In a lottery draw, every number has the same chance of being drawn. However, some numbers are more popular than others and therefore appear to come up more frequently. These are known as hot numbers. Others are less popular and seem to be “cold” or overdue”—in other words, they haven’t appeared recently enough to qualify as hot. Many lottery players use a combination of hot, cold and overdue numbers in order to improve their chances of winning. However, this method is time consuming and there’s no mathematical reason why any particular number should be more likely to win than another.
Despite the popularity of various strategies, it doesn’t really matter how you pick your lottery numbers. You can use software, rely on astrology or ask your friends; the outcome will be the same. This is because the lottery draws its numbers randomly. However, a smart lotto player should be mathematical in his or her decisions.
Combinatorial math and probability theory are the best tools to use for predicting the lottery’s future results. They provide you with the power to calculate and make informed choices. And of course, avoid superstitions.