Tennessee Lottery And The Mathematical Strategy

Edvin Hiltner
14 min readMar 10, 2022

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Tennessee Lottery says, “Have fun. Play Responsibly.” In this article, we will discuss what you can do to keep fun in gaming. And the fun starts with the number selection process. In this regard, we will be focusing on a math-based strategy.

So, sit back and have a great time reading.

The Best in Tennessee Lottery

There are several draw games from Tennessee Lottery. The games are Tennessee Cash, Cash 4 Life, Lotto America, Powerball, and Mega Millions.

Not all lottery games are the same. Some may offer the biggest jackpot prizes, but the odds of winning are too steep. Some games may offer smaller prizes, but the odds are much easier. Which of them would you play?

This table shows the draw games from Tennessee Lottery where you can use combinatorial analysis. Tennessee Cash has a pick size of 5, pool of 35 balls, 5 extra balls and total possible combinations of 1,623,160. Cash 4 Life has a pick size of 5, pool of 60 balls, 4 extra balls and total possible combinations of 21,846,048. Lotto America has a pick size of 5, pool of 52 balls, 10 extra balls and total possible combinations of 25,989,600.

The game you choose matters.

A game with the smallest pick size and less number field is a game whose odds are more favorable for you. Of all the draw games, Tennessee Cash has the most favorable odds to beat.

Thus, the jackpot prize in Tennessee Cash is 13 times easier to win than in Cash 4 Life.

Tennessee Cash is the only game that is exclusive to Tennessee Lottery. All four other draw games are multi-jurisdictional games that other US states offer.

One of the more popular multi-state games is Powerball. It has 69 balls from which you choose five numbers. Unfortunately, there are also 26 extra balls from which you must choose 1. Therefore, winning the immense jackpot is too steep at 180 times more than in Tennessee Cash.

You must match all numbers and the Power Ball to win the jackpot. Yet, winning the second division prize of at least $1,000,000 is possible if you can match 5 numbers.

Tennessee Lottery even makes the game exciting by giving players the Power Play option for an extra $1. Winning minor prizes might be alright.

Mega Millions is the game with the hardest odds to beat. With 302,575,350 possible combinations, the probability of winning is 186 times more difficult. See How to Win the U.S. Mega Millions 5/70 According To Math.

How to Play Tennessee Lottery Mathematically

Playing Tennessee Lottery draw games is easy. You pick your numbers on the playslip and pay for your ticket.

However, every player aims to win the lottery. If this is your aim, there are more effective playing methods than randomly picking numbers.

Unfortunately, the majority of the lotto players believe that statistics can help. But unfortunately, statistics are not the right tool for the job.

Let me explain.

There are 50 glass pebbles in a string purse. The glass pebbles are red, yellow, pink, blue, and violet. You wanted to fill a vase with these pebbles by drawing a pebble one by one from the string purse.

The number of pebbles per color is unknown. So, when something is unknown, we use the statistics tool to infer the number of pebbles in the color you prefer.

However, if you know the number of pebbles per color, you will know how likely it is to fill the vase with all red pebbles. And therefore, in this case, you don’t need statistical sampling.

If you know the composition of pebbles inside the purse, the right tool to use then is probability theory.

Playing the lottery is like the second scenario. With every lottery game, a player knows how many balls to pick from the game’s number field.

For example, the Tennessee Lottery Tennessee Cash requires picking five balls from 1 to 35. So we know the number of odd and even numbers. We can divide the number field into two and determine the low and high numbers.

In short, a lottery game is finite. Since it’s finite, we know the game’s composition adequately. Therefore, any questions we ask are probability problems to solve rather than statistical ones.

And this is where most lotto players got it all wrong.

For example, they return to the past 100 draws looking for the “most frequently drawn” and “less frequently drawn” numbers. The problem, however, is that this method relies only on a small sample of lottery draws.

As the law of large numbers dictates, each number will converge in the same average as the number of draws gets larger and larger.

This is a computer-generated image of lottery’s randomness. The streak and dots of gray and white illustrate the combinations occurring in Tennessee Lottery draws.
Source: A Visual Analysis of a Truly Random Lottery with a Deterministic Outcome

This image above hints at how a lottery game behaves and what we can do to maximize our shots.

A lottery game is random. Nonetheless, it is also deterministic. This gives you hope that a mathematical strategy exists. See How to Win the Lottery According to Math.

It’s not about predicting the next winning numbers. Instead, this mathematical strategy will be useful in ensuring you get the best shot possible in most draws.

The game’s random nature allows players to make probability calculations and intelligent decisions based on the law of large numbers.

Therefore, a smart player could play the lottery mathematically.

Know The Ratio Of Success To Failure

With a ticket, a player can win. So then buying more tickets means having more chances of winning.

Realize that Buying Hundreds of Lotto Tickets Can Be Useless.

There can be thousands or millions of possible combinations in a lottery game. For example, the Tennessee Cash has 324,632 possible combinations.

You can compute the probability of winning through the formula below.

Probability compares the number of favorable combination with the total number of combinations. In Tennessee Cash, for example, the probability to win using the combination 2–4–6–8–10 is 1 in 324,632.

If the combination you selected is 18–23–29–30–35, your probability of winning from this combination is 1 in 324,632.

If you buy two combinations, your probability of winning increases to 2 in 324,632. More combinations mean more chances of winning. Of course, nobody will stop you if you have the money.

However, before you buy, make sure that you study the ratio of success to failure. That’s why aside from probability, we must also apply the concept of odds.

Odds and probability are two different terms and are not mathematically equivalent.

Odds are expressed using the following equation:

Dividing the number of favorable combinations by the number of unfavorable combinations will give you the odds or the ratio of success to failure.

We use the above formula to measure the number of ways we get good shots. This is the ratio of success to failure.

Knowing the ratio of success to failure helps you pick the best combination to bring you closer to the lottery jackpot.

For example, 18–23–29–30–35 and 16–24–28–32–34 share the same probability. Yet, 18–23–29–30–35 has a better ratio than 16–24–28–32–34 since they belong to different combinatorial groups.

What is a combinatorial group?

Let’s talk more about it in detail below.

Combinatorial Groups in Tennessee Lottery

To understand combinatorial groups, let me first help you distinguish a number from a combination.

A combination contains the required quantity of numbers in a lotto game. For example, in a 5/35 game, you must pick 5 numbers from 1 to 35 to create a playable combination.

Considering a lottery game, a player must pick the required quantity of numbers from the lotto game’s number field or number pool. For example, you must create a playable combination comprising five numbers in Tennessee Cash.

For a lottery draw, all balls in the drum have the same weight, texture, and shape. This prevents biases that could favor some numbers over others. Each ball has the same chance of being picked from the drum.

An individual number is insignificant unless you group it with other numbers to form a combination. A combination has a specific composition based on the numbers you picked.

To understand the composition of a combination, you must analyze the odd, even, low, and high numbers it contains. This composition will help you determine the odds or the ratio of success to failure.

Remember

The probability of winning remains the same, regardless of whether you use a combination from a 3-low-2-high or 5-high group. It is the ratios of success to failure that vary between combinatorial groups.

Each group has a distinctive ratio that you should look at.

In a 5/35 game, the best odd-even choice is 3-odd-2-even because it offers 110,976 ways of winning and 213,656 ways of losing. The worst choice is 5-even that has 6,188 ways to win and 318,444 ways to fail.
Source: The Winning Lottery Formula Based on Combinatorics and Probability Theory

The table above shows that the best choice is 3-odd-2-even, and the worst is 5-even.

The 3-odd-2-even can give more shots and fewer ways of losing. The same conclusion can be obtained with a 5/60 game.

In a 5/60 game, the best odd-even choice is 3-odd-2-even because it offers 1,766,100 ways of winning and 3,695,412 ways of losing. The worst choice is 5-even that has 142,506 ways to win and 5,319,006 ways to fail.
Source: The Winning Lottery Formula Based on Combinatorics and Probability Theory

It is best to balance your selection when making a lotto combination.

A note on combinatorial analysis

The numbers on each lottery ball are mere symbols. It can be anything like colors, animals, fruits, or places. Referring to numbers as odd, even, low, and high is not the strategy itself. We group the lottery numbers into these sets so we can have a standard basis for mathematical computations. Knowledge of combinatorial mathematics optimizes your ability to make the best decisions in many circumstances, not only in playing lotteries.

Lotterycodex works based on combinatorial and probability theory. It separates the good, the bad, the worst, and the best combinations so you will know which can offer the best ratio.

You must understand that the balls or numbers in a lottery game are not just odd or even. These numbers could also be low or high. Thus, a complete analysis of combinatorial groups should include the analysis of a combination’s low-high composition.

In a 5/52 game, the best low-high choice is 3-low-2-high because it offers 845,000 ways of winning and 1,753,960 ways of losing. The worst choice is 5-high that has 65,780 ways to win and 2,533,180 ways to fail.
Source: The Winning Lottery Formula Based on Combinatorics and Probability Theory

Lotto America’s most rewarding combinations are those with the 3-low-2-high pattern. This pattern has 845,000 good shots of winning and 1,753,960 ways of losing.

The inequality of ratios among groups offers a valuable method for playing Tennessee Lottery. However, this does not mean combinatorial analysis will show you the next winning combinations.

Instead, it helps you play with more good shots of winning and fewer opportunities to lose. Remember, when you play the lottery, you will have more chances to lose than to win.

Lottery games have a lot of combinations you can use. To play with the best shot at winning the jackpot, you must analyze the odd-even and low-high compositions of combinations you want to use.

Let’s look at how we can use Lotterycodex to help you with complex combinatorial and probability calculations.

Lotterycodex — Advanced Combinatorial and Probability Analysis

From our examples above, you know that there are some combinations whose odd-even and low-high ratios do not agree. For example, 1–2–3–4–5 is the worst combination according to low-high analyses, yet it is the best for odd-even analysis.

Using a complex combinatorial analysis can solve the contradiction between two separate analyses.

Remember that a random lottery game picks numbers distributively across the number field. So we have to deal with odd/even and low/high numbers together in a balanced way.

Therefore, we use Lotterycodex to combine odd/even and low/high numbers into a single combinatorial and probability analysis.

Let me show you how it works.

Tennessee Cash has 4 Lotterycodex combinatorial design number sets. The low-odd contains 1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15,17. Low-even has 2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18. High-odd includes 19,21,23,25,27,29,31,33,35. High-even comprises 20,22,24,26,28,30,32,34.
Source: Lotterycodex Calculator

You see that Lotterycodex combinatorial design lets you choose numbers from 4 sets.

Using a Lotterycodex calculator, you will ultimately be directed to the best pattern to give you the best shot possible.

There are 56 Lotterycodex patterns applicable for Tennessee Cash. Patterns #1,#2 and #3 are the best patterns. The middle patterns are #4 to #25. Patterns #26 to #56 are the worst patterns.
SourcRememberex Calculator

The table above shows 56 Lotterycodex patterns applicable for Tennessee Cash. Only 3 of these 56 patterns are best to use.

Pattern #20 could occur 37 times in 2,000 draws.

Pattern #38 is the worst and could only occur 12 times in 2,000 draws.

The best patterns can give you more good shots to match the winning combination. For Tennessee Cash, they are patterns #1, #2, and #3.

Let’s see how Lotterycodex applies to Tennessee Cash 4 Life.

Tennessee Cash 4 Life has 4 Lotterycodex combinatorial design number sets. The low-odd contains 1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15,17,19,21,23,25,27,29. Low-even has 2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18,20,22,24,26,28,30. High-odd includes 31,33,35,37,39,41,43,45,47,49,51,53,55,57,59. High-even consists of32,34,36,38,40,42,44,46,48,50,52,54,56,58,60.
Source: Lotterycodex Calculator

What advanced combinatorial analysis will tell us about the Cash 4 Life game?

This table shows an incomplete list of Lotterycodex patterns applicable for Tennessee Lottery Cash 4 Life. Pattern #1 is a best pattern and has 130 expected frequencies in 2,000 draws, 342 expected frequencies in 5,000 draws and 15 estimated intervals. One example of middle pattern is pattern #17 and has 37 expected frequencies in 2,000 draws, 94 expected frequency in 5,000 draws and 53 estimated intervals. A worst pattern is pattern #41 has 7 expected frequencies in 2,000 draws.
Source: Lotterycodex Calculator

The table above shows an incomplete list of Lotterycodex patterns but can adequately illustrate the difference between the best, middle, and worst patterns.

The Cash 4 Life game has 56 Lotterycodex patterns. Pattern #1 is one of the best patterns.

The middle patterns are #5 to #28, while the worst are #29 to #56.

Now, let’s check Lotto America.

Tennessee Lotto America has 4 Lotterycodex combinatorial design number sets. The low-odd contains 1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15,17,19,21,23,25. Low-even has 2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18,20,22,24,26. High-odd includes 27,29,31,33,35,37,39,41,43,45,47,49,51. High-even consists of28,30,32,34,36,38,40,42,44,46,48,50,52.
Source: Lotterycodex Calculator

Of the 56 patterns, only four offer the best ratio for Lotto America. Without this knowledge, it is easy to spend money on worthless combinations.

What do these patterns look like? Read my free guide: The Winning Lottery Formula Based on Combinatorics and Probability Theory.

Analyzing the composition of combinatorial patterns helps us accomplish an important aim. This aim is to play Tennessee Lottery games with more good shots and fewer chances to fail.

Law of Large Numbers and Tennessee Lottery

You learned about the law of large numbers at the beginning of our discussion. This law tells us that all numbers converge in the same probability value.

But when numbers are put together to make a combination, some combinatorial groups tend to dominate the draws.

In this visual analysis, you see that as the number of draws increases, combinations are better than the others. The sizeable number of draws lets you see that there will be groups of combinations with more occurrences than the other.

We describe this group of combinations using Lotterycodex patterns.

This table shows the sample probability calculation of Lotterycodex patterns for Tennessee Cash. Pattern #1 is a best pattern that has probability value of 0.0718598290, 144 estimated occurrences in 2,000 draws, 359 estimated occurrences in 5,000 draws and approximate interval of 14. A middle pattern, Pattern #17 has a probability value of 0.0209591168, 42 estimated occurrences in 2,000 draws, 105 estimated occurrences in 5,000 draws and an approximate interval of 48.
Source: Lotterycodex Calculator

Lotto players are advised to use the best patterns with more occurrences. It is because they are the ones that will dominate the game according to the law of large numbers.

Let us use the values from the table above, which you can apply to Tennessee Cash games.

Pattern #1:

= 0.0718598290 x 2,000
= Occurs about 144 times

Pattern #17:

= 0.0209591168 x 2,000
= Occurs about 42 times

Pattern #41:

= 0.0034931861 x 2,000
= Occurs about seven times

As you can see from the probability calculation, pattern #41 is the worst because it only occurs about seven times in 2000 draws. Pattern #1 dominates the game.

This trend will remain the same as lottery draws continue to take place. Pattern #1 will always dominate the draws.

This knowledge lets you know what patterns will give you more good shots.

Let’s check the Lotterycodex patterns in Cash 4 Life.

This table shows the sample probability calculation of Lotterycodex patterns for Tennessee Cash. Pattern #1 is a best pattern that has probability value of 0.0648858778, 130 estimated occurrences in 2,000 draws, 324 estimated occurrences in 5,000 draws and approximate interval of 15. A middle pattern, Pattern #17 has probability value of 0.0187448091, 37 estimated occurrences in 2,000 draws, 94 estimated occurrences in 5,000 draws and approximate interval of 53.
Source: Lotterycodex Calculator

Pattern #1:

= 0.0648858778 x 2,000
= Occurs about 130 times

Pattern #17:

= 0.0187448091x 2,000
= Occurs about 37 times

Pattern #53:

= 0.0005498477 x 2,000
= Occurs about once

Pattern #1 offers a ratio of 1 to 15, while pattern #17 offers a 1 to 54 ratio. Pattern #53 gets the worst ratio. This only means you get more shots when using pattern #1. This combinatorial analysis will direct you toward better decision-making.

Suppose you still insist on using pattern #17. Then, it will take 55 attempts before you get one good shot to match the winning combination. Meanwhile, with pattern #1, you need only 16 attempts to get a favorable shot.

Probability and combinatorial calculation can be time-consuming and very complex. Fortunately, you can use a Lotterycodex calculator.

A Lotterycodex calculator will conveniently and accurately apply advanced combinatorial and probability analysis in your lottery games.

Using Quick Picks and Superstitions

Superstitions are integral parts of many cultures. Some say there is nothing wrong with following superstitions if it keeps you from harm. Yet, some superstitions could hamper your odds of winning a lottery.

Many consider the number 13 unlucky. There are unlucky numbers in different countries, such as 4 in China, 17 in Italy, and 9 in Japan.

In Thailand, lottery players might spend hours rubbing the bark of trees so they could see lucky numbers on the bark’s grain.

As explained earlier, hot and cold numbers don’t exist according to the law of large numbers.

It is the probability that dictates the outcome of the game. And in a lottery draw where random draws occur, your choice of odds matters.

You could follow some superstitions if it doesn’t affect a mathematical strategy. For example, one is buying tickets from a store believed to be lucky. Another is placing a coin in your shoes or pocket when you buy tickets.

When marking the numbers on the playslip, do not choose Quick Pick.

The quick-pick method makes number selection a breeze. Yet, using this option is like playing without a strategy. A playslip with marked quick-pick options lets the lotto machine select the numbers randomly.

This quick-pick program doesn’t do combinatorial and probability analysis. Instead, it only randomly assigns a number to your ticket.

Combinatorics and probability theory remain the best way to develop a lottery game plan. This mathematical approach is the basis of Lotterycodex.

Nonrandom Combination in Tennessee Lottery

Combinatorial patterns can come in different ways. That’s why Lotterycodex patterns are so useful to help you eliminate unwanted patterns.

Nonrandom combinations are unlikely to occur in a truly random lottery draw game. It’s not impossible, but improbable.

Take a look at this table below:

In Tennessee Cash, there are non-random combinations a player could use. Some have easily noticeable patterns, like 5–10–15–20–25 and 2–4–6–8–10. Others have not easily noticeable patterns like 1–4–7–25–29 and 2–4–5–20–24.

The nonrandom combinations might be the physical pattern created when marking numbers on a lottery playslip. For example, 1-2–3–4–5 follows a consecutive counting pattern.

This non-random pattern does not always involve consecutive numbers. For example, in 2–4–6–8–10, the interval is 2. In 5–10–15–20–25, the interval is 5.

In Cash 4 Life, there are non-random combinations a player could use. Some have easily noticeable patterns, like 6–8–10–12–14 and 3–6–9–12–15. Others have not easily noticeable patterns like 1–8–9–53–54 and 5–8–11–14–17.

1–2–3–11–12 follows a variation of the consecutive counting pattern. The first three and the last two numbers have an interval of 1.

1–2–11–12–21 also has an easily seen pattern. However, this combination contains only two numbers, 1 and 2.

In Lotto America, there are non-random combinations a player could use. Some have easily noticeable patterns, like 1–2–3–11–12 and 1–2–11–12–21. Others have not easily noticeable patterns like 27–34–40–45–49 and 22–30–37–43–48.

Some nonrandom patterns may need to be clarified. An example for Lotto America is 4–6–9–13–18. You have to think about the interval between the numbers. For this nonrandom combination, there are intervals of 2, 3, 4, and 5 between numbers.

Just because these nonrandom combinations occur in a lottery draw does not mean we must use them. Remember, these events rarely occur. You don’t get favorable shots when you buy tickets with these combinations.

Have Fun with Tennessee Lottery

Knowledge is power. Combinatorial mathematics and probability are the mathematical concepts that will provide you with crucial data when making a lotto combination.

You should understand many things about lotteries and remember to have fun when playing. However, remember that “fun” automatically comes with “responsibility” when playing.

Set a certain amount of money to spend on lottery games. Stick to this budget no matter what happens. You will regret it if you spend more than you can afford to lose.

Consider playing with other players in a lottery syndicate to increase your money’s purchasing capability and buy more tickets. A lottery syndicate is a group of lotto players who pool their money to cover more lines.

Whatever prize a syndicate wins, its members share it fairly among themselves. You could join a well-established lotto syndicate or start a small one with friends and family.

Expect to experience more losses than winnings when playing lottery games.

Rebecca Paul Hargrove, the President and CEO of Tennessee Lottery, said that lotteries are a huge business. Focus here on the word “business.” This helps change your perspective from being a lottery player to a lottery industry participant.

A simple change in perspective will teach you that winning the jackpot or minor prizes is not the only way to benefit from lotteries.

You could be a Tennessee Lottery retailer and enjoy benefits like a 6.5% Commission on Lottery Sales. However, if retailing is not an option, you could still offer services like buying other people’s tickets for a small fee.

Lotteries are entertainment, and winning prizes is a bonus you could get from playing.

This means that you must always treat lotteries as games in which you can have fun. Feel the excitement. You could also have fun playing lottery games with friends and relatives of legal age.

The moment you consider winning prizes a means of making money is when the lottery fun stops. Playing a lotto game is different from a real job.

Other Gaming Entertainment From Tennessee Lottery

Tennessee Lottery offers other draw games. These are Keno, Cash 3, and Cash 4. It also offers instant games or scratch cards. On its website, you can also read information about online sports wagering.

Whatever game you want, always remember to have fun and play responsibly.

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Edvin Hiltner

Edvin Hiltner runs Lotterycodex.com to prove that a sensible lotto strategy is practically feasible through the use of mathematics.