Or…Happy Chair Dance Lesson 101

Hey there all you Fabulous Bingo Babes,  Bodacious Bingo Babe here and I have something really important I want to talk to you about…Good Sportsmanship… That’s right, being a good sport and having a good attitude when you play bingo is very much a part of what the bingo experience is all about.

Now think about it.  Why do you go to play bingo?  Yes, yes, I know you want to win a few bucks, but what’s the real reason you drag yourself out in the rain or snow to go sit in a crowded room and listen to someone yell out a bunch of numbers.  I’ll tell you why… It’s the thrill you get when you win.  It’s to be with friends, talk about your life (and everyone else’s) and in general have a good time. It’s about coming home at the end of the evening and being able to relive in your dreams what it was like to hit the big win.

There are days you win and are so glad you have all your friends around you to cheer you on when you are set for one more number, and then give you that high five when you actually do win.  Look, winning is always fun, even when you are alone, but winning when you are with people that are happy for you makes it so much sweeter… and that, my dear friends, is the best part of the thrill.

So what’s the deal with those crabby players who always look so unhappy?  When they win they let out a little unsatisfied and barely audible bingo. Pathetic… just pathetic… What’s the fun in that?  If you can’t be excited for yourself, and at least do a little “Bingo Happy Chair Dance Wiggle” no one else will be excited for you either.

When someone else wins, you should be just as thrilled for them as they should be for you.  I know that’s easier said than done, but it is “good sportsmanship”.  I have played bingo with players that have sucked all the fun out of my wins.  I went home with lots of cash, but with a sad feeling in the pit of my stomach because there was no one there to be happy for me. It’s kinda like seeing the most beautiful sunset you have ever seen and having no one else with you to see it too and share the feeling.

At most bingo halls you share a table with other people.  You are NOT there alone.  Good attitude is contagious.  If you arrive smiling and wish everyone else “Good Luck” the Bingo Gods will smile upon you… and so will everyone else.
If you are happy for others when they win and show them a big smile (even if you don’t really mean it) when it is your turn to win, you just might be surprised to get a big smile of congratulations back.  Then of course when you do your Happy Chair Dance Wiggle it will let everyone else enjoy your win too.

So speaking of my famous “Happy Chair Dance Wiggle” It goes something like this… you have your hand in the air and have already begun to get the wiggle going. Then when the winning number is called you “YELL BINGO!” None of that wimpy grumpy stuff. Let everyone really hear it.  That my friends, is why you are there!

Rock your shoulders and wiggle your butt like you are doing the samba sitting in the chair. Be enthusiastic about your win.  Nothing wrong with a little ‘whoop and hollerin’.

Like I said, fun and laughter are contagious.  Pretty soon the entire bingo hall will be a whoopin’ and a hollerin’ too….Now doesn’t that sound like more fun?

A little known affliction that many bingo players suffer from is “dauber arm”; recently, scientifically named “alea balbutio armo-poena,” by the University of Sciences on Bingo Physics.

When someone says to you “You’re just getting older and can expect to have a few sore muscles,” you can tell them your malady is real and has a name, ‘Alea balbutio armo-poena’ (I bet you can’t say that 3 times fast).

Using one arm repeatedly to go up and down all the rows of your cards and putting pressure on an extended arm with each number daubed can play havoc with the muscles in your arm as well as your wrist, elbow, shoulder and back, especially, if you have done nothing to prepare your arm for such a workout. I have also heard many bingo players complain about pain in the armpit.

If you play bingo often, or only once in a blue moon, and do nothing to prepare the muscles in the arm you use for daubing, it is only a matter of time before you will suffer the soreness of bingo arm.

I personally play a lot of paper and give my arm one heck of a workout. So having experienced this problem a few times, I did some research and put together a few simple and proven exercises that if done on a regular basis will strengthen BOTH arms.

Soon you will be able to daub like the wind.  Your bingo buddies will wonder what you are taking to give you such speed, dexterity and endurance. If this Bingo Babe can save just one other bingo player the pain and aggravation of a problem that so many bingo players endure in silence, than I have done my job.

There is no need to go out and buy special equipment. Everything you need can usually be found around the house.

I like to start off using two 5-6 oz water bottles or cans of soup. Any basic Campbell’s soup size can will work.

I just happened to have 2 cans of Campbell’s Tomato Soup and still use them as part of my daily routine.  Zephyrhills brand water bottles are easy to hold because of the indentation in the middle, and you have the benefit of drinking the water when you are done.

After a few months you can increase to ½ gallon milk or juice jugs, and add a cup of water or sand to the jug each week to add weight as you build strength.

Of course you can always go to Wal-mart and buy a set of weights, but the money you spend could be used to buy extra bingo cards.

This Bingo Babe wonders why someone would go out and buy weights when all you have to do is find something easy to hold around the house, and pick it up.

If you are not exercising because you really need to know how much something weighs, then you are making excuses and deserve to suffer from bingo arm.

Let’s Get Started

The first thing you MUST do is stretch.  It is important to stretch before each time you exercise and make it a habit to stretch just before you go to bingo. By warming up your muscles, you are much less likely to get sore.

Stand straight, with feet shoulder width apart. Lift your left arm out to the side and stretch it up slowly and reach over your head to the right. Hold for the count of 5 and then stretch your arm (slowly) back out to the side and down.

Now switch to your right arm and lift it up over your head and stretch slowly to the left. Hold for the count of 5 and back out and down.

Alternating from left to right, do a set of 20 (10 left and 10 right). Move slowly and deliberately.  The idea is to stretch and warm up the muscles, not work up a sweat.

The next stretch is simple.  Extend your arms straight out to the sides, fingertips pointing straight out. Carefully stretch like you are trying to touch the wall on both sides of you. Then slowly, and keeping your arms extended straight out, bend only your wrist, turn your fingers up to point at the ceiling and palms to the walls for the count of 5 and then point back to the walls for the count of 5.

After Warm Up

Now that you have warmed up, here are 4 very simple dauber arm exercises.

Even very small changes in muscle strength can make a real difference in function, especially in people who have already lost a lot of muscle.  I have learned that when you play a lot of bingo, you develop mighty muscles in your butt, which enables you to sit for long periods of time. The rest of your body is often neglected. So start your routine off slowly. Try to do 10 to 15 repetitions for each exercise. Think of this as a goal. If you can’t do that many at first, do as many as you can. You will be able to build up to this goal over time.

Breathe regularly. Breathe in slowly through your nose and breathe out slowly through your mouth.

Challenge yourself a little, but listen to your body. If you feel any pain during or after these exercises, you are doing too much. None of these exercises should cause you pain.  Remember to do all the exercises slowly.  The only place we need speed is in the bingo hall when we raise our bingo dauber arm high in the air and yell BINGO!

Hand Grip

1.  Hold a tennis ball or other small rubber or foam ball in one hand
2.  Slowly squeeze the ball as hard as you can and hold it for 3-5 seconds
3.  Relax the squeeze slowly
4.  Repeat 10-15 times
5.  Repeat 10-15 times with other hand
6.  Repeat 10-15 times more with each hand

Wrist Curl

1.  Rest your forearm on the arm of a sturdy chair with your hand over the edge
2.  Hold weight with palm facing upward
3.  Slowly bend your wrist up and down
4.  Repeat 10-15 times
5.  Repeat with other hand 10-15 times
6.  Repeat 10-15 more times with each hand

Over Head Yelling ‘Bingo’ Arm Raise

1.  You can do this exercise while standing or sitting in a sturdy, armless chair
2.  Keep your feet flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart
3.  Hold weights at your sides at shoulder height with palms facing forward. Breathe in slowly
4.  Slowly breathe out as you raise both arms up over your head keeping your elbows slightly bent
5.  Hold the position for 1 second
6.  Breathe in as you slowly lower your arms
7.  Repeat 10-15 times
8.  Rest; then repeat 10-15 more times

Side Arm Raise

1.  You can do this exercise while standing or sitting in a sturdy, armless chair
2.  Keep your feet flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart
3.  Hold hand weights straight down at your sides with palms facing inward. Breathe in slowly
4.  Slowly breathe out as you raise both arms to the side, shoulder height
5.  Hold the position for 1 second
6.  Breathe in as you slowly lower your arms
7.  Repeat 10-15 times

Your entire routine shouldn’t take you more than 20 minutes and you will feel the difference almost right away.  It is amazing how much doing just a little stretching will help.

The deep breathing you do along with your exercises will get more oxygen to your brain, helping you focus on locating the numbers you need to daub. Slowly you will build added strength in your arms, which will give you lightning dauber speed.  This is always a good thing when you are playing a gazillion cards trying to win that big jackpot!

Is There Really a Secret to Winning at Bingo? 10 Ways to place yourself in the best position to win at Bingo. It takes a moment to miss a number and miss the win. Here are proven ways to can make sure you always win.

Secrets to Winning at Bingo

Let me set the scene… picture it… its Friday night, the Bingo hall is buzzing with chatter and the clatter of daubers. The next number flashes in the monitor. The Bingo Babe to my left asks her friend sitting across from her, “what was the last number called?” as she shuffles her papers around and roots through her purse looking for a candy bar.

“B-6 I think”, her friend answers as she tries to wave down a floor runner* so she could order some coffee, opens a few more pull-tabs*, lights a cigarette, grabs her dauber and looks at me hoping I have the answer.

I nod my head “yes” as I continue daubing and then glance up at the monitor to see the next number coming up. There it was… G-55 …the number I needed to Bingo. I raise my hand, and when the number is called I yell BINGO! I do my little ‘Happy Dance Chair Wiggle’ as I collect my money.

Cursing me under their breath, they ball up their papers and toss them onto the table next to the pile of candy wrappers and empty coffee cups.

These two disorganized and very distracting Babes had the usual statements to make about how some people have all the luck and how they wished they could just win just one game.

This breaks the 5th Rule of the Bingo 10 Commandments: “Thou shall not wish bad luck on thy neighbor”.
OK…now… Bodacious Bingo Babe has very strong opinions about this. You see, I play a lot of Bingo. I play a lot of paper when I play Bingo, and I take my Bingo very seriously.

Yes, yes, I play to have fun with my fellow Bingo Babes and to hear all the latest gossip like everyone else, BUT, I also play to WIN! When I heard the question, “Why does she have all the luck?” It got me to thinkin’…

“Is there really a secret to winning Bingo?”

You must first accept the fact that Bingo is a game of luck. There is no way to know what will be the next ball. But there are things you can do to make sure you put yourself in the best possible position to win, so when that ball does come up, you are ready.

Here are a few suggestions from this Bodacious Bingo Babe that I hope will help you.

1. 1st and Foremost ~ Be Organized
Get to your bingo hall with time enough to buy your papers and get them in the order they need to be in. Most Bingo halls give you a printed program of the games they are playing that night. Buy your coffee, get your daubers, snacks, tape etc., out and in order so when you need them, you know where they are.

2. Check All Daubers
I usually check my daubers at home. Make sure your daubers are not dried out. Wipe around the edges to keep them flowing smoothly. If they are dry, dip the little round sponge part into warm water, and then gently roll the dauber back and forth on an extra sheet of paper. I have seen Babes dip their daubers into their cup of drinking water because the game started and their daubers were dry. Dauber ink is usually non-toxic, but drinking green or blue water is just gross and the over moist dauber sponges then tend to splash ink onto everyone around.

3. Read the Program
Put your papers in order. (I know I am repeating myself here). Make sure you are familiar with all the games before they start. Mark (daub) anything that needs to be daubed ahead of time (such as the odd/even coverall, wild numbers, extra bonanza’s, etc.)

4. Tape it Up
If you are playing a lot of paper, like I do, take the time to tape your papers together. There is nothing worse than having someone sitting next to you scrambling to find all their papers, spreading them out, and then trying to catch up with the numbers they missed as their papers shift around.

5. Think Ahead
If your hall plays games such as circle 7’s or u-pick-ums, try to think about that the night before. Write down your favorite numbers on a sheet of paper (I use an index card) and keep them in your Bingo bag. This way you just have to refer to the card and it you won’t waste time trying to figure out your numbers at the last minute. And YES. . . all lucky Bingo Babes have a BINGO BAG for all their Bingo stuff. That is one of the ways we stay organized. There are many to choose from. I happen to be a BETTY BOOP fan and found a great Bingo bag with matching daubers and even a Betty Boop T-shirt to match at Giftapolis.

6. Train Yer Brain
Train your brain to first SEE the number in the monitor. The 2nd is to LISTEN for the number. The 3rd is to train your brain to do BOTH.

Let me take a moment here to explain…

When the Bingo game begins, the caller will put the 1st ball in the monitor for everyone to see. This gives you the advantage to start daubing before the number is called. The second number will appear in the monitor as the 1st number is being called.

SO…You see the number 1st, then you hear it.

It helps if you have picked your seat carefully so you can easily see the monitor and hear the caller.
Don’t forget having a clear shot to the restroom is always helpful – regardless if you are training your brain, or not!

7. Play the Monitor
This can sometimes be confusing to new players because they see one number and hear another.

I personally feel the best strategy is to play the monitor. Staying one ball ahead, gives you the advantage to yell “BINGO” before the Babes playing by HEARING the number have the chance to hear it, find it, daub it, and check for a Bingo pattern.

This is important, because the faster you can yell “BINGO” and stop the game, the better your chances are of not having to split* the prize with anyone else.

8. Don’t Be Impatient!
Impatient Bingo Babes will just put down their daubers when they hear or see someone already has Bingo. Many times they have a Bingo too, but because you were a number ahead, and knew you had the Bingo, you were able to alert the caller* to stop the game before the other players caught up. This is always to your advantage.

Also…by playing the monitor, you can train your brain to ‘zone out’ all the other conversation going on around you. We will go further into Training Your Brain in another post. This strategy will also enable you to have a few extra seconds to check the game board in the event you are waiting* or set* for one more ball.

9. Check the Board
Let’s face it Babes, even the best of us miss a number from time to time. This is why it is so important to continually check the game board to see what numbers have been called and possibly catch a number you missed.

10. SHUT UP!
Now that brings us to conversation…When the game begins…Shut Up!! (I was going to be kind and say “be quiet”, but shut up is more to the point.)

Let the latest gossip or story about your children, grandchildren or husband wait until the game is over. All your concentration should be on seeing the number, daubing the number and hearing the number as you check for the pattern you are looking for. Unfocused Bingo Babes do win in spite of themselves.

Focused Bingo Babes win MORE!

And last, but not least…

Perfect your ‘Bingo Happy Dance Chair Wiggle‘.

This one little act will really add to the great experience of the Bingo win.
So that was some of this Bodacious Bingo Babe’s best advice. If you have any other secrets to winning at Bingo, don’t keep them to yourself. Share them here by adding your Comment.

* Floor runner… the person who answers questions, sells extra specials and PAYS you your winnings

* Pull-tabs… extra games you can purchase that you pull the cardboard tab off to reveal a prize

* Play the monitor… seeing the number in the monitor before the number is called

* Split… when more than one person wins, the prize is split between the winners

* Set… player needs one more number to win

* Waiting… same as being set, the player needs one more number to win

We made the move from Blogger.com to a brand new bingo palace! A Bingo Babe facelift!

New digs and a fresh new attitude!

This fabulous Bodacious Bingo Babe is back and better than ever!  After a year, due to circumstances totally beyond my control, this Bingo Babe is once again rocking and rolling!  I’m sure you know by now, this blog is a wonderfully informative collection of humorous stories, jokes, great advice, recipes, and an abundance of relevant information for all bingo players.

Are you new to The Bingo Babe Experience?

Who, you may ask, is The Bingo Babe?  

Well she’s everywhere, in every BINGO HALL around the globe!

You’ve seen her!

You know her!

She’s the ‘everywoman‘ of BINGO!

How do you thank good friends for years of great stories and evenings spent merrily playing BINGO, talking about children, husbands, and lives little tragedies…not to mention the abundance of wisdom and moral support we share?

My wish for you?

To have the opportunity to win a huge jackpot and not have to split it with anyone!

BINGO!

Just to say the word, and yelling it is better, makes me feel tingly all over!

There is nothing I can think of that I enjoy more than a night out with my friends playing Bingo.

I know I am not the only one out there who feels the same way, so I thought it would be fun to put together this little blog to talk about our passion, ask questions, give answers, and find out what everyone else thinks! 

So join me, join us, as we call out in one collective shout…

…BINGO!!!

The Bodacious Bingo Babe
Everywhere, USA