How To: Win the lottery

Learn how to win the lottery.

That little ticket may seem like a long shot, but simple statistics can help you maximize your chances of winning a small fortune.

You Will Need

* A lottery ticket or scratch-off card
* People to pool your resources with

Step 1. Mix up your numbers

When you're picking numbers, try to get a good mix of odds, evens, highs, and lows.

Step 2. Pool with others

People who pool their money have a wider variety of number choices and can afford to buy more tickets. But before laying out any cash, the group should sign a mutually agreeable contract.

Step 3. Don't play consecutive numbers

Don't play consecutive combinations: It's extremely unlikely that four or five numbers will hit.

Step 4. Vary your picks

Don't pick all of your numbers from the same number group, like the tens or thirties, and avoid selections that all end in the same digit.

Step 5. Play smaller games

For contests where there is always a winner, increase your chances by playing unpopular games and times — like small payouts and on days like Friday the 13th.

Step 6. Consider scratch-offs

Be smart about scratch-offs. They have better odds than the pick-a-number games, but the payouts are smaller.

Step 7. Go beyond the calendar

People often play dates that are special to them, which means the numbers one through 31 get a real workout. It won't help you win, but if you do, choosing numbers over 31 will help you win bigger, because fewer people will be sharing the jackpot.

Fact: In 2002, a West Virginia man won a $315 million Powerball jackpot, then the largest jackpot ever awarded to a single winner. Oddly enough, he was already a millionaire before he won.