I thought I knew how to play Bingo. It’s one of those games that EVERYBODY knows, like tic-tac-toe or heads-up-7-up. My hubris was quickly put in check at Abita Spring’s Friday night Bingo. Luckily, I had a friend with me that had been before, and the people working were friendly and willing to explain the rules.

Every Friday night at the Abita Springs town hall, community members gather for bingo. There is ample parking in the grass lot across the street. Adults are expected to buy a pack of bingo sheets for $15—that’s enough for the whole evening. A kid pack can be purchased for $7. The colored-ink stamps are $1. Snacks and drinks are available for purchase. (The prices are subject to change.)

I suggest getting there early enough to find a seat close to the number announcers (if there is an official title for that, I am unaware of it) and with a clear view of the number board. The numbers are called pretty quickly and with multiple boards on each sheet, it can get a little intense. A few times I realized I was holding my breath.

They switch up the games. This is when I realized that I am no bingo expert. The free space in the middle of the board, I knew about. Getting all the numbers in a straight or diagonal line, I knew about. But postage stamp, 4-corners, wild number, and blackout…totally new to me, but fun to learn. There is also something they call the “pickle jar.” The first number called is written on a small whiteboard. If you get “Bingo!” with that number, then you win what is in the pickle jar. And I’m pretty sure it isn’t pickles. There is also a raffle. A tall man was walking around calling “Pull Tab!” for people wanting to purchase a raffle ticket. At first, I couldn’t understand what he was saying, with all the normal bingo commotion going on and me trying to munch on my nachos. I asked my friend why this man kept walking around yelling “Bull crap!” In my mind, I rationalized it as him being the bingo validation checker. If someone thought they had bingo, he would have to validate it. And if they were wrong (a faux bingeaux, if you will), he’d yell “Bull crap!” It made sense in my head.
So if you like nachos, people-watching, and playing with ink and paper as much as I do, check out Friday night Bingo in beautiful Abita Springs. Doors open at 6:30pm. (Dates and times are subject to change.)