A Lottery Wheeling Example A Lottery Wheeling ExampleHere's an example of a simple lottery wheel at work in a typical Pick-6 game.
A Lottery Wheel at Work
Some Points to Remember
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A Lottery Wheel at Work What is a lottery 'wheel'? It's a way to make your numbers work together, at the lowest cost, to aim for a specific prize. It's the exact opposite of playing at random. Consider how you play. First, you choose your numbers. Second, you arrange them into combinations. It's in this second step -- combining your numbers -- that wheeling becomes a tool for controlling your play. Not just a useful tool, but a vital one. Here is an example of a wheel at work. Our game is a Pick-6 game, and we want to play 10 numbers. We'll take these 10 numbers: 7, 11, 12, 14, 17, 23, 26, 28, 31, and 32. We'll play these numbers into three random combinations, and into three wheeled combinations. A. Random Combinations 7 11 12 14 17 23 12 14 17 23 26 28 17 23 26 28 31 32 B. Wheeled Combinations 7 11 12 14 17 23 7 11 12 14 31 32 17 23 26 28 31 32 Examine the first set of combinations. At first glance, that set -- the Random one -- looks more like a 'system' than the second set. The player has taken the first six numbers (7 through 23) and placed them into the first combination. The middle six numbers (12 through 28) were put into the second combination, and the last six numbers (17 through 32) went into the third combination. By playing the numbers in that way, the player might believe that they're being 'covered' to reach a prize goal. In reality, they're not being covered very well. Now look at the second set -- the Wheeled set. These three combinations were made by putting the numbers into a wheeling system. How the Wheel Works Notice the difference between the two sets. Their only difference is in the second combination -- but what a difference it makes! The Wheeled set gives us a guarantee: If any six of our 10 numbers are drawn as the game's winning numbers, we'll have at least a 4-number prize. The Random combinations do not give us this guarantee. Prove It for Yourself! Let's see how the combinations work. Suppose the game draws these six winners: 7-11-12-26-28-31. With our Wheeled combinations, we'll take home a solid 4-number win -- with our second combination. And we'll have two 3-number wins also, with the other combinations. The Random combinations will produce some 3-number wins, but not any 4-number win. That's the main reason why the Random combinations are really not a 'system' -- even though they look like one. A 'system' must have a specific prize goal, and a means for getting there. That's what we achieved with the Wheeled combinations, but not with the Random ones. You can prove this for yourself. Look again at the 10 numbers we started with, and make some 6-number sets out of them -- exactly like the lottery game might draw. For each combination you make, our Wheeled combinations give us a 4-number win. You'll find 12 ways that the Random play can't do this. For example, try these two combinations: 7-11-14-26-28-31, and 11-12-14-26-28-31. The wheel scores four winners each time, and the random play does not. But . . . What About the Jackpot Chances? An interesting question arises. Suppose the game draws all six numbers in the second combination, in the Random set. The 'Random' player has a Jackpot; the 'Wheeling' player does not. Is the Random set better? If that happens, the 'Random' player will believe it is better! On the other hand, suppose the game draws all six numbers from the Wheeled set's second combination. If that happens, the 'Wheeling' player has the top prize. In reality, both players have equal chances of scoring a Jackpot win. It is just as likely for the game to draw six winning numbers from the Random set, as it is from the Wheeled set. Both players' Jackpot chances are determined only by the amount of combinations they play -- in each case, three combinations. Another way to view the two sets is that they also have equal chances of not matching the Jackpot. The difference between them is in the way they cover a lower prize, if the Jackpot is not won. 
Some Points to Remember In the example above, both methods use three combinations. It doesn't cost us any more to play our wheeled numbers. And both methods have exactly the same Jackpot chances. Here's the main difference: Our wheel gives us a minimum win guarantee for matching the game's winners, while our random play does not. So, to maximize your chances of winning a good prize: Play your numbers carefully, and use a wheeling system. Many fine systems have been published. Choose one that fits your budget, and takes aim at that prize you want.
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