Bingo matches called numbers against entered tickets and a specified winning pattern. A nearly complete ticket is not a win until the required pattern is completed in the correct active game.
Tickets, Called Numbers and Winning Patterns
Bingo matches numbers called in a game against the numbers on participating tickets. The required winning pattern is defined before it is completed. A ticket can be close to a pattern without winning it, and a marked number contributes only where it occupies a qualifying position on that ticket.
The caller’s sequence, the ticket and the pattern are separate objects. A number appearing in a room’s recent-results display may belong to a previous game rather than the current one. A qualifying result must use the current round’s calls. Some formats award several stages, such as a line followed by a full house, while others ask for a particular shape. Completing an unrelated row does not satisfy a different specified pattern. Electronic marking simplifies tracking but does not replace the game’s actual pattern rules.