Guides

What is true about the lottery and what is not. Every figure in these guides is worked out from the game's rules, and every guide points to the tool that proves it.

• We simulated 10 million lottery players: here is what happened to themPowerball, every draw for 20 years: the typical player -$5,690
• Lottery hacks that work, and the ones that don'tThe highest payback here: Extra 5 55.8%
• Why birthdays are the worst numbers you can pickEuroMillions: draws with a number above 31 92%
• How big a jackpot has to be before a ticket is worth itIrish Lotto pays back its price from a jackpot of €14 million
• Syndicates: the maths of sharingTen together in EuroMillions: jackpot 1 in 13,983,816
• Hot and cold numbers are a myth: here is the proofThe 5 "hot" numbers, over the next 500 draws 58.6 times