How to Play Tambola

Tambola, also called Housie, is the game most Indian families already know from get-togethers, colony functions and train journeys. One person calls numbers from 1 to 90, everyone else has a ticket and marks the numbers as they are called. The first to complete a pattern wins that prize. This app is the same game on your phones, so a group in different homes can play together.

The ticket

A ticket has 3 rows and 9 columns. Each row has 5 numbers and 4 blanks, so a ticket carries 15 numbers. The first column holds numbers from 1 to 9, the second from 10 to 19, and so on up to 80 to 90 in the last column. Within a column, the smaller number is always higher up. Every ticket is different.

5		23		42		63		81
	16		35	45	54		74
8		28		49		67		89

The rules and prizes page explains the layout in more detail.

Starting a game

1. One person taps Create Game, chooses how many players and how many tickets each player gets (1 to 3), and whether there is a Lucky Number.
2. The app shows a short game code such as TMB482. Share it on WhatsApp with one tap.
3. Everyone else taps Join Game, types the code and their name. There is no sign-up, no password and no OTP.
4. When everyone is in, the host taps Start Game. The host plays too and gets tickets like everyone else.

Playing

• The host taps Call Number. The number appears at the top of every phone and is read out loud by the voice announcement.
• Find the number on your ticket and tap it to mark it, exactly as you would with a pen on a paper ticket. A marked number shows a tick and a circle.
• If you tap a number that has not been called, the app tells you so and does not mark it. Tapping a marked number by mistake removes the mark.
• The host has a History button that shows every number called so far, useful when someone asks "was 47 called?".

Many hosts like to add a nickname after the number, such as "two little ducks" for 22. Our guide to number calls lists the popular ones.

Prizes

Prizes are decided by the group before the game, the same way you would on paper. When you complete one, say so, and the host checks your ticket against the history. The usual prizes are:

• Early Five: any five numbers on your ticket marked.
• Four Corners: the first and last numbers of the top row and of the bottom row.
• First Line, Second Line, Third Line: all five numbers in that row.
• Full House: all fifteen numbers on the ticket.
• Lucky Number: if the host switched it on, whoever has the lucky number on their ticket wins a bonus when it is called.

See every pattern drawn on a ticket, and how wrong claims and ties are handled, in Tambola rules and prizes.

Tips for a smooth game

• Turn on the voice announcement in Settings so nobody needs to hold the phone close to read the number.
• Use the A+ text size in Settings if the numbers feel small. High Contrast mode makes the ticket even clearer.
• If a phone loses its connection, reopen the app and tap Rejoin Game. Your ticket and marks are kept.
• Keep the phone unlocked during the game so the numbers keep arriving.

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