Would Poker Bingo Appeal to Poker and Bingo Fans Alike?

With poker and bingo being two of the biggest and most popular games of the last ten years, it wouldn’t be surprising to see an amalgamation of the two taking the world by storm. The funny thing is that someone thought of this decades ago, way before both pastimes enjoyed booms in playing figures online. This was seen in the Poker Bingo board game, which was released by Milton Bradley and Transogram in 1963.

What Are the Positive Aspects of Combining the Two?

With retro games being all the rage at the moment, there may be a few people wanting to dust off Poker Bingo from the 1960s. The game is probably geared more towards bingo players than poker fans, though. It works in the same way as bingo in that players each have a bingo card. The most notable difference is that the dealer turns over playing cards that would be used in poker, and players eliminate these from their bingo cards.

This ancient game may not really appeal to poker fans of today, as there isn’t much bluffing or skill required. However, the idea of combining poker and bingo isn’t necessarily a bad one. Indeed, if a developer was to come up with a game that used the best elements of each game, it could help to broaden the playing demographics. In other words, it could serve to attract bingo players to poker and vice versa.

Should The Games be Kept Separate?

Most poker and bingo players would probably agree that the games need to be kept separate. Modern Texas Hold’em players certainly wouldn’t be content with the Poker Bingo board game. Today’s internet players have developed high levels of skill and strategy, and the best players are able to stack the odds in their favour so they win more than they lose.

Bingo players would point to the wealth of superior options to Poker Bingo found online. Sue Dawson from Best New Bingo Sites explains that "A very similar concept to Poker Bingo appears in real money online gaming in the form of playing card based online bingo games such as Cinco and Housey Bingo, both of which are very popular with players." This comment highlights how there isn’t much need for modern bingo players to seek out retro offerings like Poker Bingo, because the internet already provides more advanced options.

Similarly, if poker players feel like choosing a different game to Texas Hold’em, they will find plenty of different options online. If they were to play a game that incorporated bingo, they would need it to have a heavier focus on poker with bingo being a secondary consideration.

Poker Bingo the board game is unlikely to make much of a comeback for modern players. However, the concept could appeal to fans of poker and bingo if a developer was able to come up with an offering that involved both games equally. It would be the poker and bingo site operators who want to stand to gain from this most, as it would allow them to broaden their playing demographics.

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