Tip 14:   Win Intervals in Lotto

This Tip looks at 'Win Intervals' in Lotto games, and shows how you can construct a playing strategy based on them.

Definition of a 'Win Interval'

A 'Win Interval' is a series of  losing draws  that pass in between a pair of  winning draws.  It is a 'gap' between wins.

• Example 1:  Suppose a number wins, and then goes  three draws  without winning, and then it wins again.  That number has just had a Win Interval of 3.



• Example 2:  Another number has  'back-to-back'  wins -- two wins in a row.  It has just had an Win Interval of 0 (zero) between its wins.

How to Use Win Intervals:   If you study the numbers in a Lotto game, you will notice that they have tended to win more often after they have passed certain intervals.  They have won less often after passing other intervals.

Looking at it from a different point of view -- if you played a number immediately after it passed a certain interval, you would be  "right"  more often than if you played that same number after it passed other intervals.

Looking at it more precisely -- numbers tend to win more often when they are positioned  within a certain range  of intervals, than they do when they are outside that range.  Their wins tend to  concentrate  within a range of intervals.

This does not mean that you would have automatically won a Jackpot or other prize -- just by playing that number and others like it.  At any given time, there are many numbers which are at or near their "most-winning" range -- perhaps half of the field of numbers.  However if you can reduce the field by half, you can begin to bring your play down to an affordable level.  And you'll know you're playing numbers which are at their historical  "high points"  for wins.

It's hard to ask for more than this in a game as random as Lotto.

Looking at Win Intervals

Here's an example of the Win Intervals for three numbers in a Lotto game.

The columns are:

• NUMBER:   This column lists the lottery numbers.  In this example, you're looking at numbers 1, 2, and 3.  The 'star'  (*)  next to number 2 indicates that this number was a winner in the last draw.
  
  
• CURR:   This is each number's  Current Interval.  It shows how many draws have passed since the number's last win.



• 0  to  20+:   These columns mark the  Record of Win Intervals  -- from  "0 (zero) draws"  between wins, out to  "20 or more draws"  between wins.  Down each column, you see  how many times  each lottery number has gone that many draws between its wins.

Example:   Look at lottery number 1 in the picture above.  (Find it in the NUMBER column.)

• CURR:   This number's Current Interval is 6 (in the CURR column).  It has now gone 6 draws since its last win.
• Column 0:   Note the number's contents in the 0 (zero) column.  It has won 15 times at a 0 (zero) interval -- that is, it has had  'back-to-back'  wins 15 times.
• Column 1:   The number has gone 1 draw between wins 13 times.
• Column 2:   The number has gone 2 draws between wins 9 times.
• Column 3:   The number has gone 3 draws between wins 8 times.
• Columns 4-20+:   These columns show how many times the number has gone 4 draws to 20+ draws between wins.

How Wins Concentrate:   Note how the number's wins are clustered toward the left -- at 0 (zero) to 3 draws between wins.  Most of its wins are concentrated within this range of intervals.

The wins in the range of  0 (zero) to 3 draws  are:  15  13  9  8    Total = 45.

Lottery number 1 happens to have a total of 83 wins.  If you played this number when it was at a Win Interval of  0 (zero) to 3 draws,  you would be picking it as a winner 45 times -- over half the time it was drawn.

The 'Pointers':   Under each number's row of intervals, you see two symbols.  They point upward at two intervals.  Here is what they show:

• Triangle:   The  Triangle  symbol marks the number's  Typical  Win Interval.  This is the interval that happens  most often between the number's wins.



• Arrow:   The  Arrow  symbol marks the number's  Average  Win Interval.  This is the  average amount of draws that pass between the number's wins.

These are easy to remember:    Triangle  ==  Typical interval;    Arrow  ==  Average interval.

Playing Win Intervals

There is an old story about 'averages'.

A fellow was standing with one foot in a bucket of hot water and the other foot in a bucket of ice water.  His 'average' temperature was perfectly normal -- but he was still most uncomfortable.

In fact, numbers tend to win most often in the lower range of intervals, especially at their  Typical  interval.

Again check lottery number 1 in the image above:

• Average Interval:   Count all of the intervals from the Average interval (marked with the Arrow) over to the right.


They are:  3 5 3 2 5 5 3 - 1 1 - 1 1 1 1 1.  Total = 33.

Number 1 entered its Average interval a total of 33 times.  Yet it won just 3 times at that interval -- about 9 percent of the time it was at its Average interval.


• Typical Interval:   Count all of the intervals from the Typical interval (marked with the Triangle) over to the right.


They are:  15 13 9 8 4 3 5 3 2 5 5 3 - 1 1 - 1 1 1 1 1.  Total = 82.

Number 1 entered its Typical interval a total of 82 times.  It won 15 times -- about 18 percent of the time it was at its Typical interval.

If one player waited for the number to be at its Average interval, there would have been 33 possible plays.  Just 3 of them would produce a winning number -- that is, in about 9% of the plays.

If the other player waited for the number to be at its Typical interval, there would have been 82 possible plays.  And 15 of them would produce a winning number -- or, in about 18% of the plays.

Viewing Lotto Win Intervals in Lottery Director

You can view the intervals for the game's entire history.  You can also set a more recent range of draws, and see the intervals have performed in them.

Screen Samples

Main Screen
Data Menu
Intervals

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