 7:46 am poornanny said :
   

   i would just like to say that we all have bad runs of luck believe me i know but we also have runs of good luck and yes i know about these too.the good and bad times come to us all and it is not any ones fault just the way the cards are delt. So come on roomies cheer up you pays your money and takes your chances and at the end of the day its just a game. from poornanny or is it richnanny lol

4. 4
   On September 1st, 2008 at 3:37 pm JANNY08 said :
   

   Still doing me calculations here. Back with answer in 3 weeks lol

5. 5
   On September 3rd, 2008 at 12:32 pm Christmas Guy said :
   

   the calculations are too complicated for me. I always rely on good luck

6. 6
   On September 4th, 2008 at 7:27 am gmpoppy said :
   

   would it help if i took me socks off ??? and used me toes to work it out ?? ya more than welcome roflmaoo

7. 7
   On September 4th, 2008 at 9:31 am poornanny said :
   

   come on janny im still waiting for answer

8. 8
   On September 4th, 2008 at 4:00 pm JANNY08 said :
   

   getting there sue with the help of poppy’s toes but it’s hard work cos I keep passing out with the smell.

   You think she would have washed em first.

9. 9
   On September 6th, 2008 at 4:13 pm poornanny said :
   

   just think if you had to use wombles as well

10. 10
    On September 13th, 2008 at 10:26 am lolly103 said :
    

    hiya , just wanted to say to janny get well soon hun and wd to chels on ur winxxxxxxxxx

11. 11
    On September 13th, 2008 at 3:23 pm GM WOMBLE said :
    

    omg wongy ill have u no my plates of meat r cleanish i been in the stream bottom of the comman and used foot spray last year wot more u want blood xxxxxx

12. 12
    On September 17th, 2008 at 8:26 pm Grumps said :
    

    Well, I have to say that I for one do ok on this site so I cant complain but I must admit it is a shame that there are people that feel that they have to max out so often and win all that they can, do people not play for the simple enjoyment of playing the game anymore ?? Yes, we all like to win and its great when we do, but I would rather pay out for just the couple of tickets that I buy because any wins that I get are so much sweeter for knowing that I have not paid out a fortune to get the win, also, I would not feel good about myself if I was to win pretty much every game coz maxing out doesnt really give anybody else a chance at winning, but every site has those kind of players so Mania is not alone with its regular winners.
    A good tip is that every time u see one of the regular winners pop up, just think how much they have spent to get that win and just feel good that u dont have their credit card bills lol !!!

13. 13
    On September 19th, 2008 at 9:00 am Devonangel said :
    

    I also cant complain as I do quite well. I dont max out and normally just play the 5 with 1 free. Its nice to get wins even to just keep playing and I have never won enough to be able to withdraw but you never know maybe one day one of the jp’s will have my name on. Good luck to the winners and condolenses to those who dont (including me some days)

14. 14
    On October 5th, 2008 at 8:19 pm Stuckon2 said :
    

    I appreciate the effort in explaining the mathematics, but it is beyond me. The only thing i am sure of is that maxing does nothing for me other than reduce my balance, it is in my opinion, without a doubt the luck of the tickets, you simply need the winning one, lol. I can’t complain, i have had my fair share here at Mania, including a JP, but these days i hardly ever get close. What i am having trouble working out is, that i am able to play on other sites with player numbers in the hundreds and even thousands and i manage a win here and there, if i balance that against the number of mania players then the mathematics goes right out of the window as i never max. So well done to those that are able to find the lucky tickets, as for the rest of us, our day will come, you wait and see.

15. 15
    On November 2nd, 2008 at 3:16 am maxone said :
    

    “I dont max out and normally just play the 5 with 1 free. Its nice to get wins even to just keep playing and I have never won enough to be able to withdraw”

    PMSL - if you haven`t won enough to cashout all I can say is you must be waiting for the really big one cos I`ve cashed out and seem to win far less than u. Wats ur secret for winning so much on 5 cards lol?? I wat ur 5 not mine pmsl. wd pesky pixie.