Are you going to be playing for that growing lotto pot? Each day the pot becomes richer, more an more people want to win it. Who wouldn't want to retire at a young age without doing too much work? But, is it really that likely to win? How do you win? 

Wouldn't it be nice to wake up one morning with millions of dollars in the bank account?

I know I wouldn't mind the extra cash. Really, who wouldn't? And, to receive this money for almost free sweetens that deal a bit more.

Haven't we all day dreamed about what we would spend the millions on? Pay off student loans and credit card debt. You could buy a home for you, your family, and maybe even a friend. Purchasing that boat, jet ski, piano, sports car, motorcycle, plane, or golden anything would be a treat. You could help out the truly needy and/or help cure cancer. Eat the world's best food as you travel the world on a private jet. If you are the type that likes to stay home, you could install a basketball court or an indoor swimming pool. Don't want to be the active one? Buy your favorite sports team.

There are so many possibilities out there for those lucky few that win big.

So, who are they? Who plays the Texas Lotto?

According to the official Texas Lottery website, the biggest crowd buying out those lottery tickets are those that may already have almost everything they want. The site's statistics claim that people earning an annual house hold income of $50,000 and above are 44% of the total population of ticket buyers. Those in need at $10,000 and below make only 6% of the purchasing power. Seems a little weird, huh? Maybe they have the money already in the wallet that can afford to buy multiple tickets for each draw. So, who else buys lotto tickets?

Almost completely dominating the sales are caucasian people. Below their 62% are Hispanics with 28%. Next are African Americans and lastly 8% count as Other. Within these percents, men and women were around half and half on the ticket sales.

What are these players doing when they will? What are you doing wrong?

According to Gail Howard's advice on the Smart Luck website, there is a lot to learn before you can win. Her number one advice for those looking for the big bucks is, "That which is MOST POSSIBLE happens MOST OFTEN. That which is LEAST POSSIBLE happens LEAST OFTEN."

What does that mean? Basically, the more often that number is favored in the drawings, the better chance you have of it being pulled again. The following numbers have been found so far to be picked more often than others. From highest picked to lowest; 56, 59, 44, 29, 14, 7, 1, 49, 39, 20, 8, and 5. But will these secure a win? Howard gives a little more advice, so don't go running to the store quite yet.

Though Howard says to pick numbers that have been picked before, she warns that picking numbers exactly as they have won before will ensure you lose. She insists that you are more likely to win by following these easy steps.

  • 1. Have a positive attitude. Don't buy a ticket with your last dollar, you will only depress yourself more.
  • 2. Avoid consecutive numbers. Try not to pick 1,2,3,4,5,6,...
  • 3. Keep away from number groups that all end in the same number. (9, 39, 19, 49)
  • 4. Stray from the trap of multiples of a number. Five and all of it's variety in 10, 15, and 20 won;t help you win.
  • 5. Finally, she states that Quick Picks will become Quick Losses.

Howard's biggest piece of advice is to create a lottery pool. Get a group of friends or coworkers to pool money in to buy a mass amounts of tickets. This may be, like I said, why those with more money are spending on lottery tickets. They may see that the more tickets you have in your possession, the more you have a chance to win.

With odds of one in every 25,827,165 to win, things don't look so good for that single ticket. But, have fun with it. You never know if lady luck is on your side today or not. That $425 million staring right at you will surely tease a lot of Texans to the gas station or other lotto ticket purchasing stops.

Good luck to all of you out there playing. Remember, if you win I would love to share the wealth with you.

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