Lottery Strategies
The strategies you'll read about in this section are based on
mathematics or logic. They are commonly referred to as reality-based systems.
By learning such techniques as tracking, wheeling and pooling, you may be able
to improve your odds.
Proponents of these methods are well aware of the odds they are dealing with.
They know, for instance, that in UK Lotto (6/49) there is a 1 in 14 million
chance of winning. But the odds are much better in the Little Lottos.
Consequently, these "realists" often avoid the games with larger
payoffs -- and with similarly larger odds.
When they do play the big games, these players -- realizing what they're up
against -- do everything they possibly can to better their chances. And just
what might that be? Most people who specialize in lottery-number selection
methods and strategies and repeat winners agree that the following three
methods -- tracking, wheeling and pooling -- are musts for serious players.
Tracking
This popular system, is sometimes known as frequency analysis. It involves
keeping a record of the individual numbers that are drawn over a period of
time. You might compare it to handicapping a racehorse; rating his past
performance to determine what his chances of winning are in the future.
Numbers that appear often in a certain game are called hot numbers. Some
players will play these hot numbers exclusively on the assumption that since
they have appeared often in the past, they should appear again in the future. But
it's not as simple as that. Other players believe such numbers may be on their
way out. Thus, they track the cold numbers -- the overdue ones that haven't hit
yet. Most specialists, however, play a combination of these hot and cold
numbers. Some people even play a combination of hot, cold, and personal
numbers, such as birth dates. And in spite of the appearance of trends in a
game, most lottery organizers go to great lengths to make sure the numbers
drawn are truly random -- so patterns are likely coincidences.
Experts have a wide variety of opinions on tracking methods, so there's no
exact formula for tracking. Once you understand the idea of frequency analysis,
you can develop your own tracking formula. The winner of the very first Lotto
Texas jackpot--over $21 million -- was a tracker. Janie Kallus of Schulenburg,
Texas, was forced to use a rather unique method. Since there had been very few
Texas numbers to track in the short history of the Texas Lotto, she tracked
numbers from other states' drawings. It's easy to find lists of previous
winning numbers. Most Lottery Bodies' Official Web sites list them. Also, on
the internet you'll find specialty publications that list them, often including
charts, diagrams, and forecasting graphs.
Wheeling
Let me know whether you have ever experienced this scenario: You buy several
tickets and discover that you picked all six winning numbers; unfortunately,
they weren't all on the same play. Experts believe that wheeling can help lock
in all your favourite numbers and dramatically increase your odds of winning.
Wheeling isn't a system of selecting numbers, but a strategy for using all the
numbers you have (however you obtained them). Wheeling consists of making up a
master list of your best picks, then, using a coded system, playing them in
different combinations in a sort of round-robin. Some wheels even carry
specific win guarantees. That is, if the numbers on your master list include
all the winning numbers--or some of them, such as four out of six -- you are guaranteed
to win a certain prize. None of them, of course, can guarantee you a jackpot.
As you might suspect, wheeling can involve some expense. Before beginning to
wheel, first set up a budget and stick to it. Then determine how many numbers
will go on your master list. You can buy your wheels from specialists. They
sell wheel blanks with various designs -- grids, graphs, circles, triangles --
and with different types of coding, such as alphabetical. These wheel blanks
provide various coded combinations for a number of plays; you simply fill in
the blanks with your chosen numbers. Full wheels cover all possible
combinations of your master-list numbers, while short wheels cover only some
combinations.
You can also make the wheels yourself. If you favour certain numbers on your
master list over some of the others, arrange your wheel so that those numbers
are played more times. If you feel equally good about all your numbers, choose
a wheel that uses each number the same amount of times.
Pooling
Pooling your money -- or joining a lottery club -- is a strategy for stretching
your resources. When you join a lottery syndicate, you pool your money together
with a number of other players, increasing the amount of tickets you can buy as
well as your chances of winning. Of course, there are drawbacks. The primary
drawback is that you must split any winnings with the other members. Here are
some things you should know before joining a pool:
- Join only with people you trust, such as
family and friends.
- If you do join a commercially run syndicate,
make sure it is operated by trustworthy and reputable professionals.
- A private syndicate should have 15 members or
less.
- A larger, commercially operated syndicate
should have no more than 100 members.
- Ask for the club rules -- in writing--before
joining.
- Certain aspects should be clear from the
beginning, such as who will keep the tickets in their possession, the
exact procedure that will be followed in case of a win, and how the
numbers will be obtained.
Special Software
You'll find numerous advertisements for computer software programs inside
gambling-oriented publications. These can be expensive, so you'd be well
advised to check out the reputation of the person or company advertising the
product. They offer databases, astrology-based systems, and methods for
selecting the best numbers for wheeling. Random number generators are also
available; this is like having your own, personal Quick Pick machine.
More Methods
Avid lottery fans also use a host of other number-based methods. Here are a
few:
- Odd/Even Analysis, which is where you
determine the frequency of odd or even numbers.
- Pairs/Doubles Analysis, which is determining
the frequency of certain numbers appearing together.
- Pick 3 and Pick 4 positions, such as in which
position--first, second, or third--the digit 5 most frequently hits.
- Sector Analysis, which is tracking how
frequently numbers in the low sector hit, how many in the midrange sector
hit, and how many in the higher range hit. For instance, if you're playing
a 6/49 Lotto and believe the numbers will be midrange, you might choose
18, 20, 21, 23, 26, and 32.
Other, more exotic methods
include using bell curves and computer algorithms to recognize number patterns.
There's even a theory called the "Paint Factor." This assumes that
the more paint covering the surface of the ball, the more slippery it is,
making it more likely to slide out of the machine. An 8, for instance, will
have more paint than a 1 or a 3, and double-digit numbers will have even more.
It seems that not a single mathematical, statistical, or physical aspect is
overlooked when it comes to people's attempts to win Lotto.