Lottery mathematics Lottery mathematics Lottery mathematics is used to calculate probabilities of winning or losing a lottery game. It is based heavily on combinatorics, particularly the twelvefold way and combinations without replacement. In a typical 6/49 game, each player chooses six distinct numbers from a range of 1-49. If the six numbers on a ticket match the numbers drawn by the lottery, the ticket holder is a jackpot winner—regardless of the order of the numbers. The probability of this happening is 1 in 13,983,816. The chance of winning can be demonstrated as follows: The first number drawn has a 1 in 49
Lottery wheeling as a single ticket in terms of a particular guarantee, but allows playing with a larger set of numbers than will be drawn in the lottery. In contrast, a single ticket in a pick 6 lottery guarantees a 4-win if four of the player's numbers are drawn from a subset of only the six selections on that ticket. A lottery system with, say, 10 selections and the same guarantee would require at least 20 tickets but ensures a 4-win if four of the player's numbers are drawn from a subset of ten selections. The term "wheeling" comes from the cyclic