To win the lottery, all you have to do is choose all the right numbers. This is easier said than done, I know. There is no way to outsmart the lottery, and there is no surefire way to ensure winning – besides buying a ticket for every possible number combination. There are, however, ways to play the lottery that are smarter than simply randomly picking numbers. These following tips and strategies will help you increase you chances of winning the lottery!

Check the Sum of Your Numbers

After a careful study of winning lottery numbers in games where 5 numbers are drawn (like Mega Millions), it has been determined that approximately 70 percent of all jackpot numbers total to a sum between 105 and 180. So, after you’ve chosen your numbers, check out their total and see if the sum falls in this range.

Check Your Even-Odd Distribution

It is unlikely that a jackpot of all even or all odd numbers will be drawn. It is much more likely that there will be an even (or close to even) distribution of even and odd numbers. This is a great thing to consider when choosing your numbers.

Check Your High-Low Distribution

Just like the Even-Odd distribution tip, it is unlikely that all numbers will come from the same side of the spectrum of numbers. Thus, if the game requires you to choose from 56 numbers, you would not want to choose all numbers in the top half of the number range (from 29-56) or all numbers in the bottom half of the number range (from 1-28). Instead, choose your numbers from all across the spectrum.

Look at Past Winning Numbers

There are many websites that show past winning numbers. To check number groups, look at past winning numbers to see which numbers groups have not been represented often. A number group is from 1-10. So, in the combination 7,16,22,48,53, there are no 30’s. Studying the frequency of number groups in winning lotto combinations is a great way to determine which numbers to play.

You can also check the frequency of individual numbers appearing when deciding which numbers to play. Knowing which numbers repeat most often, and which numbers appear most often with other numbers is helpful in determining how you want to choose your own numbers.

Find Out of Your Numbers are Hot or Cold

Something to consider while looking at past winning numbers is to consider how individual numbers have performed lately. Has a specific number been cold and not shown up lately? Or has a specific number been hot lately and shown up a lot in the winning picks. Knowing whether numbers are Hot or Cold helps you to decide if you want to play numbers that have been on a winning streak, or play numbers that have been on a losing streak hoping that streak is over.

Buying Lottery Tickets

These tips are certainly not surefire ways to win, but they do give you guidelines for helping you to choose your numbers. If you’re ready to try out these new strategies, all you have to do is buy your ticket! To buy a lottery ticket, simply log onto your official state website. These sites explain how to purchase tickets, and often times tickets can be purchased online so you can play most state lotteries from the comfort of your own home. You can also refer to official state websites for custom lottery news. Many sites offer lottery number generators to help make your lottery number picking easier for you. If you would like to purchase your tickets in person, you can also visit a local lottery terminal. No matter how you choose to purchase your tickets, or which tickets you choose to buy, you’re bound to have some fun!