Caller

Like the RJs and DJs, there are BJs the Bingo Jockeys. It all depends on their style and speed that the game is important. Coming up with new facts, style of speaking and new nicknames for numbers.

In the game of bingo/tambola/housie, the role of a bingo/tambola/housie caller is one of the most important. For the uninitiated, a bingo/tambola/housie caller is the person who calls out the numbers written on bingo/tambola/housie balls as they are drawn. While this may sound monotonous and robotic, it is the skill of a bingo/tambola/housie caller to announce the numbers in an interesting way, that keeps the players hooked. It is the responsibility of a bingo/tambola/housie caller to maintain the accuracy, speed and of course the flow of the game. Every bingo/tambola/housie caller has his or her own unique style, and bingo/tambola/housie players treat them no less than a local celebrity or hero.

Besides calling out the numbers drawn out during the game, bingo/tambola/housie caller also alert players to the current bingo/tambola/housie pattern being played, in addition to who won what at the end of every game. A bingo/tambola/housie caller is not merely a caller but an overall manager of the game. A good bingo/tambola/housie caller is the centerpiece of the game, or to say the center of attraction. This is why a lot of bingo/tambola/housie clubs and websites organize bingo/tambola/housie games with celebrities taking up the role of a bingo/tambola/housie caller, especially when the event is organized for fund raising, creating awareness or for charity.

Calling numbers is not the sole duty of a bingo/tambola/housie caller. A bingo/tambola/housie caller must be dynamic and amusing. If a bingo/tambola/housie caller is dull and boring, players would lose interest in the game.

Some people believe that being is bingo/tambola/housie caller is a very easy job. But this is not true. The job of a bingo/tambola/housie caller is very challenging indeed. A bingo/tambola/housie caller not only has to maintain record of the numbers called, he also has to keep players happy by repeating the numbers whenever asked for. He may also need to verify the players' bingo/tambola/housie cards to confirm that the numbers called have indeed been marked off on the winning bingo/tambola/housie card. Plus, they have to resolve issues and avoid confusions in case there are more than one bingo/tambola/housie winner. In addition to this they must ensure fair distribution of prizes while making sure that players enjoy bingo/tambola/housie to their heart's content.

In online bingo/tambola/housie, bingo/tambola/housie caller is replaced by an automated random number generator that automatically picks and displays the numbers on the bingo/tambola/housie flash-board. Land based bingo/tambola/housie halls usually employ full time bingo/tambola/housie callers, except a few who hire callers on 'part time' or 'event' basis.