Tip 06:   Making Zone Wheels with Professional Wheeling
  (Method 2)

There's another way you can generate Zone wheels automatically in Professional Wheeling.

With this method, you can make Zones of different sizes, each with a specific guarantee.  It's very flexible.  You have virtually unlimited options for how you want to construct your wheel.

For example, you can make a 20-number wheel that puts your numbers into two separate, 10-number Zones.  If you match the numbers in one Zone, you'll have a certain kind of prize.  If you match the numbers in the other Zone, you'll have a different kind of prize.  And if you match the numbers in other ways (some from one Zone, and some from the other), you'll have still another kind of prize.

You can determine how many Zones you want, and how many numbers in each Zone.  For example, you could make one Zone with 8 numbers, and the other with 12 numbers.  Or, you could use three, four, or more Zones, instead of two -- and so on.

With this method, you can use your  'Generate Wheel Automatically'  or  'Make Large Linked Wheels'  program.

You'll use two techniques here.   One is  'Offsetting' the pointers in your wheel file.  The other is  'Joining'  two or more wheel files together, to make a final wheel.

What's an 'Offset'?

Each wheel contains combinations.  These are not combinations of your numbers.  Instead, they are 'pointers' to the set of numbers that you will be playing, later, when you use the wheel.

The wheel's 'pointers' will simply 'point' to your chosen numbers, and will put them into combinations that you can play in your game.

For example, one combination could 'point' to your first six numbers.  Another could 'point' to a different set of six numbers, and so on.  When you play the wheel (and put your chosen numbers into it), the wheel will ensure that your numbers are combined in the way you want them to be.

When you 'Offset' the pointers, you're simply making them point to a different set of your chosen numbers.

For example, suppose your wheel has pointers that 'point' to the first six numbers you play.   this case, your "first through sixth" numbers will appear together as a combination.  Now, suppose you apply an 'offset' of ten -- that is, you are shifting your pointers higher by ten places.   they will point to your "eleventh through sixteenth" numbers, and will put those numbers into a combination.

Offsets are very useful in making custom wheels.  By applying them as you generate a wheel, you are making that wheel point only to your desired set of numbers.

Then, by joining several wheels together, each set of numbers now becomes a Zone within a single wheel.  Each Zone has a set of numbers, has its own matching requirements, and gives you a unique prize for a good match.  Yet, you have a single wheel that can be selected, played, filtered, have its playslips printed, and checked for wins.

'Make a Zone Numbers Wheel' Example

For example, you can make a Pick-6, 30-number wheel.  It will have three Zones, containing 9, 9, and 12 numbers respectively.

Here's what the wheel looks like:

Zone 1 (9)

Zone 2 (9)

Zone 3 (12)

A.  Start either of the above programs, and select a wheel name.  Specify that you want 9 numbers.  When the program asks if you want to 'offset' the numbers, use 'zero' offset.  (That's the default setting -- you can just press Enter.)

• The wheel will be generated automatically.  When it's finished, store it.  You now have one wheel.

B.  Now generate a new wheel, with a new name. Again specify that you want 9 numbers.  This time, give it an 'Offset' of 9.

• When it's generated, store it.  You now have a second wheel.

C.  Now generate a third wheel, with a new name, and with 12 numbers.  This time, give it an 'Offset' of 18.

• When it's generated, store it.  You now have a third wheel.

D.  You now have three wheel files.  Join the wheel files together (merge them all into one file).

• Use your  'Join Text Wheel Combinations'  selection in Professional Wheeling to do this.



• During the 'Joining' process, Professional Wheeling will automatically eliminate any duplicate combinations that it finds in your multiple files. (In this case, there will not be any duplicate combinations.)  It will also re-sort the combinations in your final wheel.

The Wheel's Zones

You now have one wheel.  It has three Zones.  Let's review them:

• The first Zone has 9 numbers, and points to your first 9 numbers (it has pointers 1-9 in it).
• The second Zone has 9 numbers, and points to your 10th through 18th number.
• The third Zone has 12 numbers, and points to your 19th through 30th number.

Testing the Wheel

You can test the wheel with your  'Check Wheel Hits and Holes'  selection in Professional Wheeling.  If the wheel has holes in any zone, your program can repair them automatically for you.

You can check the wheel two ways:

• Individual wheel files:  You can check the individual wheels before you join them.  In your "Check" program, specify that you want to check the "Wheel's Range of Matches".  That way, the program will only look for (and repair) the matches within that wheel file.



• Combined wheel files:  You can check the entire wheel after you join the files.  In your "Check" program, specify that you want to check a "custom Range of Matches". Enter the range you want to check (the beginning and ending combination in any Zone).  That way, the program will only look for (and repair) the matches within that Zone.

A Completed Wheel Example

An example of a completed Zone wheel would be:

• The wheel plays 30 numbers.
• It has 3 Zones, consisting of 9, 9, and 12 numbers respectively.
• If you successfully match 6 of the first 9 numbers (in Zone 1), you'll have a Jackpot match.
• If you match 6 of 9 in Zone 2, you'll have a 5-number win.
• Or, if you match 6 of 12 in Zone 3, you'll have a 4-number win.
• If you do not match 6 in any single Zone (say, you match 3 in one Zone, and 3 in another) you'll have multiple lower prizes.

How Zones Match Winning Numbers

How you  'match'  the winning numbers depends on how you constructed your Zones.  It's all in how you use your 'Offsets'.  For example, you could make the Zones 'fit' together exactly.  That's how the wheel example above works.

Or, you could make them 'overlap' -- with some numbers falling into two Zones (presumably, these would be your higher-priority number choices).  That way, if a number wins, it is matched in multiple ways in your wheel.

The worst case (other than not matching any winning numbers) would be a wheel that has no overlap between the Zones -- and you match just 2 winning numbers in each Zone.  You would have many, multiple 2-number winners, but no prizes in your game.  Providing the wheel with a moderate overlap helps to cover that worst case.

Other Tips

Your Professional Wheeling guidebook provides a full explanation of your programs, with examples.  Lottery Director players have come up with some innovative wheel designs, using these techniques.  Some of them have been made available on Internet newsgroups and bulletin boards.  And if you would like additional information, we're happy to help by e-mail.

Screen Samples

The screen samples below show your Professional Wheeling main and wheel management menus.

Professional Wheeling Main Menu
Professional Wheeling Management Menu

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