Everyone wants to win the lottery, but most of us don't get a single number right on our tickets. So how can you increase your chances of winning? Well, usually by accident. The more tickets you buy for a single draw, the more likely you are. However, there are some people who think there is more to be done.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Implementing a Strategy
Step 1. Buy more than one ticket
The more tickets you buy, the more likely you are to win.
Consider that in a national lottery you have on average a chance of hitting a jackpot of about 1 in 100,000,000 - often even less: the American national lottery "Powerball" (similar to our Enalotto) has a chance of a jackpot of 1 out of 185,000,000. Buying 50 tickets increases the probability to 50 in 185,000,000 (less than 1 in 3,000,000)
Step 2. Join a group of players
Gather a group at the office, school, church, activity center or other place where others will want to share the winning ticket.
The money you will be entitled to will be less because you will have to divide it, but the chances of winning increase significantly
Step 3. Be aware that other tickets will have no effect on your tickets, at least in most lotteries
- Many mistakenly think they have a better chance of winning if fewer people play, but that's not true, unless they are playing a lottery where one winning ticket is drawn from all those sold.
- The odds that randomly drawn numbers in a lottery match the numbers you have on your ticket are not affected by the number of people holding the ticket. Put it on this level: if only one person has a single ticket, is that person sure to win? Obviously not.
- However, the fewer people who play, the lower the likelihood of multiple wins.
Step 4. Play less, but spend more
The odds for that specific play increase.
- This strategy has no effect on your chances of winning over the course of your life but it can determine which jackpot you will win, if you do.
- Instead of buying one ticket a week, set aside the money you would spend and use it to buy the ticket when the jackpot reaches a significant figure. This will maximize your return on winning without increasing your financial risk.
- Play as often as you can, always the same numbers, every time. It makes no difference which numbers you choose, it only matters how long you will keep the same numbers. Patience is the virtue of the strong.
Step 5. Check and double check your tickets
Sometimes there are several ways to win. Make sure you don't assume you've lost before you've fully checked the ticket.
Step 6. Stop playing when you are active
A series of winnings will only add up if you stop playing.
Establish a budget and stick to it. If possible, use your lottery money to buy tickets in the future. This way, you will less frequently use your personal income
Part 2 of 3: Choosing between Ready-Made or Your Choice Systems
Step 1. Estimate your chances
The question is still open. Many people win with ready-made systems (at the lottery) - but many people use ready-made systems. Statistically, the odds are the same whatever combination of numbers is chosen. So, it doesn't matter if you pick lucky numbers or let a computer pick for you.
- While it may seem illogical, 1-2-3-4-5-6 is just as likely to be drawn as a random series of six numbers.
- The only downside to choosing your numbers is that humans are all generally "programmed" in the same way. This means that your favorite numbers are probably someone else's favorite numbers. So if you win with 7-14-21-28-35-42 you may have to split your winnings.
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Richard Lustig, a seven-time lottery winner, strongly discourages ready-made systems. He claims that picking your own numbers will keep you away from picking recent winning combinations (provided you've done a research !!), so you will increase your chances.
If you are playing the lottery, check if the old winners' numbers are available online
Part 3 of 3: Buying Scratch Cards
Step 1. Invest your money in small wagers
The smaller the stakes, the more likely you are to win? Perhaps. Mohan Srivastava, a statistician living in Toronto, claims to have "cracked the code". His method certainly requires a long period of fairly small bets.
- A normal scratch card has a chance of winning between 1: 5 and 1: 2, 5. Think about it when choosing your scratch cards.
- Ask the clerk which are the most bought and which have given the most winners. Choose the one that has experienced a majority of losses - that way, a winning ticket could be on the way. If the odds are 1: 5, buying 5 tickets should result in a winning one.
Advice
- Store your cards in a safe place that is away from moisture, heat, or animals such as insects or rodents.
- Make it clear to yourself what you mean by "winning". If you are hoping to hit the jackpot, the odds are as written above - i.e. n. purchased tickets will give n. chance of victory. However, if there are minor prizes (for example three out of six numbers like in the UK lotto) then you should structure combination to make sure there are no repeat three numbers in any selection and in any of your tickets. There are 10 combinations of threes on a six. If you buy 10 tickets, and make sure there are no other numbers repeated on any of them, your chances of winning a small prize grow from 10 to 60; however, your chances of winning a jackpot remain unchanged (increasing by a factor of 10 for every 10 tickets).
- If you join a group at the office, be sure to get a copy of all tickets purchased by the person buying the tickets. Make sure this person is trustworthy. Be sure to compare your photocopies with the published winning numbers.
- If the jackpot is very large, you may want to contact a lawyer to help you redeem your ticket.
