The First Timer’s Guide to Playing Pull Tabs

Pull tabs are small cards that you pull the back tab off of to reveal if you’re an instant winner, holder of a particular “horse number” or “ball number,” or list of numbers for you to dab, depending on the game. If you’re new to bingo and pull tabs, here’s a quick explanation of how they are played. Each pull tab has a serial number on the front, so if multiple games of the same name are run, you can make sure you’re playing the correct one. The ball caller will always announce the serial number before starting and verify it on the winning ticket as well.

Horse Races or “Downline” Pull Tabs

Horse race pull tabs go under several names, but the usher will typically identify them as horse races regardless of the name of the actual pull tab.  For example, it might be pigs or beavers racing, but they work the same way.  There are $1 and $10 races.

At Big Bass Bingo, our bingo computers make playing horse races easy. Instead of watching the flashboard numbers, you can simply watch the horses run on your screen, just like a horse race at the fair!

The ball caller will always announce when it is time to run the race on pull tabs and they will pull out balls and it will light up on the flashboard, just like in Bingo.

If you have a computer, you can see your horse run the race on screen, hence keeping up with how your horse is doing in the race. If your horse wins, you win that jackpot payout.

If you do not have a computer, you can keep up with it on the Bingo flashboard and your goal is to have your horse (number) to fill up all numbers in the row below it. For example, from the board below, assuming you have a tab displaying horse 1. Your goal will be to get balls B1, I16, N31, G46, and O61 filled in before another column is filled up by another horse. The first one to fill their row wins the jackpot on that tab.

$1 Races

These pull tabs are $1 each and are not guaranteed to have a horse in the race. The goal is to pull the tab and have a number 1-15. If you get one of those numbers, you are in the race when the games are run.  These tabs will also have several instant $1 instant winners. Most tabs will also award an additional $25 pot to the person holding the last number called. For example, if B-9 is the number called that Bingos/puts another player’s horse over the finish line, if you are holding a card that says B-9 on it you should yell Bingo too, as you are the $25 pot winner.

$10 Horse Races

These tabs cost more because you are guaranteed to have a horse in the race, as only 15 are sold because there are only 15 horses. These do have some $1 instant winners as well.

Dab or Daub Pull Tabs

Dabber tabs go under several names, but the usher will typically identify them as “dabbers” or “daubs”, regardless of the name of the actual pull tab.  These are $1 each and have several $1 instant winners in them. The goal on these is to fill your column up when the balls are called, just like a Bingo. Some have double columns that you just need 1 column straight down dobbed to win. Jackpots vary and the usher will typically mention the payout on them, and it is also listed on the tab itself. Like Bingo, if you are a winner you must yell “Bingo!”

Instant Winners

Some pull tabs are “instant win” games and will have a specific ball or series of numbers that are called by the ball caller. If you have that number, then you’re the winner.