Lottery

[Lemming8]

Are your chances of winning the lottery inproved by keeping the same numbers every week as oposed to using a lucky dip and having a different set each week?

[Hippy]

Provided that the National Lottery number choosing method is random, and let us assume that it is, then there is no advantage to any group of six numbers over any other six until the winning numbers are chosen by the lottery machine. When this happens only one group of six numbers wins and all others lose. On the next Lottery night, the same conditions apply. The number choosing machine has no memory of any previous number choices, so your group of six numbers, whether held over from the last time or not, has the same chance as any other group.

 

Here is a simple example. Let us imagine that there are 10% of red haired people in your local population. In the High Street is a small tent with a notice at the door saying enter if you wish. You sit in the tent waiting for ten people to enter. You would imagine that of every ten such people one will be red haired. Suppose nine have entered and no red haired person is yet present. What is the possibility of the next person being a red-head? The simple answer is 10%, exactly the same as when the first or any other person arrived. We can ignore the slight increase in concentration of red heads due to the nine non-reds in the tent as the population is large. People outside the tent have (a) no idea what you are trying to observe, (b) no idea what or who is inside the tent already and (c) red haired people are no more likely or otherwise to enter the tent.

 

There is a real problem with keeping the same numbers every week, however. Suppose that you do so, but this week you decide to either change from your favourite numbers or not bother putting on a bet. Imagine your suicidal tendency should those favourite yet un-gambled numbers be declared the winners!

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[SteveD]

I believe that there is a very strong case for doing a "Lucky Dip" - not to increase your chances of winning, but to keep you alive.

 

If you use the same numbers every week then, for whatever reason, miss a week and subsequently discover that your numbers came up that week, you would not be a happy bunny!

[landie]

It makes no difference whatsoever. As the name suggests - it's a lottery, any six numbers have the same chance as any other, unless they're the wrong ones.

[Reader]

Have a look at: http://www.urbanrim.org.uk/Lottery%201100.htm and http://www.urbanrim.org.uk/drop%20chart.htm