Hoosier Lottery and the Mathematical Strategy
Hoosier Lottery wants you to enjoy positive experiences by playing its games. But, unfortunately, entertainment comes at a price, and so do lottery games.
When you play the lottery, expect to have more losses than winnings. Once you have amassed significant losses, it is almost impossible to win your money back. So it is as Indiana’s state lottery says. Losses are like too-short haircuts that are hard to get back.
You need to develop a math-based game plan for enjoying games from Hoosier Lottery.
Keep reading, and let us learn together.
Which Hoosier Lottery Draw Game Would You Choose?
Lotto games differ from one another in terms of their odds. Such differences help players make the best choice of which game to choose.
Many players might need to pay more attention to factors affecting their winnability. For example, they think about winning a huge jackpot prize. Thus, it does not matter what game they play.
Still, it is worth looking at the odds a particular game can offer so that you can pick a game that is easier to win.
Let’s take a look at the table below.
The Ca$h 5 game has a pick size of 5 from the number field of 1–45. Thus, the probability of winning here is 1 in 1,221,759.
Hoosier Lotto +Plus has a pick size of six from the number field of 1–46. Therefore, it results in a probability of 1 in 9,366,819. Therefore, you get eight times more probability of winning in Ca$h 5 than Hoosier Lotto +Plus.
The extra ball makes a game harder to win, particularly if this ball comes from a separate drum. This makes the probability of Cash4Life 18 times worse than Ca$h 5.
Cash4Life is not the only multi-state lottery game offered by Hoosier Lottery. It also offers Powerball. It shows from the table above that the probability of winning in Ca$h 5 is 239 times higher than in Powerball.
Mega Millions is the hardest to win. With a pick size of 5 from 1 to 60 and a Mega Ball from 1–25, the probability of winning here is 1 to 302,575,350.
In short, the game with the least possible combinations is the easiest to win a prize.
Hoosier Lottery and the Right Strategy
Everything we do becomes a lot better when we use the right tool.
Lottery players use different methods when choosing numbers to make combinations. The most common method is tracking hot, cold, and overdue numbers using statistics of past draw results.
For instance, Hoosier Lottery has a specific web page where players can see the frequency of drawing numbers for a specific draw game.
Below, you can see three charts illustrating the frequency of numbers for CA$H 5 from 11/4/2012 to 1/27/2021.
Can statistics help?
The answer is a big NO.
There are better mathematical tools to understand how a lotto game works than statistics.
Let me explain.
A seller wants to hold a raffle draw to promote her business. Thus, she prepared a simple raffle game for her customers. Inside a box are eight balls in blue, green, and orange.
Each color represents small but exciting prizes for her customers who meet the minimum orders. For example, blue is for a 50% discount, green is for a 30% discount, and orange is for a free item.
Cassandra prefers to get a free item. She needs to get an orange ball.
Since she doesn’t know the composition of the balls inside the box, there’s no way she can calculate the probability. So first, she needs to use a statistical tool called the “sampling” method to infer the composition of the box.
However, if the seller discloses three orange, two blue, and three green balls, then there’s no need for statistical sampling. Since Cassandra has adequate knowledge of the composition of the box, she could perform probability calculations immediately without using statistical analysis.
The same holds for all lotto games. Since a lottery game is finite, we have adequate knowledge of the composition of the number field. Hence we don’t need statistics.
So if a statistical analysis does not help, what does?
The answer is a method that uses combinatorial mathematics and probability theory.
The lottery draw is a truly random process, and the image above illustrates this. It provides ideas on how a player may avoid being wrong for most of the draw. Since lottery draws are truly random, probability calculations are possible. See my article How to Win the Lottery According to Math.
There might be seldom and frequently drawn numbers during the first few draws of a lottery game. Yet, as the number of draws increases, the probability of each number will converge in the same expected value. This is the conclusion brought forth by the law of large numbers.
So, the next time you plan for a lotto strategy, forget about statistics. Instead, start using combinatorics and probability theory.
The All-Important S/F Ratio
Probability and odds are two different words with two different equations. Therefore, they are not mathematically equivalent.
First, we express probability this way:
You need to buy a ticket to play a lottery draw game. For example, suppose you chose 1–2–3–4–5 as your combination in a Ca$h 5 game.
Using the formula above, your probability of winning a Ca$h 5 jackpot is 1 in 1,221,759. This probability remains the same for each of the possible combinations. Therefore, your only way of increasing your probability of winning is by buying more tickets with different combinations.
Believe it or not, buying more tickets is the only way to increase your chance of winning.
Thinkers look at the game from a different perspective. That’s why we use the concept of odds.
Odds and probability are not mathematically equivalent.
We express odds this way:
Odds refer to the ratio of the number of ways you get favorable combinations over the number of ways you don’t. Hence, it is also the ratio of success to failure.
We use odds to measure the number of ways we get favorable shots.
The best way to take advantage of this ratio is by using combinatorics. But unfortunately, combinatorial groups have varying odds.
For example, in a 5/45 game like the Ca$h5 lotto, there are 409,101 ways you can combine numbers with a 3-odds-2-even composition.
Another group could be a 0-odd-5-even group. There are 26,334 ways you can combine numbers this way.
As a lotto player, you must consider the group with more favorable shots.
Mathematically speaking, the 3-odd-2-even group is better than the 0-odd-5-even group. This is simply because the former has more favorable shots than the latter.
Remember
Combinatorial groups have different ratios of success to failure. To get closer to winning the lottery, you must focus on this group to get the best shot possible. The objective here is to be wrong less for the majority of the draws.
Any discerning player will take advantage of this knowledge and the ability to understand the S/F ratio in making a better decision.
More on Combinatorial Groups
You cannot control the underlying probability of the lottery. You cannot beat the odds. Nonetheless, this does not mean a strategy doesn’t exist. You can choose better odds.
For example, if you want to win from the Hoosier Lottery, choose Ca$h 5 instead of the Powerball game. Your odds are more favorable to you.
And when you finally choose Ca$h 5, realize you can get more granular with your strategy. That’s why we apply the S/F ratio using combinatorial mathematics. If mathematics is not your cup of tea, use a tool called Lotterycodex.
To understand combinatorial groups, you must know the difference between a number and a combination.
Numbers and combinations are basic components of lottery draw games.
Ca$h 5 has 1 to 45 balls, from which a player may pick five numbers to create a combination.
When playing Hoosier Lotto Plus, you need six numbers from 1 to 46 to have a playable combination.
In Cash4Life, the main combination needs five numbers from 1 to 60. A playable combination requires an extra number from 1 to 4.
In each lottery draw, the balls inside the drum have equal chances of being picked. Every ball has the same shape, size, weight, and texture.
I said earlier that groups have varying ratios of success to failure. This difference comes from the fact that combinatorial groups have distinct compositions.
Using the composition, you could compute the number of ways you get favorable shots and the number of ways you will lose. This calculation makes you aware of your options and makes better decisions.
Let’s take a look into the difference between a 0-odd-5-even group and a 3-odd-2-even group below:
In Ca$h 5, avoid using combinations with five even numbers. This template only gives you 26,334 favorable shots of winning and 1,195,425 ways of failing. Based on the table above, a combination of 3-odd-2-even numbers will give you a more favorable S/F ratio.
Composition matters. However, the composition is not only about odd or even. We also have to deal with the low and the high numbers.
Let us look at another example. This time we will consider low and high numbers.
A composition where all numbers belong to a high group makes it one of the rarest combinations for Hoosier Lotto. The dominant combination contains three low and three high numbers.
A note about combinatorial analysis
The numbers on lottery balls are merely symbols. Combinatorial can also be used to group things like fruits, flowers, objects, behaviors, and more. In this case, we use odd, even, low, and high numbers to establish composition for calculations.
This combinatorial strategy is the guiding principle of Lotterycodex. It applies combinatorial mathematics and probability theory to separate the dominant group from occasional and rare ones. This is a mathematical strategy based on the S/F ratio.
Lotterycodex — Advanced Combinatorial Analysis for Hoosier Lottery
You heard it is also good to use cold numbers for lottery combinations. Some claim they are the ones that will soon show up in draws.
Thus for Ca$h 5, you picked 41–42–43–44–45 because these numbers have the least number of draws from the data on the Hoosier Lottery Frequency Drawing Numbers web page.
41–42–43–44–45 has the best ratio from its odd-even composition but the worst ratio from the low-high composition. The basic analyses contradict one another.
We must combine odd/even and low/high numbers to solve this contradiction in one combinatorial design called Lotterycodex. See The Winning Lottery Formula Based on Combinatorics and Probability Theory.
We divide the number field into low-odd, low-even, high-odd, and high-even sets, as shown below for the Ca$h 5 game.
Advanced combinatorial design solves the obvious contradictions. This presents a practical way to focus your time, effort, and money on combinatorial groups that give you the best shot possible.
The table above shows that Ca$h 5 from Hoosier Lottery has 56 Lotterycodex templates. Of all these templates, only template #1 is the best one you could use.
Comparing the S/F ratios of template #1 and #54 S/F shows that template #1 gives you the most favorable shots.
Template #54 is among the rarest compositions. With an S/F ratio of 1:2,644, this means it would take 2,700 attempts before you get that one favorable shot to match the winning combination.
Unfortunately, many players have been using combinations with unfavorable S/F ratios without knowing they are throwing away money.
Read The Winning Lottery Formula Based on Combinatorics and Probability Theory, where I will show you how these templates work.
Think of playing the lottery with advanced combinatorial analysis as if you were using a GPS app.
You enter your destination on the GPS app, showing all the possible routes. The app will suggest which route is the shortest or the fastest way to get to your destination.
You decide which route to take. Similarly, Lotterycodex lets you decide how to play Hoosier Lottery games. Again, you will get the critical information derived from an accurate calculation and precise combinatorial analysis of your game.
This is true for all draw games, like Hoosier Lotto +Plus.
The combination 25–39–36–34–33–27 is an awful combination based on Lotterycodex. However, with Hoosier Lotto +Plus, there is just one dominant template you could use out of 84 Lotterycodex templates.
Having these pieces of mathematical information about the dominant, occasional, and rare compositions is helpful.
Will you use template #75 when you know you have only one favorable shot in 2,000 attempts?
Which between template #1 and #75 do you think will work for you?
Now, let’s take a look at the Cash4Life game.
This advanced combinatorial design helps you concentrate on the compositions that matter most.
No one could ever foresee which combination would win in a lottery draw. But with this approach, you could be mathematically closer to the jackpot.
In Cash4Life, there are 56 Lotterycodex templates for this game, and the dominant compositions are templates #1 to #4.
The Law of Large Numbers in Hoosier Lottery
You could read the success story of Jeffry Myers, who won $4.9 million in the Hoosier Lotto. Fervent lottery players will appreciate this tale. It will also inspire the not-so-avid players to keep playing and hope for the auspicious day.
Myers has been playing the lottery ever since the Hoosier Lottery began in 1988. He plays Ca$h 5 daily and never missed a game of Hoosier Lotto’s twice-a-week draws.
Hoosier Lotto has a quite colorful history. Hoosier Lottery started offering its first lotto draw game, the Lotto Cash, in April 1990. Four years later, the game was replaced by Hoosier Lotto.
If Myers has played Hoosier Lotto since that day, we can assume that he has been playing for about 1,400 weeks. At the time of writing, this could mean he has made 2,800 attempts. His unwavering effort has made him win the $4.9 million jackpot and a minor prize of $1,000 in the past.
Myers’ story proves that lottery games will give you more failed instances than winning ones. Remember that he only achieved his goal after making 2,800 attempts.
Nothing is wrong with not giving up on your dream to win. However, it would be best if you played using worthwhile combinations. Of course, I am discussing combinations that will give you the best shot possible.
As the law of large numbers dictates, the dominant group will always dominate the game. This will only become apparent as more draws take place.
Let me show how template #1 will dominate the game using probability calculations.
Template #1
= 0.0719012506 x 2,000
= Occurs about 144 times in 2000 draws
Template #54
= 0.0003781433 x 2,000
= Occurs almost once in 2000 draws
This trend remains the same, even with more draws. Let’s see what happens after 5000 draws.
Template #1
= 0.0719012506 x 5,000
= Occurs about 360 times in 5000 draws
Template #54
= 0.0003781433 x 5,000
= Occurs about twice in 5000 draws
You can see that template #1 always dominates the game. This is because the S/F ratio offered by template #1 is 1 to 18. This means that you get one favorable shot out of 19 attempts.
Comparatively, template #54 will only offer a ratio of 1:2644. So you must play about 2700 times to get that one favorable shot.
Which would you choose?
You could access information that leads to a better understanding of your lotto game through combinatorics, probability, and the law of large numbers.
Math can be complex but you can use Lotterycodex calculators to conveniently and accurately apply advanced combinatorial analysis in your lottery games.
Do Superstitions and Quick Pick Improve Your Lotto Games?
Superstitions are part of people’s lives, even in this modern era.
For example, it is Friday the 13th, so you do not want to buy a Hoosier Lottery ticket outside. Some would also not include the number 13 in their combination because they believe it is unlucky.
There is nothing wrong with following some superstitions, like having a coin in your shoes while you buy lottery tickets. You could also buy tickets at a store believed to be lucky. However, do not let these beliefs gravely affect your decision-making skills.
In our example, you skipped playing on Friday the 13th because you thought it would be dangerous to go outside. However, what if the day you skipped is when your combination will allow you to win?
How would you feel when the number 13 is the only number you did not match from the winning combination?
Remember that there are no lucky and unlucky numbers in the lottery. The law of large numbers dictates that all numbers will converge around the same frequency when there are many draws.
Superstitions are things that some people respect because it is part of their culture. Yet, do not let superstitions cloud your logic and judgment.
You should also avoid getting easily swayed by people saying you can have the best games when you use Quick-Pick combinations. As written on the web page of each draw from Hoosier Lottery, Quick Pick is the option if you prefer random selection.
You allow the machine to pick your combination. It merely picks the numbers based on a random algorithm. The machine assigns numbers on your ticket with no analysis of its composition.
Quick pick and random selection is an easy way to play, but also one that follows no plan or strategy.
Although some people win in lottery games with quick pick selections, you will have a different happy story. To play a lotto game better means knowing your odds, and then deciding on one with the most favorable odds to offer.
The best way to play is still through applicable mathematical solutions. These solutions are combinatorics and probability calculation. This approach makes you a knowledgeable player who controls what to play and wins the game.
Coincidences, Unusual Winning Numbers, and a Stroke of Luck
Some players have strokes of luck in lotteries. This makes you wonder, “When will I experience the same?”
While I could not help you find an answer to this question, I could help explain the reason behind coincidences and strange winning combinations in the lottery.
First, let me show examples of non-random combinations in Hoosier Lottery games.
Players use consecutive patterns like 1–2–3–4–5. It could be because these numbers are easily remembered or create a pattern on the play slip.
In Ca$h 5, for example, the table above shows that 5–10–15–20–25 is one non-random combination in lotteries. This combination contains numbers in multiple of 5. This is the second most popular combination from lotto players, according to the same article for the multiples of 7 above.
The consecutive pattern also has variations other than skip counting. Take, for instance, 1–2–11–12–21–22. This combination contains two consecutive numbers from three number groups. 1 and 2 are from 1–9. 11 and 12 are from 11–19. 21 and 22 are from 21–29.
A combination may also take three consecutive numbers from two groups. Examples are 1–2–3–11–12–13. 1, 2, and 3 are from 1–9. 11, 12, and 13 are from 11–19.
Some non-random combinations have patterns that may take a while to notice, such as 5–8–11–14–17. This combination follows an interval of three in-between numbers.
5–8–11–14–17 differs from the 3–6–9–12–15, although both have an interval of 3 between their numbers. We can more appropriately describe the latter combination as having multiples of 3.
Another non-random combination with not easily noticeable patterns is 4–6–9–13–18. Notice the increasing intervals are 2,3, 4, and 5.
These non-random and unusual combinations are not impossible to occur but very improbable. However, occasionally these unusual combinations do occur in the lottery.
The law of truly large numbers explains this. According to this law, coincidences and strange events occur when there are truly huge opportunities. For example, lottery draws occur every day throughout the world. Expect that some unusual events and coincidences may occur. Even combinations with the least S/F ratios are bound to occur, which is not unusual.
Just because non-random and unusual combinations occur in lottery draws doesn’t mean you must play them. These events happen rarely.
Always consider the S/F ratio to get the best shot possible.
Always Play Hoosier Lottery For a Positive Experience
Hoosier Lottery promotes positive experiences by playing the games it offers. It wants players to enjoy the entertainment and fun.
You have to consider the following recommendations:
Understand the odds
The probability of winning the lottery is too tiny, but you can choose your odds or your ratio of success to failure. This does not mean you will know the numbers that will win in the next draws.
Set money limit
Players need to play lottery games based on a certain budget only. Hoosier Lottery and other state lotteries suggest this to their players. This is one way to play responsibly and positively.
Play as a syndicate
As a solo player, you can buy only a few tickets. Buying more tickets is the way to have more winning probabilities. Consider starting a small lottery syndicate. Invite your relatives and friends to pool your money together so you can buy more tickets. Whatever prize your tickets win, you share it among your small lotto syndicate members. You may also join other bigger and more established lottery syndicates.
Be sensible
Remember the story of Myers, who won the jackpot after playing for 30 years? Not all players have an unlimited source of patience and perseverance. Some players try to chase their losses by investing in more tickets. Don’t chase your losses. The expected value of the lottery is always negative. You get more streaks of losses.
Make money from the lottery.
People first think about buying tickets when they hear about lottery games. However, the lottery is also an industry. If you did not find fulfillment as a player, it’s time to discover the inverse.
Why not open up a business that could also retail Hoosier Lottery tickets? Hoosier Lottery retail partners enjoy some great benefits.
Perhaps you could offer to buy other people’s lottery tickets for a minimal service fee? This way, you could also finance your tickets from the fees you collect.
Be responsible
Chasing losses by gambling more is not a good idea. Instead, recover what you lost by becoming a lottery ticket peddler.
Playing lotteries must always be a positive experience. It should be about having fun and feeling entertained. Find fun and entertainment by minimizing your losses and maximizing your shot to win.
Only think of lotteries as a substitute for a real job if you are a lotto ticket retailer. So see, Play the lottery responsibly.
Spend money that you can afford to lose. There are other more important things to spend your money on, like home rental, food, and utility services.
It is good to play lottery games occasionally but keep it from becoming a compulsion.
Other Entertaining Games From Hoosier Lottery
There are other draw games from Hoosier Lottery that you could play responsibly. These are Daily 3, Daily 4, and Quick Draw with Bullseye.
There are also Scratch-offs or scratch cards. The Fast Play Games are those that you can print directly from Hoosier Lottery terminals. These games do not require filling out play slips or waiting for draws.
Wait to throw away non-winning tickets. You could still enter them into the 2nd chance promotions from Hoosier Lottery. Whichever game you choose, play with a smart and responsible mindset to always have a positive gaming experience.
