|
|
 |
|
|
|
Lottery Prognosticator
by Robert P. Lyon
What is it that a prognosticator can do for you, the player? The prognosticator gives you his time and experience to research and interpret the history of the lottery game you are interested in playing. The prognosticator also gives you valuable tips for selecting the numbers to play. You then use this information to make your choice of what numbers to play and how you want to bet. It is my goal to provide you with the best information possible to help you become a winner. The smart player uses the information, applies his own ideas, and bets accordingly.
Many people who play the lottery tend to forget about, or pay scant attention to, the odds of winning. This is especially true of the “pick 6 of 49” game, where the odds are roughly fourteen million to one. With odds like this the basic axiom should be: play for fun, not because you have to win, but to experience the heady feeling of anticipation!
While there are several ways to go about getting the numbers you want to play. The most popular by far is to research the past history of numbers drawn, then using this data, predict which numbers are most likely to be drawn next. One of the major problems with this method, however, is that you really don’t see the complete history. Most states have preliminary drawings and some have post-drawing drawings. In Georgia for example, the Lottery Commission normally runs six test drawings before the actual drawing and two drawings after; a total of nine drawings. Realistically then, any attempt to establish a pattern is limited to histories of the main drawings and the two following ones. Fully two thirds of the information you really need to establish a pattern is lost to you via the six preliminary drawings you are not able research. Multiply this by the number of weekly drawings you’re researching and the skewed result is obvious. It’s like playing with a stacked deck that’s not stacked in your favor. Then there are those pesky odds!
What I don’t understand is why more people don’t play the 3-digit number games. I see people betting large sums of money every week on lottery games, yet they don’t put a nickel on the 3-digit numbers. The “6 of 49” players track and study the lottery for endless hours and on rare occasions win $5 to $30 by catching 3 or 4 of the six numbers drawn. Of course this $5 to $30 win is after spending hundreds, or thousands, of dollars for tickets that produce nothing. These same folks don’t play the “3” digit numbers because of the lower payout, in most cases only $500 for a $1 straight bet, and $80 for a $1 boxed bet. Something doesn’t add up in my mind about this line of thinking. Even with a 50 cent boxed bet you have a good chance of winning $40. To all those who ignore the 3-digit numbers game, I say think again and come on in, the waters fine!
When you pick numbers to play in the 3-digit game however, there are a several things to keep in mind. As there are only 10 digits (0-9) used, you may be tempted to believe that there are a number of different methods which might have a potential to produce winning numbers. Be careful! It is easy to be fooled into thinking that you have discovered the answer to the winning numbers, only to find that your method wins only on rare occasions, or, in accordance with Murphy’s Law, only wins when you don’t have any money bet on it! One of these illusionary methods is called “neighboring states.” I see the numbers drawn in every state every day, and work extensively with 14 of those states week in and week out. I have yet to see any consistent relationship between any two states. And by consistency I mean winning more than you lose over the long haul.
Random numbers! If you ever want to stir up a dead end debate, just throw out the question of random numbers for discussion. Listen carefully to what is being said you’ll note the contradictions. The question really is; what do random numbers mean to you, as a lottery player? The answer is nothing! Each week, however, some numbers are drawn more than others, forming a frequency pattern. I have found that a digit that was drawn the most in any given week rarely drops all the way to the bottom the following week. Therefore, if you play a number that was drawn last week say, and couple it with two numbers that were not drawn as often, you might well find yourself with a winning ticket.
Until next time then; if you’re having fun, playing smart, and enjoying the game, you’ll always be a winner!
Back to Games of Chance | More Robert Lyon Columns | Mail this Article to a Friend
|
|
|
|
|
© 1977 - 2004 Gambling Times Inc. & Green Room Media Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.
|
|
