The odds of the lottery are stacked against you. You are more likely to win by buying your daughter a lovely doll. I’m sure she will love you for that.
This website is about educating players on what works and what doesn’t according to math. And I am inclined to advise against playing the lottery.
But people play anyway for fun. And if it is just FUN that you are looking for, I don’t think that’s bad either. So the biggest reason why you play the lottery is just that – entertainment.
If you want to play the lottery, you might as well play it right. And I guess my responsibility is to tell you to focus on what works.
So, regarding a question such as “Should I play the same list of numbers over and over?” here is my answer.
Opinions on this matter differ from expert to expert.
As for me, if you know that your numbers have a high probability of winning, use them repeatedly. There is no need to change your numbers each time you play.
Changing or keeping your numbers doesn’t matter. Neither of which makes any difference to your chances of winning. After all, the odds in favor of winning the jackpot prize don’t change. So why stress out?
Some lottery systems allow you to fill out a form and use the same form over and over. If you are playing multiple lines, this will save you time.
But if you like changing numbers for each draw, go for it. You can decide for yourself.
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Why keep playing the same list
Here’s my take.
Consider the following premise:
Your wife has been lost on an unknown planet, and you decided to look for her. Your strategy to find her is to ensure every square block of the planet’s land is checked. If the planet’s size is like the Australian Tattslotto 6/45 system, then you will have to check 8,145,060 square blocks on the planet.
So, let’s talk about how you will find her under two different scenarios:
Scenario #1: You keep moving, and your wife stays in one place.
The probability of finding your wife is 1 in 8,145,060 chances. If you check only 1,000,000 square blocks, the probability that you will find her is increased by 12%.
However, if you can check all 8,145,060 squares of the planet, the probability that you will find her is guaranteed 100%.
Because she stays in one place, finding her is just a matter of time. You will find her eventually. It’s just a matter of how fast you can check all the 8 million square blocks.
Scenario #2: You keep moving, and your wife keeps moving.
The probability doesn’t change. The probability of finding her is just the same, which is 1 in 8,145,060.
The problem with this scenario is that each time she moves, the probability that you will find her resets back to 1 in 8,145,060. Each time she moves is an independent move. It doesn’t matter how many square blocks you have checked, but when she moves, you always start back to 1 in 8,145,060 chances.
An Imperfect Analogy
Okay, that may not be the perfect analogy. And I am sorry that your wife got involved with it.
But what I see in the lottery is perfectly like that.
If your wife’s name is “the lottery,” and you keep chasing her, but she keeps moving, The probability of finding her exact square location always resets.
Each draw in the lottery represents a change in position. And each draw is always “independent.”
Going back to your wife on a strange planet, if you and your wife are both moving, looking for her would take you a lifetime. You may find her, but it’s also possible that it may not happen until your last breath.
But …
Maybe you can do something about it.
If you stop moving, your wife will step into every square block of the planet. She will eventually find you.
It’s just a matter of how fast she steps in all the square blocks on the planet.
Similarly, If you’re not changing numbers in the lottery, the lottery will possibly find your numbers in one of the draws. It’s just a matter of time.
The problem with the lottery
The TattsLotto 6/45 system has 8,145,060 possible combinations.
Let’s say you’re playing the lottery with the right conditions.
That is:
- You’re not changing numbers, and
- Your numbers are based on the best composition – See How to Win the Lottery According to Math.
If TattsLotto reaches the 8,145,060th draws, I am sure your combination will get drawn from one of its many draws.
It’s just a matter of time. Of course, some numbers will be drawn multiple times, so we need more than expected. But if you play with the right condition, you will match one of the winning numbers.
However, it’s not likely we will live that too long to reach the eight millionth draw, considering that the average life expectancy for a human is about 79 years. Therefore, your best strategy remains patience and persistence.
That’s why the lottery is just for fun. Never play the lottery without saving money for entertainment.
It’s too difficult to win the lottery. Don’t take the lottery so seriously. And if you have to play despite the odds, you might as well play it right. Strategize your game. Here are some lotto tips for you to consider. Of course, I encourage you to study how the lottery works from the perspective of mathematics, so don’t forget to visit the free guide section: The Lottery and the Winning Formula of Mathematics.
Patience is a virtue.
Some might not approve of playing the same set of numbers over and over. However, some people’s patience turned into gold because they unceasingly played for their combinations many times.
Terry Coggeshall won over $366,000 from the North Carolina Cash 5. He and his wife had been playing the same combination for 26 years.
Larry Gambles has been using the numbers on his jerseys for 15 years. He has won not once but twice using this combination. His total winnings amount to $1.1million.
It’s the composition that matters
These stories are truly inspiring, but I am not saying that you will also have the same fate if you play the same way. It will ultimately depend on your prerogative as a lotto participant.
As stated above, one condition for playing the lottery is using the best composition. The best composition will not tell you which numbers will win next. No one and nothing can predict the results of a random lottery game.
However, playing lotteries with combinations based on the best composition will help you minimize your losses and have more winning opportunities.
There are two ways to know the best template for a game. You use either basic combinatorial analysis or advanced combinatorial design.
Let us say your game is North Carolina Cash 5. This is a 5/43 game, so the best combinatorial compositions here are 3-odd-2-even and 3-low-2-high.
If your favorite combination is 23-24-25-26-27, do you think it follows the best composition? It has the best 3-odd-2-even but the worst low-high composition (5-high). Therefore, playing with this combination in many draws might not be worth the patience.
You must change some numbers, but which numbers should you choose and replace? The process can be exasperating. The better option for determining combinations with the best composition is advanced combinatorial design and analysis.
Here, you will immediately see where your combination lacks. You could instantly change numbers that will positively change the ratio of your combination. You will conveniently know the best, worst, good, and bad combinations from your entered numbers.
Basic and advanced combinatorial analyses are not the strategy that will help you in the game. Instead, the information that advanced combinatorial design provides is what you need to strategize your game properly.
Playing lottery games is all about making decisions. You decide how much to spend, which combinations to mark on the play slip, and when to play.
Through the conclusions of combinatorial analyses, you will have the details to map out these actions toward fun and responsible gaming.
Will you play for a combination with template #56, knowing that it can occur once in 2,000 draws at an interval of 3,820? You will surely choose template #20 instead of template #56 because it could occur 38 times in 2,000 draws with an approximate interval of 53.
Still, the most logical decision you can make is to play a combination following template #1. This could give you seven opportunities to win the jackpot in 100 draws. Therefore, you may play and buy a ticket every 14 to 18 draws.
Remember that you can always play for the same line or combination many times. Your smart decision matters, especially if its composition provides the best success-to-failure ratio.
Watch Out For New Rules
New lottery rules are introduced from time to time. So watch out for that; adding numbers to the matrix will change the probability calculation. For example, the U.S. Powerball has been modified many times. Just recently, the U.S. Mega Millions has decreased to 70 numbers.
If there is a change in the number format, you have to make a list again.
