How Many Bingo Cards Do You Need?

The basic formula

Multiply players by rounds by cards per player. Twenty players, 10 rounds and one card each means 200 cards if cards are single-use.

Reuse to save paper

If you use chips or dry-erase sleeves, players can keep the same card all night. Then you only need one or two cards per player, plus spares.

Always print spares

Print 10 to 20 percent more than you expect to need. Guests arrive late, cards get spilled on, and someone always wants to play two cards.

Word list size

For word bingo, the more unique cards you print, the more words you want in your list. Aim for at least one and a half times the number of squares on a card.