Pros and cons of using Quick Picks when playing Powerball

According to Powerball’s official website, between seventy and eighty percent of those who purchase tickets for the lottery game use Quick Picks. The tool allows players to use a random generator to select the numbers they wish to bet. While perhaps surprising to lottery players who select their numbers, those who use Quick Picks win at similar rates. Aside from players avoiding the creation of an emotional connection with the numbers they choose, which can make playing more addictive, Quick Picks can save players time.

Are there possible cons to using Quick Picks?

No, because statistically, the odds are the same for randomly generated numbers and those selected by a player.

Let’s take a look at an imaginary situation.

Imagine a lottery where one ball is selected between one and ten. In our imagery lottery, there are only two players: one who uses a random number generator to place their bet and one who uses an emotional connection to a number to choose. Both players have a 10 percent chance of correctly guessing the number drawn, regardless of what motivated each player to select their bet. Scaling this example up, we can now see how lottery tickets using Quick Picks have the same chance of winning as those who use the same numbers week after week.

Some may argue that using the same numbers week after week gives them a better chance, but again, statistically, this is false.

Let’s return to our one-ball lottery with ten possible numbers.

Imagine that there is one drawing a week. Players should know that the numbers drawn the week prior do not influence the chances specific numbers are drawn the following week. Say over a three-week period, the winning numbers drawn are: three, seven, and three. A player may look at those results and think that since three was selected twice in the last three weeks, the odds of being drawn a third time in four weeks are lower. However, this thinking is flawed because it does not treat each drawing as an isolated event. Each week, regardless of what past drawings have produced, each number has a ten percent chance of being selected.

Don’t let the lottery control your life

Long story short, the lottery can be extremely addictive for some players, and selecting their numbers can give them a false sense of control over the game. For those who believe that they may need support with their gambling addiction, support is available twenty-four hours a day at 1-800-522-4700.

Don’t wait to call.