Most people would agree that Grand Rapids is a pretty little big city — lots of stuff to do, a great deal of culture, but you literally run into people you know all over town and everyone knows everyone’s business.

Who would have guessed that Grand Rapids could be famous for something other than a booming medical industry or an occasional butterfly exhibit at Frederik Meijer Gardens!?

That’s right — Grand Rapids is on the map. As the Bingo Capital of the United States.

According to the Grand Rapids Press, Bingo-Lingo.com’s recent study found that Grand Rapids has more bingo games, players and halls per capita than any other metropolitan area in the country.

Though the game of Bingo is a slowly dying pastime, die-hard players still find themselves in smoky halls or at home on their computers hoping to win more money in one sitting than they would with an entire week’s worth of work.

If you could win $500 by just yelling, “BINGO!” wouldn’t you, regardless if it’s a granny sport? I would.

Bingo reached North America in 1929 and was then called “beano” because players used, well, beans to mark their boards. Rumor has it that a player with a stutter accidentally yelled “b-b-b-b-b-iinngo!” instead because she was so excited and the new name stuck.

Edwin Lowe started producing a game with cards and chips, then paid a Columbia University professor, Carl Leffler, to create 6,000 new bingo cards with non-repeating number groups.

Leffler eventually created the 6,000 cards — then he went insane.

A great deal of work went into a game that most people consider meant for coffee, bifocals and people who move at one speed — SLOW.

But in reality, today more than $90 million is spent on bingo weekly — just in North America.

It’s competitive, but it’s more than a game. Bingo’s serious.

There is a lot of easy money to be made if you can scream “BINGO!” quicker than the 80-year-old lady glaring daggers at the other end of the table.

When you enter a bingo game, you must “buy-in.” This means that you purchase an admission packet, or a certain number of cards, in order to join the game and be eligible for prizes.

If you’re serious about trying your hand at Bingo, carefully consider whether or not you’re willing to buy into a game wagering goodies like candy bars or toys or one using cash. High stakes players compete for hundreds of dollars at a time, so make sure you are prepared for the stress levels of competing for money.

Also prepare yourself for the responsibility and dangers of handling large amounts of cash. Geriatric men who have been out-bingoed for their weekly pocket money may not favor you too kindly. Watch out for dimly lit parking lots.

Experts suggest that in order to win bingo games, you must be crafty, though much of the game’s appeal is the “pure luck” factor.

Whether you choose to play online or in a bingo hall, keep yourself sharp in order to win the most amount of money.

Choose games with a limited number of players — less chaos and more chances to win.
Gain as much experience as possible.

Look out for bingo bonus balls — these are usually balls of a different color and could mean that your winnings double or you get a special prize.

Above all, play like a pro. Quit while you’re ahead if you’re on winning streak. Part of being a true champion is knowing when to walk away, whether you’re ahead or behind.

They say that real game players realize that games are just that — amusements meant to entertain and pass time. But we all know better — game boards are potentially bloody battlefields and only the toughest survive.

Play on and play strong.