While the lottery is one of the only legal forms of gambling accepted in most states, it is still nowhere near the glitz of Vegas.  Instead it should be taken a lot more seriously, almost like a part-time job.  Most people just play once in a blue moon hoping they will be the luckiest to crack the jackpot with their guesses, believing they hold some spiritual significance to their chances of winning.  Instead, the trick is to not only play frequently, but play smart.  Here are some tips:

First, do research.  On the Texas Lottery website, you can see not only the past history of Texas lottery winning numbers, but also track data analysis to measure just how frequent certain numbers are drawn from their specialized drawing machines they use for every lottery.  It is important to know the odds of drawing a particular number especially in each slot to better gage the likelihood of drawing it again in the near future.

Second, do math.  Using some basic algebraic formulas you can determine approximately how many times a certain number was drawn over the course of a game’s life as well as in the past year.  Using similar equations, you can then postulate when the next likely occurrence of that number will be and choose your numbers accordingly.

Third, think big, play small.  Remember that the odds of accurately guessing the Texas lottery winning numbers for the jackpot are astronomically not in your favor.  However, that doesn’t mean that you still can’t win big in the long run.  If you play consistently, then a few hundred dollars here and a few thousand dollars there will soon add up to be big bucks, more than enough to cover your losses.  Even if you never win the jackpot, you will still come out a major winner.

Fourth, have fun.  Everyone has a hobby with at least one of them being so important that even the tiniest detail piques their interest.  That is exactly how the lottery should be played.  Anyone who has ever been an avid sports fan knows to check the stats after every game, listen to the commentary of the professional and knowledgeable insiders, and pay attention to the ongoing season.  Doing this allows them to better make predictions regarding outcomes of games and future expectations regarding the playoffs.  They know that at the end of the day it is a pure numbers game and the law of large numbers dictates that the bigger the pot the likelier the predicted outcomes.

That same principle should be applied to not only predicting the Texas lottery winning numbers, but also successfully playing the game in the long run.  It is nearly impossible to win when you only play once a year.  The more you play, the more you increase your odds of winning even a small denomination of a prize.  However, just like you wouldn’t step into the ring with Ali or Tyson just because you think you can box, you shouldn’t play the lottery blindly without doing your homework and practice.  If you think of it as an investment instead of an expense the rewards you will reap will pay off greater in the future.