Pick Winning Numbers

When we enter the lottery or any of the associated games, in order to win a prize we need to pick winning numbers, that is, the ones that are drawn by the machine. Depending on the number of balls we match, the prize will vary. Some games will only ask you to choose five balls, some will ask for six – some games will give you the chance to pick a bonus ball, therefore an extra number, and another chance to pick up a prize.

It’s worth playing games with these bonus balls as it increases you chances of winning something. Remember that picking all six winning numbers is difficult so sometimes, matching fewer but still taking home a prize is a good achievement. You can look at previous draws results, usually using the lottery organiser’s website or other reputable sites; too see if there are any popular numbers.

Remember that popular numbers may appear constantly for a while then disappear! Choosing a set of numbers that had won the previous week again immediately after is not a great idea because the chances of those numbers reappearing again is unlikely. However, you can still search for popular numbers, such as the one that has been drawn the most, and use these numbers. This is especially useful for say the bonus ball number.

You should also avoid picking any odd sequences that are less likely to be drawn together such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, as well as 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12, or 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18, or 50, 49, 48, 47, 46 and 45. It is not impossible that these numbers will be drawn together; it’s just rarer because the numbers already have a strong relationship with each other. Having said that, some people buy 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 every week with the belief that one day it will be drawn together!

People also generally pick fewer high numbers than lower ones – some weeks when most of the winning numbers have been 32 and above there has been no jackpot winners. You can always try your luck with this theory and target the higher numbers as opposed to keeping your choice of numbers evenly spread. Remember that people always pick birthdays and ages as lottery numbers so these tend to be lower down in the numerical scale, since people tend to choose kids birthdays and ages as opposed to say their grandmothers or aunts.

Picking 6 very popular and regularly drawn numbers may mean that you don’t hit all 6 numbers but you may get 3 or 4 numbers on a regular basis, thus wining you a small or frequent prize. Remember games that have smaller prizes may require fewer numbers to be chosen and are generally easier to win. Whether you are loyal to a set of numbers or like to change your lottery numbers week by week, make sure you always remember to buy your ticket!