Many lottery players like to look for hot numbers or lucky numbers that seem to come up more often in drawings. While true randomness means every number has an equal chance of being picked, some numbers do appear more frequently over time. Let’s take a look at how hot numbers are defined and if focusing on them can actually help increase your odds of winning.
What are hot numbers?
Hot numbers are lottery numbers that get drawn more often than others over a period of time. Lottery agencies track the frequency at which each number is picked and make this data available to the public. Players can use this information to see which numbers have been hot lately.
For example, if the number 47 has been chosen 7 times in the last 20 drawings, while the number 31 has only been picked twice, then 47 would be considered a hot number right now. The numbers that get picked the most in a string of recent drawings are deemed hot.
How are hot numbers determined?
Lotteries track the results of each drawing and tally how many times each number gets picked. They then calculate the frequency of each number being chosen based on the last 20, 50, 100, or other set increment of drawings. The numbers at the top of the list in terms of frequency are deemed hot numbers.
Most lotteries update their hot numbers list after each drawing so players can always see which numbers are currently performing the best. This data is usually available on lottery websites or can be found through a quick internet search. Lottery statisticians are constantly crunching the numbers.
Do hot numbers change frequently?
Hot numbers do fluctuate fairly often since randomness dictates the drawings. A number might be hot for a string of 10 or 20 drawings but then cool off. Or a number that hasn’t been picked in a while might suddenly get drawn multiple times in a row and join the hot list. Hot numbers are always changing.
For example, the number 26 might only get picked once over 50 drawings. But then it could get drawn 5 times over the next 18 drawings. This would shoot it up into hot number status. Hot numbers regularly turn over based on the random nature of the lottery.
Should you only play hot numbers?
It’s generally not a good idea to only play hot numbers. While they have been picked more frequently in the recent string of drawings, that doesn’t mean they will continue to be favored. Since the drawings are random, any number has an equal chance of being selected on any given draw.
Just because a number has been hot doesn’t mean it’s more likely to get drawn again. Focusing solely on hot numbers limits the range of possible numbers you have in play. It’s better to play a mix of hot, cold, and overdue numbers.
What are cold numbers?
Cold numbers are the opposite of hot numbers. They are lottery numbers that haven’t been picked very often in recent drawings. Playing cold numbers can be part of a balanced lottery strategy since any number has the same odds of being chosen.
For example, if the number 19 has only been drawn twice over the last 50 picks, it would be considered a cold number. Some people believe that choosing a few cold numbers gives you a better shot since they are “due” to come up.
What are overdue numbers?
Overdue numbers are lottery numbers that haven’t been picked in a very long time. They are numbers that seem well overdue for another appearance based on the law of averages.
For instance, if the number 43 hasn’t been drawn in the last 70 picks, while most other numbers have been picked at least 5 or 6 times, then 43 would be deemed an overdue number. Some people target overdue numbers believing they have to come up soon.
Should you focus on overdue numbers?
Like with hot numbers, it’s not wise to solely play overdue numbers. While they may appear overdue based on past drawings, that doesn’t actually affect their odds for upcoming drawings. There is no guarantee an overdue number will get drawn again soon.
Since each drawing is independent, a number is never actually overdue. However, playing a few overdue numbers as part of a balanced approach isn’t a bad idea. It helps diversify your picks.
Are some numbers picked more than others overall?
Some interesting studies have looked at overall lottery number frequency to see if certain numbers get chosen more over the long run. The results are intriguing, though the reasons are unclear.
One extensive study of several lotteries over a 5 year period found the numbers 1,2,7,8,11,18,19,23,38 and 40 were picked slightly more often. The numbers 13,21,25,27,29,36 and 48 were chosen a bit less frequently.
So while each drawing is random, over the very long term, some numbers do seem to appear more often. However, these frequency differences are very slight over thousands of drawings.
What explains the slight variation in overall frequencies?
There are several theories that try to explain why a small bias appears to exist in overall lottery number frequencies. However, none have been proven definitively. Some possible explanations include:
– Human randomness is imperfect. The mechanisms that pick numbers may favor certain digits over very long stretches.
– Some numbers stand out more to players psychologically. If more people play certain numbers, that could translate to a tiny increase in frequency.
– Odd/even number patterns occur. If more of one type of number gets picked, it will skew the overall distribution.
– Frequency analysis favors numbers in the middle ranges. The number 30 is more likely to be picked than 1 or 59 in many systems.
– Coincidences occur. A small sample size opens the door for natural fluctuations that create biases.
Overall, no hard evidence supports these theories. The variation is very slight anyway over a large sample. For your purposes, all numbers can be considered equal.
How can you use hot, cold, and overdue numbers to your advantage?
The best approach is to use a combination of hot, cold, and overdue numbers when playing the lottery. This diversifies your picks and doesn’t limit you solely to numbers in one category. A balanced mix gives you the most coverage.
Strategically choose a few hot numbers that have been coming up often lately. This might continue, so you want to have them in play. Also, go with a couple overdue numbers that are way past due to get picked again based on averages. Finally, sprinkle in a few cold numbers just in case they turn hot again soon.
Creating a blend of hot, cold, and overdue numbers is an effective way to cover your bases when picking lottery numbers. Just don’t focus too heavily on any one category.
Should you avoid any particular numbers?
While all numbers have an equal probability of being chosen, some people avoid playing certain lottery numbers based on tradition or superstition. For example, many people steer clear of number 13 because it’s considered unlucky.
The numbers 7, 11, and 33 are also sometimes avoided in certain cultures due to associations with death and tragedy. Low numbers like 1 or 2 are picked less frequently by players who gravitate toward higher numbers they consider luckier.
However, there is no mathematical reason to definitively avoid any lottery numbers. Even the least frequently picked numbers overall are just a tiny percentage less likely than the average number. But superstitions can be hard to shake, so many people do skip over certain numbers they consider unlucky.
Do mirrored numbers like 12-21 or numbers in a sequence like 5-10-15-20-25 correlate?
There is no evidence that mirrored lottery numbers (like 12 and 21) or numbers in a sequence have any special correlation that makes them more likely to get picked together. Each number in a lottery drawing is pulled randomly and independently.
However, some people like to play mirrored numbers or number sequences because they seem more aesthetically pleasing. If you enjoy these patterns, it doesn’t hurt to include them on your ticket. There’s no statistical advantage, but it can help make the game more fun.
Are there any tricks to predicting the next hot numbers?
Unfortunately, there are no tricks to reliably predicting which numbers will become hot in upcoming drawings. The random nature of lottery drawings makes hot numbers essentially unpredictable. Numbers go in and out of hot status all the time based on luck.
Some people believe you can spot trends and streaks that signal certain numbers turning hot. But there is no proof this analysis works. The only way to definitively tell which numbers are hot is to look at the recent frequency report published by your lottery. There are no magical formulas for predicting future hot numbers.
Should you try to predict cold numbers based on hot numbers?
It sounds clever in theory – if you can figure out which numbers will be hot, then you can also predict which numbers will turn cold. But since hot numbers are random and unpredictable, this strategy of picking likely cold numbers doesn’t work.
Lottery drawings are independent events. Numbers turn hot or cold randomly over time. Just because a number has been hot lately doesn’t mean it’s more likely to turn cold soon. There is no correlation you can count on. The best strategy is to review the published cold numbers list instead of trying to predict it.
How frequently do hot numbers repeat in back-to-back drawings?
It’s actually fairly uncommon for a hot number to get picked in consecutive drawings. In major lottery games, there are typically dozens or even hundreds of drawings between instances of the same number getting picked twice in a row.
For example, in Powerball over a recent 10 year span, the same number was picked back-to-back just 62 times. With nearly 1,000 drawings in that timeframe, that means a repeat hit on a number only occurred around 6% of the time. The odds are against repeats even among hot numbers.
Do hot numbers repeat more often in consecutive drawings than other numbers?
Studies have found that so-called hot numbers do not actually repeat any more frequently than regular numbers over a series of consecutive drawings. Numbers only earn hot status because of random clustering in frequency over a period of time.
Their chance of getting picked again in the next drawing is no better than any other number. A simulation of thousands of lottery drawings showed hot numbers repeated back-to-back about as often as regular numbers. There was no statistical advantage to playing numbers that had been hot recently in consecutive games.
Conclusion
In the end, hot lottery numbers are simply numbers that have been randomly picked more frequently over a recent string of drawings. This doesn’t mean they will continue to get picked at a higher rate in the future. It’s okay to include some currently hot numbers on your ticket, but don’t focus on them exclusively. Cold, overdue, and regular numbers have just as much chance of winning. A balanced approach is best rather than obsessing over hot numbers alone. With lottery games, randomness wins out over attempts to detect patterns and trends. Consistently playing the lottery over a long period gives you the most probability of eventually getting lucky.
