Play Cinco - 52 Ball Bingo

Published On 3rd August 2023

Long before other brands started offering alternatives to 75 and 90 ball bingo, Tombola were already busy developing variations on a theme. Back in 2011 they launched even more rooms so players could enjoy Cinco, a playing card based version of bingo. They weren't the only brand at the time with this kind of game. Jackpotjoy offered their players a similar product called Snap. However only one has survived the test of time - and that one is Cinco - and now it's had a revamp for 2020.

Cinco at Tombola

  • Type Of Game: 52 Ball Bingo
  • Cost: 5p to 40p
  • Open: 24/7
  • Jackpots: Three Jackpots
  • Extras: Multiple rooms including football theme.
  • Special Features: Uses Playing Cards

How To Play Cinco

Cinco is an exclusive game to Tombola. It is the original 52 ball game that uses playing cards instead of numbered balls to play bingo. Each player has a ticket that comprises five different playing cards. The object of the game is to match your 5 cards with those being turned over by the dealer. As cards are revealed, a poker chip is placed over any matched cards on your tickets to indicate it's been called. The first person to match all five cards wins the full house prize.

Play From 5p A Ticket

Wagering on Cinco starts at just 5p a ticket but you can play up to 40p a ticket. Each game allows a purchase of a maximum of 5 tickets and each room hosts up to 75 players. Tombola offers players access to a number of different Cinco Rooms. These are not linked therefore each hosts it's own game. There are 8 x 5p rooms, 5 x 10p rooms, 3 x 20p rooms and 5 x 40p rooms. Amongst the room names you'll find Capri, Cannes, Shanghai, Naples, Miami, Manhatten, Monte Carlo and the odd one out - Five A Side. The latter is a football themed version of the game that has United, City, Wanderers and Rovers taking over the usual playing card icons.

Full House Cinco

So what can you win by playing Cinco? Well, a full house prize is usually over £10 for the 5p rooms whilst around £90 to £100 in the more expensive rooms. However, the prize will vary depending on where you play and the number of players. Cinco games tend to be quite popular and quite often when you visit you'll find that the rooms are full. Whilst we like the cheap games and the limited number of cards, actually winning a game of Cinco does seem to be quite a tough call. The good news is that there's always the chat rooms to discuss how close you came to winning to make you feel better.

Cinco Jackpots

As well as a full house prize, Cinco offers players the chance to win one of three fixed jackpots. Cinco - i.e call house - in 5 calls to win £2500. There's £250 for calling in 6 calls whilst a £125 pot for a win after 7 cards have been turned. Note that these values are based on playing in a 5p room. The prizes increase depending on your wager. For example in a 40p room a Cinco in 5 calls can win you a massive £20,000! It'd be interesting to know how many 5 call jackpots have been won on Cinco over the years.

Our Verdict

When we first reviewed Cinco, a few years back now, we said that it "looked a little bit dated when compared to more modern bingo rooms". The good news is that as of April 2020 Tombola have sorted that issue. They've "polished the tables, spruced up the cards and given the game a new lick of paint". In our view they've done a good job and Cinco now looks the part against it's newer sister games such as Paper and The Machine. Whilst some variants of the bingo game can quickly go stale, the popularity of Cinco remains high. The fact that Dragonfish and Virtue Fusion (Housey) have added their own 52 ball playing card games to their brands is testament to how rivals have viewed Tombola's success. We quite enjoy playing Cinco when dropping into Tombola. The downside is that it's popularity does mean lots of players and that means limited chances to actually win. Room restrictions and a maximum limit of 5 cards per player are helpful but you're doing well if you can win one game over a course of an hour.


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