Tuesday, December 13, 2011

How To Win The Lottery Using Statistics To Help

Every week around two million Americans head to their local convenience store or supermarket to buy a lottery ticket. Of these, between 1000 and 1500 people will win one million dollars or more. Everyone wants to know how to win the lottery. Just thinking about spending the money can lift ones spirits, thus the basis of its appeal. There are no magical tricks to improve your chances, however there are some mathematical and logical ones.

Any kind of strategy has more to do with statistics than anything else. Knowing the odds is the key to unlocking this. The more people who play, the less likely it becomes for any given individual to win. However, the more people who play, the larger the jackpot grows. There is a distinction between those odds you can affect and those you cannot. Here are five techniques to bring you closer to picking the winning numbers.

You will never win if you never play. This seems easy but it may also be the hardest part. Even if there is a 1 in 146 million chance of taking home the jackpot, there is a zero probability of winning without taking this first step.

You can always increase your chances of winning by buying more tickets. If you have a bag of blue and red marbles, the more red marbles in the bag, the more likely it is you will randomly pull out a red marble. You can take advantage of this by participating in a group. This is not to be confused with the frequency of play. With every new game, the odds are renewed as well.

The best way to stay motivated and hopeful is to enjoy the game for what it is. What makes playing the lottery frustrating, also makes it exciting. As long as gambling is done responsibly, there is nothing wrong with enjoying it as entertainment.

It is important to know what you are playing. Different games have different probabilities and distinct prizes. These need to be taken into account when deciding if a particular game is worth it for you. There are a variety of games, some which rely on picking numbers or perhaps every card contains a winning combination to be uncovered.

Do not get caught up in the many superstitions. When examined logically, they usually do not pan out. No number is more likely to win than another. Each has the exact same feasibility of being drawn than any other. Secondly, there is no such thing as a lucky spot for buying a ticket. Some stores appear to sell more winning tickets, but do not be fooled. This again has to do with probability. If a store is selling more tickets, it is likely to also sell more winning tickets.

Even the most skilled statistician would not be able to predict the winning numbers. However, by keeping these factors in mind, you can steadily increase your chances. The most important thing to keep in mind is the spirit and the fun of gambling. There is no foolproof way for how to win the lottery. So keep yourself in check and enjoy the thrilling and agonizing experience.