Once or twice weekly, countries all around the world come to a standstill as smiling hosts draw little numbered balls from one or another exciting contraption. Everyone knows that if the numbers on those little balls match the numbers printed on their tickets, they could be wealthy beyond their wildest dreams.
Played for decades, if not centuries, lotteries are one of the simplest, most accessible forms of gambling. Taking part in a lottery is usually as simple as marking off numbers on a card, having them printed on a ticket at the point of sale, and then making sure to check the results of the lottery draw.
Being a game of chance, there is no way to ensure that the numbers selected will definitely come up in the draw. In fact, the only way to ensure something like that would be to rig the game, which is most definitely illegal. There are, however, a few tips that could be helpful when deciding which numbers to pick.
Take a Look at Statistics
One way of choosing your best lottery numbers would be to consider the statistics from past draws. Most lottery websites list the results from a number of, if not all of, their past draws. It would also be possible to find past lottery results with a simple Google search.
In some lotteries, some of the numbers drawn most often include 2, 6, 18, and 29. However, just because certain numbers have been lucky in the past does not mean they will be lucky in the future. In fact, numbers that perhaps haven’t been drawn as often might suddenly start popping up.
Some of the less popular numbers chosen by lottery players include 13, 32, 34, 40, 46, and 48. One might speculate that people don’t chose the number 13 because of traditional superstitions, but the reality is that the ball numbered 13 has as good a chance of being drawn as any other ball in the machine.
Birthday Numbers for Lottery Tickets
A method used by countless buyers of lottery tickets the world over is to choose numbers based on their own birthday, or on the birthdays of family, friends, royalty, and even celebrities. They may also choose important anniversary dates.
Because no month has more than 31 days, choosing dates can limit the range of numbers selected. One way of getting around the limitation is to take the individual numbers that go into the date, and then combine them in different ways, either by adding them together or by multiplying them.
Lottery Numbers Not Seen in a While
If dates don’t cut it with you, another method you could use to try pick the best lottery numbers would be to choose from the numbers that haven’t really appeared in lotto results recently.
In some of the world’s biggest lotteries, those numbers are 1, 3, 8, 24, 35, and 51.
Don’t Choose Any Numbers
Not selecting lottery numbers for yourself doesn’t mean not buying a ticket or losing out on the chance to be a lotto winner. What it does mean is that you get a computer to do the selecting for you.
The easy way to do this is to use the Quick Pick service offered at most lottery kiosks. The most strenuous part of the exercise is probably opening your wallet or purse to pay for the ticket.
Whatever method of picking the best lottery numbers you choose, the most important thing, according to some serial lotto winners, is to be consistent in playing those numbers.