What Are the Lucky Numbers in Bingo?

When playing bingo, some people have numbers that they believe to be ‘lucky’ for them and vice versa, though there may be theoretical evidence that suggests there are some numbers that are luckier than others based on their chances of being drawn.

For example, specific theories state that numbers close to the median amount based on the type of game might be called more frequently, or bingo cards with a more extensive spread of numbers may increase your chances of winning.

There has always been an argument about whether bingo is based on luck or strategy; however, it veers mainly toward the former because it uses a random number generator (RNG).

Below we explore what the luckiest numbers in bingo might be, or those that people have the majority of luck with if they appear on their bingo cards, while delving deeper into the related theories, which we will start with.

The Granville Theory

Joseph Granville was, by trade, a financial analyst and writer from the US who worked a lot with numbers, strategising the stock markets.

His pioneering work with numbers led him to develop several theories, one of them being related to the game of bingo, which at the time had just started to become popular in the US.

The theory he created for bingo was based on probability, which started to become useful for bingo and lottery players.

This relates to the fact that the random numbers in bingo are matched with their probability of being called out during a game. As a result, bingo players should choose bingo cards that have as many different numbers as possible.

For example, cards with as close to perfect a combination of high and low numbers, odds and evens, as many different last numbers as possible and ideally, only one number should end with ‘zero’.

 

How Accurate Is the Granville Bingo Theory?

Dissecting this theory would suggest that there is an equal probability of any number being called.

Using the example of the 75-ball bingo game, if the first number called is ’30’, it logically reduces the chances of another number that ends in a zero being called, while the probability of numbers ending with a different number increases.

If you intend on using the Granville bingo theory, you should try to choose cards with as many numbers as possible to increase your chances of success.

 

The Tippett Bingo Theory

Leonard Tippett was an English statistician who specialised in developing numbers-based theories.

In his book, ‘Random Sampling Numbers’, he is quoted: “as a random sample is increased in size, it gives a result that comes closer and closer to the population value”.

As such, this means that the longer a bingo game goes on, the chances of numbers being called will be closer to the median value (for example, in a 90-ball game, this would be ’45’).

However, if a bingo game is shorter, it means that the numbers drawn are likely to be more diverse.

 

How can I Apply the Tippett Theory?

Because some bingo games vary in terms of how long they last, you can put the Tippett theory into practice.

If you are playing 75-ball bingo, which is a shorter game, the aim would be to choose tickets that have a greater range of lower and higher numbers.

Meanwhile, a 90-ball bingo game would require you to select bingo cards that have numbers that are closer to the middle or median value (45).

 

Which Bingo Numbers Would Theoretically Be the Luckiest?

Based on the above information, this gives us more of a basis to suggest which bingo numbers could be considered to be the ‘luckiest’ for players. As such, we have illustrated this in a number of tables below.

Theoretical ‘Lucky Numbers’ for 90-ball bingo based on the Tippett Theory
45
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54

As you can see, for a 90-ball game of bingo, we have chosen numbers that are split 20 per cent on either side of the average number of ’45’. This would make for the perfect 90-ball bingo card in an ideal world, with a couple of exceptions that may include one or two higher and lower numbers.

Theoretical ‘Lucky Numbers’ for 75-ball bingo based on the Granville Theory
20
37
19
66
41
8
72
53
34
3

This table relates to a 75-ball bingo game that, as a result, has more of a broader range of numbers that are both high and low, odd and even, with as many different last numbers as possible.

Theoretical ‘Lucky Numbers’ for 30-ball bingo based on the Granville Theory
15
29
1
8
17
24
13
2
30

While there are no theories that specifically use the 30-ball game of bingo because this did not exist at the time of Granville and Tippett, we have been able to apply the Tippett theory in this instance. It means that there is a greater range of numbers again.

 

Typical Favourite Bingo Numbers Based on Nicknames

Many bingo fans relate the game to the nicknames that numbers have, such as ’88 – two fat ladies’ or ’22 – two little ducks’. This is closely associated with the traditional bingo format played in bingo halls. However, even those who play online more are still drawn to these numbers because they associate them with their nicknames. The table below highlights those numbers.

Bingo Number	Nickname
11	Legs Eleven
22	Two Little Ducks
88	Two Fat Ladies
8	Garden Gate
46	Up To Tricks
55	Snakes Alive
67	Stairway To Heaven

Is There Such a Thing as ‘Lucky Numbers’ in Bingo?

There could be many factors that determine what a player’s lucky number is in bingo. One of these could be that some players have experienced more wins when a specific number(s) have appeared on their bingo cards, so they are more attached to these.

For other people, their interpretation of ‘lucky numbers’ could be more associated with life in

general, such as their date of birth, the number of children they have or even the age they were when they got married.

Ultimately, determining whether there are definitely ‘lucky numbers’ in bingo is difficult to say; however, if you apply the above theories based on factors of probability, it does provide a slim basis. The most important thing to remember in bingo is that it is entirely random, and you should not think that your personal lucky numbers will increase your chances of winning.

Last updated: Jan 24, 2023