Chapter 3: Methods or Madness?

With the knowledge of the last chapter firmly rooted in our minds, the fact that

You cannot accurately predict random events,
and
Nothing in the past determines the future,

what can be said of the variety of methods to choosing winning lotto numbers? Only this: no method for picking winning lotto numbers can guarantee success. It also means that no method for picking winning lotto numbers is better than any other.

There are ways, however, to increase your winnings if you do win. I'll show you how.

Let's say you find a lotto magazine and they offer you a certain set of “hot” winning numbers for the Texas lotto. They probably based their picks on prior drawings, which we know isn’t effective. But let’s humor them anyway.

You decide to take their advice and assume they can actually predict a random event. Wouldn't it be safe to say that other people, reading the same magazine, might assume the same thing and purchase the same numbers? There might even be a few hundred others playing those same numbers!

Now, if you win, you will split the jackpot with those other readers. Splitting the jackpot is certainly better than nothing, we admit, but the fact is the magazine actually COST YOU WINNINGS, because now you have to split the jackpot with the other people who took the magazine's advice! On a typical $4 million jackpot, split one hundred ways, your share would be $40,000, and that does not take into account all the taxes you would have to pay.

There are other ways in which you might end up with the same numbers as many other people. Some people pick numbers based on their birthdays, certain holidays, Bible passages, etc. The “problem” with these numbers is that many others share the same numbers. So, again, if you win, you will share your winnings with those other people.

Now let's say you switch tactics and simply choose numbers randomly. Now, if you win, it is more likely your share will be larger because it is unlikely that anybody else chose your numbers!

The fact is, randomly selected numbers, when they win, generally provide a larger payout than numbers picked based on birthdays, anniversaries, or pattern numbers (like our 1, 2, 3,... example above).

What have we learned with this chapter?

1. No method for picking winning lotto numbers can guarantee success.
2. Any method for picking winning lotto numbers is no more accurate than any other method.
3. Random numbers are generally unique and therefore provide a bigger payoff if those numbers win.
4. Lotto magazines, “hot” and “cold” numbers, software, and psychics, who give the same numbers to many people, are actually costing you big money by publishing their picks! And their picks aren’t any more likely to win than any other picks!

In conclusion of this chapter, I think it is obvious that we, as lotto players, must do two things:

1. pick numbers at random (for example, out of a hat), because they are more likely to be unique and insure a bigger payoff if your numbers win, and
2. cancel all lotto magazine subscription immediately- these magazines don’t help you win, they reduce your winnings if you win, and they only make their publishers rich!