Is There A Downside To Playing Pick 5 Lotto?

Pick 5 lotto is one of the most popular lottery games to date. With this particular lottery game, all you have to do is choose 5 numbers, wait for the outcome and hope for the best. So why are there so many people playing this game?

The Prize

The game sounds pretty simple enough, and it is. Unlike the major lottery games with prizes worth billions, this game offers more opportunities to win. Why? Because you don't have to get all the numbers to match. There is a always a good chance for a pick 5 player to win something, even if it's a smaller amount. This may be viewed as a disadvantage to some who are new to the game, but it's not necessarily a bad thing.

Because there are more ways to win pick 5 lotto, the prize is typically shared by many other winners. What this ultimately means is you get a smaller piece of the pie. However, the frequency of possible winnings also increases. If you play it right, and you win minor prizes several times in a week or two, your earnings can really add up. So the downside is you get smaller prizes. The upsides are no more waiting eternally for a single win and more ways to win while still having the possibility of hitting the jackpot.

Probabilities

All lotteries are truly a game of chance. Lotteries today typically draw numbers randomly by computer. So if you're looking for a “better” guarantee with the pick 5 lottery, you might as well change your outlook on the game - it's not much different from the other kinds of lottery games. You'll never truly know which numbers are going to be picked the next time around. You will have to gamble and you will have to take a risk. While some see this as daunting enough to avoid the lottery altogether, they are bound to miss a lot of opportunities.

Traders take risks. Business owners take risks. You see, while pick 5 is a game of chance, it's also a game of winning patterns. How do you think all those previous players won? Simple: they took a risk! But it's not just that. Many have become so well-versed with the game that they produced their own charts and formulas to increase their chances of winning. Just keep in mind that the higher the frequency, the higher the probability; the lower the frequency, the lower the probability. But first one must buy a ticket.

The Statistics

If you look it up, about 99 percent of those who play the lottery end up losing. With this finding alone, many would turn their backs on any lottery game. But you have to think - how do you avoid this disadvantage? The answer may not be obvious at first, but the key is to not think like 99 percent of those gamers. You can see a pattern in their playing style. A common one is usage of birth dates or anniversaries. Why would you want to use those if the numbers in a calendar are limited? It's the same with so-called “lucky” numbers that virtually everyone is using. Discouraging as the statistics may be, you might want to look at it as an opportunity to be different than others, and by different we mean being a likelier winner.

Tedious Research

Honestly, even with all these tricks up your sleeve, winning pick 5 lotto is not going to be an overnight feat. Frequent winners know tons of research and analysis are needed to succeed in the game. Again, this could be daunting. If you're serious about winning though, you're willing to make a few sacrifices with your time and budget. Fortunately, there's now more help online (ready-made charts of patterns dating back more than 3 to 4 decades, notes on previous wins, etc.), so there's no excuse not to take that leap.