Entries Tagged as 'odds of winning the lottery'

Winning the Lottery - With Bated Breath …

Winning the Lottery

Lottery Number Advisor

Again, I don’t want those of you who play the smaller lotteries to feel left out, so, today I’ll discuss the Deleware 6/35 lottery.  When everybody from ‘The First State’ gather around their TV’s to watch the lottery drawing and check their tickets, here’s how their odds of Winning the Lottery jackpot are changing as they watch.

If someone buys 1 ticket, their odds of winning the lottery jackpot before the drawing starts are 1:1,623,160. At that point, 0 numbers have been drawn. The first number will be drawn from a pool of 35 numbers. After that, there will only be 34 numbers left in the machine. So, the second number will be drawn from a pool of 34 numbers, and so on.

Now, if the first number drawn is a number on your ticket, your odds of winning the lottery jackpot just improved dramatically. You now have 1 correct number and you need to get 5 correct numbers out of 34. The odds of this happening are 1:278,256.

If the second number drawn is also on your ticket, your odds of winning the lottery jackpot just improved to 1:40,920. Here’s a table that shows how your odds of winning the lottery jackpot change as the drawing proceeds.

Correct Numbers Drawn      Odds of Winning the Lottery Jackpot

  • 0                                                1:1,623,160
  • 1                                                   1:278,256
  • 2                                                     1:40,920
  • 3                                                       1:4,960
  • 4                                                          1:465
  • 5                                                            1:30
  • 6                                    Remember me in your will

After seeing five of the winning numbers on your ticket, you’ll be waiting with bated breath for the last and final number to be drawn. At that point, no one in the room will be breathing. One chance in 30 of Winning the Lottery! OMG!!!

Winning the Lottery - Remember Me In Your Will

Winning the Lottery

Lottery Number AdvisorI received many emails about the last post Winning the Lottery - Before Your Very Eyes. It appears that many of you want to see what happens to your odds of winning the lottery jackpot after each number is drawn. So, I’ll start the last post over, but this time I’ll carry it through to the last number drawn.

As I pointed out in the last post, as each number is drawn, the fortunes of millions of lottery ticket holders are changing before your very eyes. Let’s look at what is happening as the drawing proceeds. I’ll continue using the Lotto Texas 6/54 lottery in this example.

The first number is drawn from a pool of 54 numbers. Now, there are only 53 numbers left in the machine. So, the second number is drawn from a pool of 53 numbers, and so on. As I already pointed out, if someone buys 1 ticket, their odds of winning the jackpot are 1:25,827,165.

Now, if the first number drawn is a number on your ticket, you’re in a whole new ballgame. Your odds of winning the lottery jackpot just improved dramatically. In order to win the jackpot, you now need to get 5 correct numbers out of 53. The odds of this happening are 1:2,869,685. That’s 9 times better than your odds were just seconds before the first number was drawn.

This is where I left off in the last post. So, what happens next? If the second number drawn is also on your ticket, your odds of winning the lottery jackpot just got better again. Now you need to get 4 correct numbers out of 52. The odds of that happening is 1:270,725. That’s 10.6 times better than your odds were before that number was drawn.  Here’s a table that shows how your odds of winning the lottery jackpot change as the drawing proceeds.

Correct Numbers Drawn      Odds of Winning the Lottery Jackpot

  • 0                                       1:25,827,165
  • 1                                         1:2,869,685
  • 2                                            1:270,725
  • 3                                              1:20,825
  • 4                                                1:1,225
  • 5                                                     1:49
  • 6                             Remember me in your will

Can you even imagine the excitement and tension in the room when your ticket has 5 winning numbers and you’re waiting for the last ball to pop up? One chance in 49, baby!!!