When the game of bingo is played in a traditional brick and mortar bingo hall, a specific employee of the bingo hall has the job or calling out the bingo numbers to the players within the hall. The person holding this position is known as the bingo caller. While it may appear that they only job is to call out the numbers the select from the hopper, there are actually other duties assigned to the bingo caller.
There is much preparation that a bingo caller must do prior to the beginning of a bingo game. The bingo card patterns must be predetermined and understood. Bingo callers need to know how to identify patterns or explain new intricate ones. Some bingo callers may be required to set the patterns before the game while other bingo halls have these established and just train the bingo caller in their protocol.
Certain bingo halls offer certain deals in regards to bingo cards. The bingo caller must know what kind of cards the players are purchasing.
Bingo callers must also have a firm grasp of bingo lingo. This would be the nicknames associated with certain numbers selected from the ball hopper. Many players new to the hall are familiar with these terms so it makes transitioning from one bingo hall to another much smoother.
Another important skill that bingo players need is the ability to judge their audience. This will determine their pace as well as the manner in which they need to call the numbers. For instance, if the game is comprised mainly of senior citizens, the bingo caller may want to speak a little louder than normal or turn up the microphone. They should be able to change their voice and tone of voice. This keeps the calls interesting and avoids a monotone bingo caller, which can be quite boring.
Also, it is important that bingo callers be personable and fun people. After all, the game of bingo is a form of entertainment and people will enjoy coming back to a bingo hall where the bingo caller has a reputation for being engaging.
By Damien Naylor
To be a professional bingo caller does require a number of entertainmemt qualities. Due to the number of online bingo sites, there may have been an impact on halls. However, unlike other games, bingo has always been enjoyed by players that want to socialise.