Players Bingo is the future for a fun night out with friends. At Players you’ll be able to sip on cocktails, eat street food and listen to a live band, all whilst wishing and hoping to be able to scream BINGO to win either money or a fun prize.
I was invited down along with some other members from the Love Pop Ups London community to enjoy the launch of Players where we got to sample food, sip cocktails, enjoy a live band and have fun playing games of Bingo.
Players
Bingo has always been a big part of British culture and has been recently reignited for the younger generation as bingo is no longer a pensioner’s game!
Players is for the younger generation who loves enjoying cocktails, street food, listening to live bands and gambling as this is the 21st century.
Players evening will last 5 hours. The actual game will take roughly 3 hours. With 2 hours to drink, eat and socialise.
Five games are played in total on the night.
Three games are played during the evening where you dab off your numbers with your dabbers. You can win three ways firstly by matching one line of numbers horizontally, then two lines and finally ending with dabbing off all numbers for a full house. However the first to do any will be the winner.
The two electronic games are played by placing plastic markers over the numbers that are called and is for a straight full house.
Players is open every Thursdays and Saturdays.
Bingo History
No one really knows when bingo actually began but it originated from lottery games which spread throughout Europe in the 16th century.
It is also believed that the game was originally played by the British Navy within a large garrison which was stationed in Malta from 1814 making it potentially possible that bingo came from the Maltese.
The game was based purely on chance dependant upon the drawing of random numbers. Bingo balls were traditionally drawn out of a bag or via a spinning tombola type cage.
Bingo also used to be named differently back in the 1800’s as the Army called it Housey-Housey and the Navy called it Tombola. There is though no record as to how either of these names came about. The game continued to be extremely popular in the forces up to and during the Second World War.
Later in the 1900’s it is said that an American toy salesman named Edwin S. Lowe commercially sold and produced bingo tickets. But why did he use the word bingo? It has been said that he was watching a game during a country fair in Georgia in 1929 which beans were used to cover the numbers instead of corn. Due to the excitement of winning a lady accidently shouted Bingo! instead of Beano! Lowe liked the name and decided to use it for his product.
Bingo ball numbers started to get nicknames come the 1950s and 1960s when bingo had reached a peak of popularity, with many of the nicknames formed in these years still being used. However, some bingo callers have updated them with a modern twist to appeal to the younger generation.
With the ever growing technology of today bingo is now played in all sorts of manners from online electronic bingo, mobile phones, electronic screens etc.
Bingo time
Attending the launch night of Players me and some other community members of Love Pop Ups London we gathered outside the side entrance to Mecca Bingo Hall. When we were eventually allowed to enter Players we all immediately knew this was going to be very different to a normal session of bingo.
After checking in and grabbing our bingo books and dabbers we all swiftly walked to the bar to grab some cocktails before entering on through to the hall area.
There is a vast array of tables to sit at and all have a great view of the bingo stage and band stage. Each table can sit from four to eight people.
There was also a stage with a live band playing at one end and a bingo tombola at the other with three quirky prizes on display which consisted of a mini fridge, drone and a kayak, yes a kayak!
Once sat down I enjoyed my cocktails. All tasted great but I particularly was hooked to the sweet passion fruit cocktail.
After watching and listening to the amazing live band for a while we were served some food on trays which consisted of a salad, burgers, calamari, tacos and chips. The food was cooked by Cheeky Burgers who will be serving their food at Players during April. Every month a new street food restaurant will pop up within Players. I particularly liked the burger as it was juicy and full of flavour. The calamari was also good being crunchy on the outside and succulent, not chewy on the inside. Plus they can cater for any dietary requirements, be if it’s gluten free or vegan.
After tucking into our food the host for the evening came out where she gave a sublime service taking us through the evening full of fun.
With the music still blaring and bingo balls called left right and centre it was time to dab the night away.
Can you name all the bingo phrases? Click here for a list of popular bingo call phrases.
Throughout the games there was some intervals where we was entertained via a magician called Magical Bones who wowed us with amazing card tricks. At present he is performing at Udderbelly from 10 April to 26 June 2019.
Unfortunately I nor any of my group of friends, we never got to shout out BINGO so we never won anything that night but we all had fun, drinking, eating, laughing, singing and dabbing. However perhaps I was lucky not to win as I don’t think I would of wanted to lug a kayak home!
Verdict
This was certainly a great night out. If you are looking for bingo with a difference then this highly fuelled, music and adrenaline pumping game of bingo is a must.
Book
Players is set within Mecca Bingo in Camden every Thursday and Saturday night.
To book or find out more about Players click here.
Warning this is not a game for your Nana.
Thank you Players for fab night. I was invited down to the launch of Players but please note that all views are my own honest opinion.
Click below to read other’s blogs who came along with me to Players. All their are of their own honest opinion.
“I love going out discovering new and existing restaurants, theatres, immersive experiences and so much more but I also love staying in and discovering new gadgets, gaming and cooking.
