Bingo Party: Hold 'em and host 'em

Bingo parties are a great way of getting together with the promise of winning of some money. The game itself lacks any real strategy or skill, allowing for the potential victory while socializing with other players. It isn't just for the elderly, it's for anyone who wants to just sit down and have some fun.

Setting up a bingo party is just like setting up a normal party. Before anything else, know how many people are going. Do you want a small get together, a few quick games with a few close friends, or is it a large affair, perhaps a charity or a big party with bingo as the theme? Questions like these will help you figure out just how much needs to be done - or spent.

First, get the simple details out of the way. Decide on a target amount for the prizes and how many rounds you want your bingo game to be. Keep in mind that with the random factor that bingo presents, a game could last as short as five minutes, or as long as two hours. After figuring that out and if you aren't putting up the prize money yourself, calculate how much each player should buy in for to fill up the pot.

Once the number of players are set, find a place to put it. If it's just in your home and the numbers are small, perhaps you don't have to do anything special - but what if you have ten or even twenty people coming for your party? Renting tables and chairs for large parties is a snap. Most neighborhoods have at least one party rentals service. If you don't know one, check the internet for local listings.

Be sure to check if you have enough room for all the temporary furniture. If you don't clever positioning or putting chairs on both sides of the table doesn't hurt.

Food is the next thing to consider. Will your guests bring their own food for a pot luck feast, or should you set up a buffet? If you do set up a sort of buffet, make sure that the food is arranged in the order they would be served. An example of that would be placing the appetizers before the main dishes. Be sure to account for any vegetarians, vegans or anyone with a special diet. Have special dishes for them and point them out - they may not be immediately evident and doing so would make your guests cared for.

Finger foods that aren't oily, or dry foods are best. Soup, saucy and oils foods are a no-no, as they risk spillage or smearing should guests decide to eat while playing.

There you have it, a start up guide on how to host a Bingo party. You may want to add personal touches, depending on how much more effort you want to put into it. Now enjoy your guests and have fun!