Super Bingo is one of the most successful programmes on Cyprus television. But just what goes on at Monte Caputo on a Monday night?
THE ADRENALINE rushes through your veins and your greatest fear is hearing the siren indicating that someone else is jumping for joy because they just won a hell of a lot of money. This is what happened to me last Monday when I was sitting at a table at Monte Caputo ticking off my numbers from the Super Bingo cards. And if you are a regular Super Bingo player then you know the show and you know what I’m talking about. And you know all about that siren!
I was sent on yet another mission but this time I was dressed up looking very smart in my heels. I was off to Monte Caputo but unfortunately no good feeling about any winnings was coming with me. Arriving at the notorious night spot, I realised just how many people were into Super Bingo that they actually went to the live show every Monday. It was packed! We had a hard time finding a parking space.
Inside, the place was huge and everybody was running like mad to get their hands on Bingo Cards. From the look of things, I guess booking a table would be a good idea or else you’re looking at wandering around asking strangers if you can sit next to them. Luckily, due to my job and the nature of my presence at Monte Caputo, my partner and I were seated at a table near the stage. Just inches away from the lovely Katerina Laspa, the hostess stood alongside Alex Michael, who translates the numbers called into English.
The show began. There was a lot of dancing by tall blondes and brunettes involved, who wowed the male audience by shaking their tail feathers and bodies while wearing skimpy outfits. I must admit I was impressed by the way the dancers warmly welcomed the guests to the show. Each dancer at one point pulled five men from the crowd and danced with them. Knowing how Greeks are, they were more than happy to get up and dance with them, or at least try to. So, you can imagine the state most people had worked themselves into (and I say most because many of the wives had worked themselves into a completely different kind of state).
So, although the show is called Super Bingo, it is more of an entertainment show (hence its popularity on the ratings) as half the time, if not most of it, is dedicated to Greek singers who come and perform on stage. The actual part of the show where the small balls fall out of the machine and are announced by the beautiful Laspa and the ‘useful’ Alex is a sort period of anxiety and hair loss. Although you are given cards with numbers on, there are still thousands of people all over Cyprus who are glued to their TV sets. Some of them buy their cards from kiosks and others order through SMS. I don’t really know if someone who was at Monte Caputo at the time has won anything but it seemed that the kiosks are your most lucky bet. The reason for this conclusion is due to the fact that every time I heard the siren, Laspa would announce that the winning card was bought at a kiosk. So, I’ve already given you one tip.
The rules and winnings are explained by Laspa and naturally translated by Alex, so you are informed of how much each card wins plus the Snowball, which is in no man’s land as the large amount of money is yet to be won. The Snowball is all about having a specific amount of numbers giving you the opportunity to win about ?200,000. Now, that’s a lot of money, so you can understand just how many people are waiting to hit the Super Bingo jack pot.
Katerina Laspa does her job very well and during commercials she sat aside relaxing with a cigarette while having her make-up touched up. Singing along to the songs and dancing to the music, she seemed like a very down to earth person, talking to people and making them feel at home. Due to the very good job that Laspa does, the show is incredible. It starts at a bit past nine and goes on for a couple of hours, however, time goes by and you don’t even realise it.
Drinks and snacks are available at Monte Caputo and you don’t really have to be dressed up to go. A pair of jeans will do. My advice is to book a table, though, especially if you plan to go with your friends because it is usually jam packed plus you’ll have a better time if you’ve got a table right in front of the stage where you can see everything. Super Bingo is exciting and terrifying, yet amazing but sometimes nerve-racking if you ever get to the point where all you need is just one number. But it’s a good opportunity to find out just how lucky you could be and feel free to fantasise just what you could do with all that money. Although I must admit I know what most Greek-Cypriots were thinking and saying out loud making me laugh: “Come on baby, we could pay that loan!”
So who goes? The place was crowded with all different types of people, some who looked like they did not need to win the cash, others dressed in jeans, complete with jeans and mobile phones. I was unable to find anyone who had won any money but everyone (obviously) seemed to be there in the hope of doing so and enjoying the show.
Who is Katerina Laspa?
The beautiful hostess used to work in Greece, where she was quite a well known TV figure, hosting shows that are still playing on TV. She also hosted reality shows such as Party.
Considered better than most Greek TV hostesses we see now, Laspa always seemed to make a great show without ridiculing herself. Although I remember her being a tad fuller-sized, she has now transformed herself into a great figured woman, by dieting and working out, as I was told.
Laspa is a workaholic and loves her job. Before appearing as the hostess for Super Bingo, Laspa vanished from the spotlight for many years and people almost forgot all about her. But the truth is, we love her and despite the small incident that happened a few weeks ago. Laspa swore at somebody live on air in Turkish. After calls for her resignation were made the board at CyBC decided to keep her on when she apologised saying she did not realise the word would be offesive in Cyprus.
