Most Common Winning Lottery Numbers are Not the Best

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Last updated on March 24, 2024

If you think picking the most common winning lottery numbers will provide a better advantage, you waste your time and money. Let’s prove that.

First off, let me show you this message that I received from one lotto player:

Dear Edvin,

Let me start by saying that I've been playing Powerball and Mega Millions on and off for over 20 years. I only play when the jackpot prize is over $100 million.
The most that I have won is $20, and it gets so frustrating that I keep losing.

I really want to win so I can have money put aside for my children's education and end all my money worries once and for all.

Please help me improve my chances in the lotto. Will picking numbers that appear more frequently help me hit the jackpot?

I hope you could help me and thank you for your time.

Mr. H.R

Indeed, Mr. H.R.’s frustration of playing the lottery for 20 years and getting a measly prize of $20 at the most reflects the widespread dissatisfaction of most lotto players.

It is touching to hear from people about their goal of providing the best future for their loved ones. At the same time, it makes me sad that many people look at the lottery as the answer to materializing their noble dreams.

I want to share a little-known secret that only the in-the-know do in the lottery. You will read more about it in this special report, “Inverse Lotto Strategy.”

The Inverse Lotto Strategy - The surefire way not to lose in every lotto draw. Now you don't have to worry about knowing the most common winning lottery numbers

It’s a priceless piece of information, and you should read it because you’ll keep losing money if you don’t. This little special report is only available for users of a Lotterycodex calculator.

Now, let’s go back to the issue at hand.

The Most Common Winning Lottery Numbers Don’t Exist

Many lotto players mistakenly believe that when a number appears more frequently than others, it will perform well in the next draws.

Well, it’s about time that you realize it’s not. Just because some numbers appear more frequently in lottery draws doesn’t mean they are the best numbers to play.

Truth be told, “hot numbers” don’t exist.1

If you are following my study of the lottery, you should have known that it follows certain mathematical laws. One of these laws is called the law of large numbers, or LLN. The LLN explains why choosing to play the most common lottery numbers is such a bad idea.

What is the Law of Large Numbers?

There are many ways to explain the Law of Large Numbers. One straightforward explanation comes from Wikipedia, which says:

In probability theory, the law of large numbers (LLN) is a theorem that describes the result of performing the same experiment a large number of times. According to the law, the average of the results obtained from a large number of trials should be close to the expected value, and will tend to become closer as more trials are performed.

Wikipedia.com

The Law of Large Numbers in Simple Terms

LLN means that when you toss a fair coin ten times, you probably will see a significant discrepancy in the probability of the head against the tail. However, if you repeat the process independently one thousand times, you will see that the head and the tail exhibit the same probability.

In the lottery, given enough large draws, each ball in the number field exhibits the same probability.

For example, you may notice that some numbers appear more frequently, and some don’t perform equally well. However, the LLN states that as the number of lottery draws takes place, the frequencies of all balls in the number field will tend to even out. Those less frequently appearing numbers eventually catch up as lottery draws get larger.

the pie graph shows that all numbers have the same probability. The most common winning lottery numbers don't exist.
A study of Canada Lotto 6/49 from 1982 to 2018, with 3,688 draws in 36 years, reveals that all numbers exhibit the same probability of getting drawn.2

This theorem has been consistently happening in any random game, most notably in the lottery. Until now, I have not seen any proof that picking the most common winning lottery numbers will increase your chances of hitting the jackpot prize.3

Focus on Composition, Not on Individual Numbers

Combinations and numbers are two different terms. You don’t win the lottery with just a number. You have to combine numbers to play a lottery game and be in it to win it.

For example, you need to pick five numbers in Euromillions. You need to pick six numbers to play the Tattslotto 6/45 game.4

It doesn’t matter what numbers you pick. What matters is that you make informed choices based on the success-to-failure ratio that works for you.5

But how do we know we’re getting the best success-to-failure ratio?

That’s when you look at the composition of your combination.

For example, this line 4-12-20-32-38-42 is a combination where all numbers are even numbers. In a lotto 6/49 game, there are 134,596 ways you can combine numbers using the 0-odd-6-even composition.6

This group is expected to occur once every 100 draws. As a lotto player, you don’t want to spend your money on 100 draws to get one favorable shot.

There are 4,655,200 ways to combine numbers using a 3-odd-3-even composition. You get 33 favorable shots in every 100 draws.

According to probability theory, most winning combinations must come from the 3-odd-3-even group because they are the dominant composition.

So, to get the best shot possible, consider picking numbers that belong to the group that occurs more frequently in most draws.

Now, it doesn’t matter whether or not your numbers are hot or cold. It’s the composition that matters in a truly random game.

But some of you may be confused.

“But Edvin, all combinations exhibit the same probability. Don’t they?”

I agree. No matter what you do, the underlying probability never changes. So, even a straight 1-2-3-4-5 combination is equally likely.

But you have to look at the lottery game in a different light.

Don’t forget that “odds” and “probability” are two different terms. These two terms are not mathematically equivalent.7

Probability is what we use to measure how likely an event will occur. In contrast, odds are the ratio of success to failure.

You want a better ratio of success to failure. The last thing you want to do for yourself is to spend your money on a group of combinations that will give you only one favorable shot after playing 100 draws.5

Those most common winning lottery numbers don’t matter since all numbers even out after many draws.

How to Generate the Best Lotto Numbers

Some say that they might also use cold numbers since cold numbers will eventually catch up soon after many draws. Right?

Wrong.

Probability is a mysterious force in a truly random game. In all lottery games, regardless of the size of the number field, the drawing of numbers tends to be distributed evenly across the number field.

So, when you divide the number field into hot and cold groups, both groups eventually converge on the same probability value over a large number of draws.

At Lotterycodex, we created a unique system that handles low-high and odd-even numbers in one combinatorial and probability analysis.

Let’s take a look at the UK Lotto 6/59 game.8

I group the 59 balls into the following sets:

LOW-ODD = 1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15,17,19,21,23,25,27,29
LOW-EVEN = 2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18,20,22,24,26,28,30
HIGH-ODD = 31,33,35,37,39,41,43,45,47,49,51,53,55,57,59
HIGH-EVEN = 32,34,36,38,40,42,44,46,48,50,52,54,56,58

When we subject these sets to the Lotterycodex calculator, we get 84 combinatorial templates, each with a distinct composition.

Interestingly, only three of the 84 templates are dominant and provide the best success-to-failure ratio.

The table below shows a summary of Lotterycodex analysis for a 6/59 game:

This image is the summary of Lotterycodex analysis for the 6/59 lottery game.

Generated by Lotterycodex Calculator

Below is a sample of probability calculations on how some of the above patterns will perform over a large number of draws:

The most common winning lottery numbers don't matter in a lottery game. What matters most is the composition. According to the law of large numbers, certain templates will dominate the lottery game and will continue to dominate as more draws take place.

Generated by Lotterycodex Calculator

As you may notice above, template #1 dominates the lottery draws. Another thing you may notice is that the same template always dominates the game as more draws take place. This is a mathematical certainty due to the law of large numbers.

The law of large numbers states that the same Lotterycodex template will dominate as draws increase.

Combinatorial and probability calculations can be very complex. If you are good at combinatorics, you can do the calculation manually; however, if you hate math, you can use a Lotterycodex calculator for your game.

A Lottery Game is Truly Random

Math remains the only tool to understand how all these random lottery balls work. We use combinatorics and probability theory in the lottery due to its finite structure.9

I mentioned a “finite” structure, so forget about whatever “statistical tools” you use to strategize your game. For decades, people have mistakenly believed that historical results will provide a clue for the next lottery draw. Nothing can be further from the truth.

So, in a finite structure like the lottery, combinatorial and probability analysis are what works best. Fortunately, you don’t need a degree in math to make it work. You can use a lottery calculator to do the heavy lifting for you.10

To make things much easier, the Lotterycodex calculator can also generate lotto combinations for you so that everything will be delivered to you on a silver platter.11

Questions and Answers

What is the law of large numbers in the context of a lottery?

In the lottery context, the Law of Large Numbers (LLN) implies that as the number of lottery draws increases, the frequencies of individual numbers drawn will converge to the same probability distribution. This means that each number will have an equal chance of being drawn over many draws, irrespective of how often it has been drawn. LLN suggests that over time, all numbers will even out in frequency.

Are hot numbers a reliable strategy in the lottery?

No, hot numbers are not a reliable strategy in the lottery. The idea that certain numbers are more likely to be drawn because they have appeared frequently in the past is a misconception. In a fair and random lottery system, each number has an equal chance of being drawn in any given draw, regardless of its history.

Why should lottery players focus on number composition rather than individual numbers?

Rather than relying on specific lucky or hot numbers, analyzing the behavior and composition of combinatorial groups is more probabilistically meaningful. Focusing on each group’s success-to-failure ratio offers a strategic selection method grounded in mathematical reasoning, moving away from luck or superstition-based strategies.

Do past lottery results provide clues for future draws?

No, past lottery results do not provide clues for future draws. Lottery draws are designed to be random and independent events. This means that each draw is separate from the previous one, and the outcome of past draws has no influence on future results. Therefore, analyzing historical lottery results to predict future winning numbers is ineffective.

How can a Lotterycodex calculator help you choose lotto numbers?

A Lotterycodex calculator can help choose lottery numbers by analyzing various combinatorial groups and their varying success-to-failure ratios. This helps players make more informed choices by selecting combinations that will give them more favorable shots based on mathematical principles rather than relying on random selection or personal superstitions.

Additional Resources

  1. Top 10 Lottery Strategy Myths Debunked (Perhaps You’re Doing #4 or #10)    []
  2. The Winning Lottery Formula Using Math    []
  3. How to Increase Your Chances of Winning the Lottery    []
  4. How to Win Tattslotto According to Math    []
  5. The Lotto Secret: Three Math Strategies for Winning Revealed    []    []
  6. How to Win the Lotto 6/49 According To Math    []
  7. Odds and Probability Explained in the Context of a Lottery Game    []
  8. How to Win the UK Lotto 6/59 According to Math    []
  9. How to Win the Lottery According to Math    []
  10. Lottery Calculator: A Mathematical Guide Beyond Number Selection    []
  11. A Lottery Number Generator That Works    []
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