That’s because there are only a certain amount of numbers you can choose from.įor the Powerball, the white balls only range from 1 to 69, so when you select your numbers, you’ll want to ensure they fall between them. If you choose your own numbers, the retailer might look at you a little bit funny if you choose a winning number like 1,265. What Numbers Can You Pick in the Lottery? You'll go home with the jackpot if you match all six of these numbers during the next drawing. The Mega Millions and Powerball work similarly in that you’ll select five winning numbers plus one extra number for the Mega Ball or Powerball, respectively.

However, selecting your set of numbers can be fun if you’re feeling particularly lucky. The reality is that the odds of winning do not increase just because you chose your numbers rather than doing it randomly. This is also how you’ll prove that you’ve won. They’ll then hand you a playslip with your printed numbers for reference. You can tell them your numbers, or if you don’t know what to pick, you can ask them for a “quick pick,” in which all your numbers get selected randomly. With these, you’ll select a set of winning numbers when you purchase your lottery ticket at a retailer.

These games select winners through bi-weekly number drawings, so you’ll need to purchase tickets within those time frames unless you want to wait for the next drawing. On the other hand, draw games are your Mega Millions and Powerballs. You just tell the lottery retailer which card you want, and they’ll hand it to you. While each has individual game rules, these games do not require you to pick numbers ahead of time. The first is scratch-off games, where you scratch off cards to reveal prizes. When you play the lottery, there are two main types that you’re probably participating in. These games operate with number drawings, and while you get to select your winning numbers, how high can you go? How many numbers are there in that big ball machine that they do the drawings from, and are there ways to increase your chances of winning? When you’ve got the chance of winning prizes as high as billions of dollars, why not press your luck?

The Mega Millions and Powerball lottery are two of the country's most popular multi-state lottery games.

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