The three biggest mistakes to avoid when picking lottery numbers – they’re easy to make but could cost you the jackpot

EVERYONE dreams of winning big on the lottery.

But millions of people make simple mistakes when it comes to picking their numbers that could stop them from scooping the jackpot, one expert has revealed.

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Laura Pearson, vice president of global corporate affairs at Lottoland, told The Sun she’s seen people using weird and wonderful strategies to pick their numbers – but they actually result in them being less likely to take home the top prize.

The company studied user data and found a huge amount of people are sabotaging their chances of winning big by, unbelievably, trying too hard to win.

Here are some of the biggest mistakes you can make when picking your numbers for the lottery, as well as what you can do to actually improve your odds of scooping the jackpot.

Aiming too high

According to Ms Pearson, one of the biggest errors lottery players make is only gambling on the biggest jackpots.

As the size of the jackpot increases, the odds go down and the number of players tends to increase, making winning less likely.

“People should understand, first of all, that the bigger the jackpot, the bigger the odds are against them winning it,” she explained.

“This is because the higher the jackpot amount is, the greater the hype, so more people buy tickets.”

Instead, she suggests players consider opting for a lower cash prize that’s generating less attention.

And if you’re trying to beat the odds, don’t just focus on the jackpot odds, which tend to be what you’ll see first.

Instead, look in more detail at the various prize tiers each game offers and the odds of winning each of those.

“Learning the odds of different lottery games can make all the difference and might make you reconsider your favourite lottery,” Ms Pearson added.

Trying to pick ‘lucky numbers’ or ‘patterns’

Many of the largest lottery wins end up being shared out between a number of people, and there’s one big reason for this.

We all have a subconscious tendency to pick the same numbers, even if we’re trying hard to be different.

By thinking you’re picking “lucky” or “special” numbers, you’re increasing your chances of ending up with the same numbers as your peers.

This means you could miss out on taking home the jackpot all to yourself if your numbers do win.

“We see a lot of people who pick the number 7, and we also see a lot of people who try the reverse psychology approach and pick 13,” Ms Pearson said.

“Most common of all, though, are all the people picking numbers based on dates between 1 and 31 – a large proportion of whom all end up with the numbers 19 and 20.”

To set yourself apart and increase your chance of taking home the jackpot in full, pick the numbers at total random and don’t let anything else influence your choices.

Ms Pearson recommended using a “quick pick” to generate random numbers, as this doesn’t give you the opportunity to overthink.

Lottoland found many users also try to base their numbers on patterns, such as by drawing shapes on their tickets.

“There is no scientific basis whatsoever for using patterns to determine which numbers to choose, but using this type of system limits the amount of numbers you pick,” Ms Pearson said.

Picking based on previous wins

Another major mistake people make when picking their numbers is looking at previous jackpot wins, according to Lottoland.

You may be tempted to see what numbers have won before, but each lottery draw is entirely unique and past wins are no indicator of which numbers could come up in future.

In fact, it’s even less likely that the same set of numbers will reappear again in a short space of time.

“Any correlation between one draw and the next is purely coincidental, so you should be very wary, and indeed highly sceptical, of any of the so-called ‘lottery systems’ out there,” Ms Pearson warned.

She also advised to be wary of so-called lottery “gurus” or psychics who claim they can help predict the next numbers.

“After all, if you knew the results of a lottery jackpot in advance, would you tell anyone?” she pointed out.

How else can I improve my chances of winning?

No one can predict the next lottery numbers – if they could, they would already be very rich.

But there are some ways you can help increase your chances of winning if you’re prepared to put in a bit of extra work.

For example, you can join a lottery syndicate where you pool your numbers with other players to increase your overall chances of winning.

You may not take home as much of the big jackpot, but you’re more likely to get a cash prize at some point.

Most lottery games also have extra bonus games, such as the Irish Lotto’s Plus 1 and 2 games.

These don’t tend to cost as much as playing a whole new game, so you can boost your chances of winning for less.

Studying the odds is also a good idea for committed players.

You might figure out that you’re unlikely to win certain games, while others with lower cash prizes have a higher chance per game.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].

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This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk