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The largest lottery prize in history is a $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot that was won by three tickets on January 13, 2016.Many incredible lottery jackpots have been won by Quick Pick tickets, as you can see from the winner examples below: With that said, Garibaldi admitted that he himself goes for Quick Picks. So, for the best chances of having the jackpot all to yourself, avoid numbers from 1 to 31 (that removes days of the month from the equation) and especially 1 to 12 (that takes care of months, and removes commonly-played "lucky" numbers like 7).Ĭhoosing your own numbers also means you can try your luck with the latest Smartpicks that use hot and cold numbers, or incorporate Number Frequency with the most popular and overdue numbers. "A lot of people play dates, and numbers between 1 and 12 are especially popular so you might avoid those," he said. It won't bestow any luck, but if you do win it could improve your odds of not having to share the prize. He suggests that if you do choose your own picks, you select higher numbers.
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The question is, what numbers do you pick?" Garibaldi notes that "any choice of numbers is equally likely to win the jackpot but you can pick numbers that other people won't pick. However, there may be an advantage to choosing your own numbers. Of course, this can also happen if you select your own numbers.
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Although unlikely, it is possible that multiple tickets could receive the same winning numbers and split the prize. You may be wondering if more than one player can get the same Quick Pick numbers - and the answer is yes. Lottery officials announced that every Florida draw game (except for the Daily Draw) has been won more often by Quick Pick tickets than self-selected numbers. Two Sunshine State tickets have won the Mega Millions jackpot - both Quick Picks. Out of 12 winning FL Powerball tickets since 2009, 10 have been Quick Picks. The Florida Lottery has also confirmed that Quick Picks provide just as much chance of success. That tallies with the percentage of players who go for the QP option, demonstrating that no matter how the numbers are picked, they have the same chances of hitting a prize. "Statistically, 70 percent of winners are Quick Picks," says Emory University mathematician Skip Garibaldi. The two options have exactly the same odds. If you've been playing for a while without hitting a prize, it may be tempting to blame Quick Pick - but actually, whether you choose your own numbers or use Quick Pick has no impact on your chances of winning. Some have found their digits in a fortune cookie, or played the same sequence for decades before striking it rich, while others use numbers with personal significance, such as family birthdays.
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There are many colorful stories of how players chose the winning numbers that delivered that life-changing prize.
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So, is there any evidence for this notion? However, some players believe the methods produce different chances of winning - usually in favor of choosing your own numbers. The two options cost the same ($2 per play), are based on the same number pool (five white ball numbers from 1 to 69 and one Powerball number from 1 to 26), and the Power Play multiplier add-on is available with both. But do these methods give players equal odds of winning a prize. Powerball has two ways to play choose your own numbers, or opt for the faster Quick Pick (QP), also known as Easy Pick, where the lottery computer randomly generates the numbers.
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