Are you hoping for a half-a-billion-dollar win like this one from Powerball? These tips will help you decide

  Photo: Powerball

Recently I got an email from Lino, wondering which game he should play.

“Dear Ken, I’m undecided about which game to play because the big jackpots are appealing but you say to choose the smaller games. How will I win big then?”

Choosing the right game is not the easiest thing to figure out.

It seems a simple task at first – just choose your game from LottoPredict’s Star Rating:

The LottoPredict star rating tells you which is the best game to play based on a number of factors

  Image: Silver Lotto

But sometimes you need to dig a little deeper, past the Star Rating, and consider a few more things.

So here are 5 steps to select the best game for YOU:

#1. What choice of games is available to you?

You may have only a single game in your country like Singapore or Greece. So your decision is easy. But most players have two or more choices… a local or state game, and a national one. If you live in California, like Lino does for example, then you have a choice of three… California SuperLotto Plus, Powerball and Mega Millions. How do you select between these?…

#2. Do you want the jackpot or secondary prizes?

Are you planning to go for the jackpot (harder to win) instead of a second-division prize which is much easier? If you select the jackpot, what level will you play… when it gets above $1M, $10M, or $50M? Or will you go instead for the second-tier prizes – which means you can play more often since you’re not waiting for the jackpot to climb?

#3. How fast do you want to win a jackpot?

Does the jackpot rise quickly after every unclaimed prize game like Powerball, or slowly like New York Lotto? The speed of the jackpot increase is a factor when you want the best value from your tickets. Second-tier prizes are better because they are often fixed so there’s not that variation.

#4. How many bonus balls does the game have?

If there are bonus or mega balls along with the main numbers, then the odds of winning are harder. You can choose a game without bonus balls, but really, none are the best.

#5. How much do you want to spend?

The cheaper the ticket price, the greater the number of tickets you can play. And the better winning odds you’ll have. If the ticket price is high, you are limited in the number you can play regularly. So where you can, pick a game with a low ticket price. LottoPredict tells you what price each game has.

WHAT’S THE ANSWER?

All these decisions can be made with the LottoPredict chart above. You can pick your best game simply by checking each question against the information it shows for ticket prices, Star Rating, ticket prices, days to play per week, and location.

But it can still get a little complicated. Even with all the choices ticked off, it’s still not easy. 

This is what I advised Lino who wanted to choose between three US games in his region: California SuperLotto Plus, Powerball and Mega Millions:

 “Choosing between games like this is never easy because there’s always a balance between the jackpot, secondary prizes, and ticket prices.

Since all three games play twice a week, that leaves just the prizes and ticket prices for you to select between.

California SuperLotto Plus has an advantage with its lower ball numbers, but the secondary prizes are low compared to the other games.”

Fast Stop Manager Luis Marron points to a California SuperLotto Plus winning ticket sold at his store in Lake View Terrace

  Photo: Supplied

I recommended Lino play the California SuperLotto Plus. But if the size of the prize is more important than the ease of winning, then he should go with the bigger jackpot games.

It’s what most players do anyway.

The Powerball and Mega Millions will always be more popular simply because of the size of their jackpots.

And lastly, you need not always be tied geographically to a game. If you live outside the USA, third-party ticket buyers like thelotter.com will buy your tickets on your behalf for many games around the world.