The Nostalgic Spirit of Housie
Housie and Tambola share identical rules, but the traditional calling slang represents the soul of the experience. Seasoned callers transform number announcements into a lively, interactive show.
Traditional Call Nicknames
- Number 1: 'Kelly's Eye' or 'Butter Plate'
- Number 2: 'One Little Duck' (digit 2 resembles a floating duck)
- Number 9: 'Doctor's Orders' (referencing a historic military medicine pill)
- Number 11: 'Two Legs'
- Number 88: 'Two Fat Ladies'
- Number 90: 'Top of the Shop' (the highest sequence boundary)
Using these nicknames invites players to engage in vocal call-and-response. When you call 'Two Fat Ladies!', the entire room replies 'Eighty-Eight!'.
Resolving Simultaneous Claims
When multiple players claim a pattern on the same called number, handle co-winners gracefully:
- Divide physical reward hampers evenly.
- Draw a high-coin tiebreaker from your container. The highest selected number wins the main prize, while the other receives an exciting consolation gift.