Does quick pick offer better winners than choosing your own numbers?
As you think about which numbers to pick for the next Powerball draw, you’re probably weighing up the options between choosing your own and letting the lottery machine do its Quick Pick magic for you.
Quick Pick tickets are made up of randomly chosen numbers. This is done by the lottery’s computer system.
Powerball lottery officials tell us that around three-quarters of Powerball jackpot winners have won with Quick Pick tickets.
But are the odds really better with Quick Pick tickets as opposed to choosing your own Powerball numbers?
Why Quick Pick Lottery Numbers Are A Popular Option
Using the Quick Pick number option has advantages. Mostly, it’s quick. If you want to grab your tickets and hope for a chance of winning the jackpot prize, getting the computer to randomly choose number sequences for you is simply convenient. You don’t need to put any thought into your numbers, and you don’t have to spend time filling out tickets.
What’s more, Quick Pick numbers are completely random – just like the numbers drawn every week. So, when you try to outsmart the computer and pick your own sets of numbers, you’re more likely lowering your winning chances.
That’s because we tend to be emotional about numbers. Some we like, others we don’t. Computers don’t have that type of bias.
Also, we’re a lot more likely to choose numbers that we attach a meaning to, like anniversaries and dates of birth. As a result, some numbers are chosen a whole lot more than others – especially between 1 and 31. If you do win with a common number, your chances of splitting the jackpot are much higher.
Quick Pick May Just Trump Self-Pick
If there were any clearer ways to improve your odds of winning the lottery, we’d all be doing it. The mere fact that there is still a debate over Quick Pick versus picking your own lottery number sets goes to show there isn’t, technically, a clear winner.
Let’s look at it factually. More Quick Pickers win Powerball jackpots than players who choose their own numbers. In fact, the NY Times reports that as many as 70% of lottery winners opted for Quick Pick combos.
Richard Lustig, a 7-times lottery winner, stands by his view that Quick Pick tickets are the lazy way to play the lottery. Be that as it may, there’s still that high percentage of Quick Pick jackpot winners and that 70% is a percentage we just can’t ignore.
What’s Right for You?
If you just want to grab a couple of tickets the next time you’re getting milk and bread at your local store, or it’s been left to you to pick up the office lottery pool’s batch of tickets, you won’t go wrong with Quick Pick tickets.
As for which numbers you should pick if you prefer to choose your own combinations, it all boils down to what just makes sense for you. If you love nothing more than poring over the numbers to pick a pattern, then devising a number-picking system is going to be right for you. If you have fun playing with your anniversary and family birth dates, go for it! After all, even splitting a jackpot on common numbers is far better than not winnings at all.
The most important thing, though, if you do enjoy playing the lottery, is to set a budget that you can comfortably afford and always stick to it. Even a slight chance of winning a big jackpot is not worth blowing this month’s grocery and rent on lottery tickets.
So, if you’re still wondering whether randomly generated numbers win Powerball more frequently, the answer is, according to the stats, a big yes!
Check out the latest Powerball results today at Powerball.ca.