Yahoo News reported on May 14 that the chances of winning the $100 million Powerball jackpot on Thursday were slim to non out of a possible combination of 134 million numbers, but that didn't stop people from buying tickets to achieve "small goals".
After years of statistics, Matt Hart of The Lott gave some advice to the public, including giving up a certain number.
(Image source: Yahoo News)
Hart said that he has heard various number picking theories in the past seven years, but he personally does not have a particular preference for number picking, preferring to follow the arrangement of fate.
"I don't particularly like certain numbers, so I usually just buy a QuickPick ticket, which is to have the system randomly generate numbers for you and see how it goes. I choose to let fate decide whether or not I have this good fortune. ”
*Don't pick a date*
Even if you don't participate in this game, you won't be surprised that many people use dates when picking numbers, whether it's a child's birthday, anniversary, or a special holiday. For most people, their "lucky numbers" are between 1 and 31. As a result, these numbers are the most often picked by people.
(Image source: Yahoo News)
This means that if you use the lucky numbers in these numbers, you will most likely need to share the prize with other winners.
"In any kind of lottery game, when the drawn number is 31 or below, we usually see more first prize winners because a lot of people fill their tickets with family members' birthdays and so on," Hart explains.
"On the other hand, if there are a few numbers over 31, then we won't see a lot of first prize winners, and for the same reason, and it's not uncommon for numbers to be drawn over 31."
*It is possible to play the lottery with hot numbers*
Powerball may be a game of pure luck, but some numbers are indeed easier to draw than others. "While these numbers have been changing, the latest data shows that in the main constituency, seven numbers are drawn from 1 to 35, with the most common numbers being 17, 7, 3 and 9," Hart explained. "The least frequent ones are 31, 33, 15 and 26." And for the Powerball, the extra ball drawn from the second bob at the end of the draw, which is where the lottery gets its name, the numbers 2 and 4 are the most common, while 14 and 16 are the least occurrences.
*Don't focus too much on the mode*
Hart also advises players not to worry too much about picking numbers.
(Image source: Yahoo News)
"I feel like if we try to figure out a certain pattern on the lottery, while that pattern is possible, the lottery ends up being random," he said. "So we might see consecutive numbers, or we might see numbers over 31. "That's how it works."
*Don't Ignore Consecutive Lottery Numbers*
"I always thought that if the numbers were drawn one day were 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, it would be really interesting," Hart said. "And the lottery with these numbers is one of all the possible combinations, and I'm guessing a lot of people might set up a hypothetical betting combination, and they might think, 'Oh, if 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 come along, wouldn't that be interesting?' "You know, it's possible."
*Don't focus too much on popular locations*
In 2023, Gold Coast's Nerang sold three first-prize tickets, Wollongong's Dapto and Sydney's Berala sold four first-prize tickets each in NSW, while Canberra's Gungahlin sold two first-prize tickets. But that doesn't mean you need to rush to these places to buy lottery tickets.
(Image source: Yahoo News)
"We occasionally find some hot spots, maybe the Gold Coast, or somewhere in Sydney, or the Hunter Valley," Hart said. "But that's not a reliable indicator, you never know where the winning ticket will appear."
*Listen to your instincts*
As you can imagine, Hart has heard all sorts of stories about how lottery winners choose their numbers.
"I was told that it was after they won the first prize and they said that the numbers came in a dream or that they went to a fortune teller, so if you feel that some numbers have a special meaning over others, you should probably choose according to that feeling," he said.
*Buy Random Pick*
But at the end of the day, you can also choose to buy a QuickPick, as Hart did. In 2023, more than half of the first prize winning tickets were randomly selected. In the $200 million draw earlier this year, the result was that the two first prize winners each took home $100 million, with both winning tickets being QuickPicks.
Half of Australia's adults are expected to take part in this Thursday night's potentially life-changing draw, the sixth-largest prize pool in the history of the Australian lottery.
The 1,461 draws for Powerball will close at 7:30 p.m. on May 16.