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Wednesday, March 2,1968
"These people are serious about
bingo," says Hatfield, who has been calling numbers ever since bingo came to
Fresno 20 years ago. "If you talk to them
when they're playing they'll loll you."
As she nervously rubs her lucky, two-
inch silver elephant in preparation for the
next game of "Crazy Arrow," fifiy-year-
3ld Flo Lang agrees with Hatfield. "This
game ts very addicting," says Lang who
mead* up to $200 playing bingo iwo
limes a week and twice on Sundays. "1 sit
home and gel die snakes if I don't play
bingo."
Thirteen numbers later another "bingo"
is called from within the crowd, and Lang
crumples up her fourth card of the night.
"I'm not bingoing tonight," she says
dejectedly. "1 think I'll go home and kick
Lhu dog."
Richardson laughs at Lang's frus-
iration. The two of ihcm come to California Don's every Saturday night, some-
umes up to two hours before the first
game at 6:30 p.m.
"I like to play the pull-tabs and so-
:ializc,M Richardson says. Pull-tabs are
California Don's answer to lottery tickets.
For a dollar apiece, players tear off uckets
lhat may or may not have matching $250
symbols underneath. "1 spend up to $120
i mghi in tickets," says Richardson who
is so serious about bingo she spends up
10 S4O0 a week.
As the next game of "Floating Nine"
begins, the silent conccnirauon once
again overtakes the room. Thiny-year-old
Greg Lane, one of the few men in the parlor, scans five cards at once with his
Might red dauber. He has come tonight
wiih his two sisters who are also playing
five cards each.
"You have to train your eyes," Lane
says as he searches the 900 numbers on
his five cards displaying six bingo games
zach. "How well you can keep up depends
do how kwig you've been playing."
Even six cards can't help Lane tonight.
Twenty-lhree numbers into ihe "Crazy
Nine" game. Hatfield calls G43 and the
sound of "Bingo!" breaks the silence once
niorerThis time 44-year-old Barbara Alec,
who sits facing her small wooden picture
Df Jesus Christ, is in the cash. "I live for
bingo," she says, swept away with the
thrill of winning. "Someday I'll leave my
husband for bingo."
The picture was made for Alec by her
son for good luck, she says. This is ihe
first ume it's worked in a long time.
When I first got it I used to win three or
four bingos a night."
As Hatfield prepares to call the next
game of "Crazy Giant Kite" Jeff McAI-
ahny surveys the crowd. "Bingo players
are a breed apart," says the 55-year-old
security guard. "Most of these people are
Ml a fixed income and they'll play
bingo till their last dollar is gone."
McAlahny, who has been observing
bingo players for more ihan two years
while on the job. says he believes ihe
game plays into human nature. "Everybody wants something for nothing."
Twenty-nine-year-old Mark Hudson, a
small dark man with three days growth on
his face and a baseball cap pulled down to
his eyebrows disagrees with McAlanhy.
"It's just a way of relaxing," he says as he
nervously fingers a silver coin with a
horseshoe engraved on one side and a four-
leaf clover engraved on the other.
As yet another lucky player yells
"Bingo!" Hudson tears up his game sheet
in disgust and blames hts loss on
Hatfield. "He just won't call my number
tonighL All I needed was 19 or 25."
Untrusting of Hatfield, Hudson leans
forward to check the numbers called
against die ping-pong balls. "Whenever
he calls a number he's not supposed to I
razz him some."
Hudson used to spend up to $240 a
week on bingo but has dropped his habit
to $80. he says. "Ii just depends on how
funny my money."
The next game of "Full Cover" begins
and Richardson, frustrated by a nighi of
bad luck, buys another ten pull tabs. "I'm
married- 1 don't have any bills and my
kids arc grown up so I blow al] my
money."
To help support her bingo addiction
Richardson stashes away her winnings for
a rainy day, she says. "It comes in
sneaks. Last week I won $3000."
Despite the seriousness of players like
Richardson, there is a lighter side to
bingo. California Don's is a non-profit
drum and bugle school for boys between
the ages of four and 17. They also
sponsor "Stars" a dance troupe for girls of
the same age. All of die bingo profits go
for lhe cause.
Parents of children in the drum and
bugle school or "Stars" spend Saturday
nights selling pull-iabs or verifying winning sheets to earn credit hours for their
children's expenses. "I enjoy watching the
players," says Joan Willis, who is working to keep her daughter in "Stars." "For
most people it's their big lock for the
evening."
According to Hatfield, California law
allows for only one bingo game a week
per establishment and a maximum of
$250 prizes. However, bingo games
played on Indian reservations are not
subject to the same restrkbons.
This place used io be filled every
Saturday night," Hatfield says. "Since the
Indians have come we've been losing
money."
Players like Richardson and Lang say
they play on the reservations, but will
keep coming to California Don's on
Saturday nights "I'll never quit until they
close bingo," Lang says. Tm addicted."
Object Description
| Title | 1988_03 The Daily Collegian March 1988 |
| Alternative Title | Daily Collegian (California State University, Fresno) |
| Publisher | Associated Students of Fresno State, Fresno, Calif. |
| Publication Date | 1988 |
| Description | Daily (except weekends) during the school year. Microfilm. Palo Alto, Calif. : BMI Library Microfilms, 1986- microfilm reels ; 35 mm. Vol.1, no.1 (Feb 8, 1922)- |
| Subject | California State University, Fresno -- Periodicals. |
| Contributors | Assocated Students of Fresno State. |
| Coverage | Vol.1, no.1 (Feb 8, 1922)- to present |
| Format | Microfilm reels, 35 mm. |
| Technical Information | Scanned at 600 dpi; TIFF; Microfilm ScanPro 2000 "E-image data" |
| Language | eng |
Description
| Title | March 2, 1988, Page 7 |
| Alternative Title | Daily Collegian (California State University, Fresno) |
| Publisher | Associated Students of Fresno State, Fresno, Calif. |
| Publication Date | 1988 |
| Description | Daily (except weekends) during the school year. Microfilm. Palo Alto, Calif. : BMI Library Microfilms, 1986- microfilm reels ; 35 mm. Vol.1, no.1 (Feb 8, 1922)- |
| Subject | California State University, Fresno -- Periodicals. |
| Contributors | Assocated Students of Fresno State. |
| Coverage | Vol.1, no.1 (Feb 8, 1922)- to present |
| Format | Microfilm reels, 35 mm. |
| Technical Information | Scanned at 600 dpi; TIFF; Microfilm ScanPro 2000 "E-image data" |
| Language | eng |
| Full-Text-Search | ■ Wednesday, March 2,1968 "These people are serious about bingo," says Hatfield, who has been calling numbers ever since bingo came to Fresno 20 years ago. "If you talk to them when they're playing they'll loll you." As she nervously rubs her lucky, two- inch silver elephant in preparation for the next game of "Crazy Arrow," fifiy-year- 3ld Flo Lang agrees with Hatfield. "This game ts very addicting," says Lang who mead* up to $200 playing bingo iwo limes a week and twice on Sundays. "1 sit home and gel die snakes if I don't play bingo." Thirteen numbers later another "bingo" is called from within the crowd, and Lang crumples up her fourth card of the night. "I'm not bingoing tonight," she says dejectedly. "1 think I'll go home and kick Lhu dog." Richardson laughs at Lang's frus- iration. The two of ihcm come to California Don's every Saturday night, some- umes up to two hours before the first game at 6:30 p.m. "I like to play the pull-tabs and so- :ializc,M Richardson says. Pull-tabs are California Don's answer to lottery tickets. For a dollar apiece, players tear off uckets lhat may or may not have matching $250 symbols underneath. "1 spend up to $120 i mghi in tickets," says Richardson who is so serious about bingo she spends up 10 S4O0 a week. As the next game of "Floating Nine" begins, the silent conccnirauon once again overtakes the room. Thiny-year-old Greg Lane, one of the few men in the parlor, scans five cards at once with his Might red dauber. He has come tonight wiih his two sisters who are also playing five cards each. "You have to train your eyes," Lane says as he searches the 900 numbers on his five cards displaying six bingo games zach. "How well you can keep up depends do how kwig you've been playing." Even six cards can't help Lane tonight. Twenty-lhree numbers into ihe "Crazy Nine" game. Hatfield calls G43 and the sound of "Bingo!" breaks the silence once niorerThis time 44-year-old Barbara Alec, who sits facing her small wooden picture Df Jesus Christ, is in the cash. "I live for bingo," she says, swept away with the thrill of winning. "Someday I'll leave my husband for bingo." The picture was made for Alec by her son for good luck, she says. This is ihe first ume it's worked in a long time. When I first got it I used to win three or four bingos a night." As Hatfield prepares to call the next game of "Crazy Giant Kite" Jeff McAI- ahny surveys the crowd. "Bingo players are a breed apart," says the 55-year-old security guard. "Most of these people are Ml a fixed income and they'll play bingo till their last dollar is gone." McAlahny, who has been observing bingo players for more ihan two years while on the job. says he believes ihe game plays into human nature. "Everybody wants something for nothing." Twenty-nine-year-old Mark Hudson, a small dark man with three days growth on his face and a baseball cap pulled down to his eyebrows disagrees with McAlanhy. "It's just a way of relaxing," he says as he nervously fingers a silver coin with a horseshoe engraved on one side and a four- leaf clover engraved on the other. As yet another lucky player yells "Bingo!" Hudson tears up his game sheet in disgust and blames hts loss on Hatfield. "He just won't call my number tonighL All I needed was 19 or 25." Untrusting of Hatfield, Hudson leans forward to check the numbers called against die ping-pong balls. "Whenever he calls a number he's not supposed to I razz him some." Hudson used to spend up to $240 a week on bingo but has dropped his habit to $80. he says. "Ii just depends on how funny my money." The next game of "Full Cover" begins and Richardson, frustrated by a nighi of bad luck, buys another ten pull tabs. "I'm married- 1 don't have any bills and my kids arc grown up so I blow al] my money." To help support her bingo addiction Richardson stashes away her winnings for a rainy day, she says. "It comes in sneaks. Last week I won $3000." Despite the seriousness of players like Richardson, there is a lighter side to bingo. California Don's is a non-profit drum and bugle school for boys between the ages of four and 17. They also sponsor "Stars" a dance troupe for girls of the same age. All of die bingo profits go for lhe cause. Parents of children in the drum and bugle school or "Stars" spend Saturday nights selling pull-iabs or verifying winning sheets to earn credit hours for their children's expenses. "I enjoy watching the players," says Joan Willis, who is working to keep her daughter in "Stars." "For most people it's their big lock for the evening." According to Hatfield, California law allows for only one bingo game a week per establishment and a maximum of $250 prizes. However, bingo games played on Indian reservations are not subject to the same restrkbons. This place used io be filled every Saturday night," Hatfield says. "Since the Indians have come we've been losing money." Players like Richardson and Lang say they play on the reservations, but will keep coming to California Don's on Saturday nights "I'll never quit until they close bingo," Lang says. Tm addicted." |
