Tambola Rules — How to Play Housie

Tambola (also called Housie or Indian Bingo) is one of India's favourite party games — a staple of Diwali parties, kitty parties, society events and family gatherings. Here are the complete rules in English and Hindi.

1The Tambola Ticket

Every Tambola ticket has 3 rows and 9 columns. Each row contains exactly 5 numbers, so a full ticket has 15 numbers between 1 and 90. Column 1 holds numbers 1–9, column 2 holds 10–19, and so on up to column 9 which holds 80–90.

2The Number Caller

One person is the caller. The caller picks random numbers between 1 and 90, one at a time, and announces them loudly — often with fun nicknames like "Two fat ladies, 88!" Players strike off each called number if it appears on their ticket. A number, once called, is never repeated.

Don't have a caller? Use our free online Tambola number caller — it announces numbers with voice and shows a live board in TV mode.

3Winning Patterns (Dividends)

Before the game starts, the host announces which prizes are in play. The most common winning patterns are:

• Early Five (Jaldi Paanch): First player to strike off any 5 numbers.
• Top Line: All 5 numbers of the first row struck off.
• Middle Line: All 5 numbers of the middle row.
• Bottom Line: All 5 numbers of the bottom row.
• Corners: The first and last numbers of the top and bottom rows (4 numbers).
• Full House: All 15 numbers on the ticket — the biggest prize!
• Second Full House: Often played as a runner-up prize.

4Claiming a Win

The moment a pattern is complete, the player must shout their claim immediately — "Top Line!" or "Full House!" The caller then verifies the ticket against the called numbers. A late claim (after the next number is called) is usually declared invalid — this is called a "bogey". A wrong claim can also disqualify the ticket, so check carefully before shouting!

5Quick Tips for Hosts

• Distribute tickets before announcing prizes so nobody swaps tickets.
• Keep a written or digital record of called numbers for verifying claims — our caller does this automatically.
• For big parties, put the caller board on a TV so everyone can see missed numbers.
• Add fun house rules — "unlucky 13 pays ₹10 to the pot" keeps the energy up!