by The chance of becoming a lottery millionaire is slim. Read the article to find out how you can help your luck and which numbers you should avoid.
Who doesn’t dream of a big jackpot? If you are one of the lucky ones and have ticked the right numbers on your lottery ticket, you will free yourself from all financial worries in one fell swoop. It sounds tempting and encourages millions of people in Germany to hand in a filled-in ticket every week.
But the chances of actually winning the lottery and entering the league of millionaires are surprisingly low: “The probability of winning a jackpot is only 1 in 140,000,000,” says Stuttgart mathematician Prof. Christian Hesse. However, this does not stop enthusiastic lottery players from trying their luck. Can they at least improve their chances a little?
“There is no tip per se”
“There is no suggestion per se,” explains Meissen mathematician Norbert Herrmann. After all, the lottery is nothing more than a game of chance, the lottery drum is just a machine. We don’t proceed according to the motto “Oh, such and such numbers haven’t been drawn for a long time, now it’s their turn”. In this regard, all numbers from 1 to 49 are equally probable week after week.
Yet there are things lottery fans can consider when filling out their ticket to increase their chances. And if only so that one player out of three doesn’t choose the numbers he dialed. This way you don’t have to share the jackpot if you win.
1. Don’t type data
For example, many start the race with the dates of their loved ones’ birthdays or their own wedding anniversary. An error. “Many rely on numbers like that,” says Christian Hesse. Specifically, these are the numbers from 1 to 12 (for the twelve months) and the numbers from 1 to 31 (for the days of a month). However, it can also be advantageous to use numbers between 31 and 49. “Ideally, the sum of the numbers entered is at least 164,” says Hesse. This means that lottery fans avoid collisions with 80% of those who guess the date.
2. Avoid patterns
Any numbers that form a cross, a diagonal or a letter such as a “U” in one of the playing fields should be avoided when filling out the form. “Many people do this too,” says Norbert Herrmann. If the numbers are actually drawn, the winning percentage is probably quite low due to the large number of winners.
3. Don’t bet on number combinations
Do not score combinations in a playing field that follow a certain logic – for example 6-12-18-24-30-36. “Such combinations are popular, and since many people rely on them, they do not lead to the desired profit,” says mathematician Hesse. It also doesn’t bring much luck ticking the numbers 1-2-3-4-5-6. On April 10, 1999, 30,000 people bet on the numbers 2-3-4-5-6 of the lottery ticket and won just under 200 euros.
4. Don’t take the winning numbers from the last draw
Anyone who thinks that the numbers drawn in the last draw are good luck for the next draw is wrong. “It is extremely unlikely that these numbers will win again,” explains Herrmann. It is also best to avoid frequently drawn numbers. Although the chances of winning increase, the return is relatively low, because many people rely on frequently drawn numbers.
5. Apply the “four number system method”.
Hesse explains the procedure this way: You need 23 lottery fields and four numbers of your choice that have no recognizable pattern. Check these four system numbers in all 23 fields. The fifth and sixth numbers are numbers 1 and 2 in field one, 3 and 4 in the next field, 5 and 6 in the next field, and so on. “In field 23, the second digit added can now be any of the 45 numbers not used as a system number,” says Hesse.
During the counting you have to skip the four selected system numbers: after all it is not possible to tick them twice. If your four system numbers are among the winners of the draw, you will have four numbers correct 22 times and at least five numbers correct once.
6. Tick according to the “random principle”.
Norbert Herrmann explains the “chance principle” this way: Create 49 pieces of paper and write a number on each piece of paper. Now throw the pieces of paper into a bowl or a hat, shake everything vigorously and then spill the contents on the floor. Your partner or children will now collect seven pieces of paper (six digits plus a supernumber) and hand them to you. Now fill a playing field with these numbers.
If the combination of numbers results in a pattern, then this is an exclusion criterion and all pieces of paper return to the bowl or hat and are picked up again at random from the floor. Also, you should make sure that the numbers add up to at least 164.
