What is a Lottery Wheeling System?
Should I use a wheeling system? And will it increase my chance of winning? Find out here.
The fact is wheeling systems are not mysterious, secret, revolutionary or astounding. The people who sell them would like you to believe that
But there really isn't anything that clever about wheeling itself, as you're about to discover.
It's Just a Bunch Of Similar Lottery Numbers
A lottery wheeling system is just a way to play the different combinations of a set of numbers, that's all. Football pools players will be more familiar with the term 'perms' or permutations. (Here's some free lottery wheeling systems you can use)
But Let's Do An Example To Explain
So, you're playing a standard pick 6 numbers from 49 lottery game. Only, you want to pick 7 numbers and play every combination of them. If you write down all the possible combinations of 7 numbers, it should look a bit like this (we're using numbers 01 to 07):
Line Number | Numbers Played |
1 | 01 02 03 04 05 06 |
2 | 01 02 03 04 05 07 |
3 | 01 02 03 04 06 07 |
4 | 01 02 03 05 06 07 |
5 | 01 02 04 05 06 07 |
6 | 01 03 04 05 06 07 |
7 | 02 03 04 05 06 07 |
You can see how the pattern looks a bit like the diagonals of numbers are rotating round - hence the term 'wheel'!
If you played this 7 number wheeling system, it would cost you the same as any other 7 combinations. It would also give you 7 times the chance of winning the jackpot - just like any other 7 combinations. Obviously the more combinations you play, the better your chance of winning!
KEY FACT:
Do not be fooled into thinking if you wheel lottery numbers that it will magically increase your chances of hitting the jackpot. It simply won't. Your chances of winning the jackpot are exactly the same as playing the same number of combinations selected completely at random.
But there is a good reason to wheel your numbers, which we'll come to below.
So What About 'Multiple Prizes'..?
Unfortunately this is another way wheeling gets mis-sold.
There is more to the lottery than jackpots. There are 5 ball prizes, 4 ball prizes and 3 ball prizes. So what happens if you entered using your wheeling system of 7 numbers above, and the numbers drawn were: 01 02 03 04 48 49
Hey, you just won a 4 ball prize!
But wait, look again. Check each line you played for those winning numbers. Here's what you've really won:
Line Number | Numbers Played | Prize Won |
1 | 01 02 03 04 05 06 | 4 ball prize |
2 | 01 02 03 04 05 07 | 4 ball prize |
3 | 01 02 03 04 06 07 | 4 ball prize |
4 | 01 02 03 05 06 07 | 3 ball prize |
5 | 01 02 04 05 06 07 | 3 ball prize |
6 | 01 03 04 05 06 07 | 3 ball prize |
7 | 02 03 04 05 06 07 | 3 ball prize |
So you've actually won 3 four ball prizes AND 4 three ball prizes. Now that must be the true power of wheeling? So not bad at all - well done you! And don't forget who taught you this amazing breakthrough lotto wheeling system when you collect your winnings... :-)
But hold on a second. This is exactly what the 'lottery system' sellers do when trying to sell another bottle of 'snake oil'!
Yes, if the numbers in your wheel come up, you could win multiple prizes. But because you're covering less of the whole field of numbers, this actually just averages out in the long run. So again, all is not as shiny as it seems...
[Q] So Why Bother Wheeling?
[A] Win Guarantees!
The real reason to wheel numbers is more minor than the junk wheeling systems 'big claims'. It's about the small wins.
The better wheeling systems are designed to provide a certain win guarantee. This does not mean you are 'guaranteed to win', as every guarantee comes with an 'if'. (This is still a lottery, not a key to the bank vault!)
What the 'guarantee' really means is that if you match a certain amount of your overall set of numbers, then you win at least a specified prize.
That sounds confusing. But it's actually quite simple.
For example. You could play a 15 number system, where you have a 'match 4 guarantee if 5 of your numbers are drawn'. You can do that in 40 different combinations (or tickets).
Here's what that means in English:-
You choose 15 different numbers, and enter them into the wheel template. This produces 40 different combinations to buy. Then, when you check the results, if any 5 of the 15 numbers you chose got drawn... then you know you have won at the very least a match 4 prize.
Why is this useful?
The real reason is because it's better to have some guarantee than none at all.
It's possible to buy 40 different combinations, and still win nothing even if all 6 of the numbers drawn are in there somewhere.
By wheeling your numbers, you avoid that possibility.
So the truth is, wheeling is really about the small prizes, not the jackpot at all.
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Recommended Wheeling Book
There's a really good book about wheeling by Iliya Bluskov - the wheels in it are often better optimised than those being sold as complicated software by certain other websites... And that means they are cheaper to play for same win guarantee (every time you play - and that adds up!).
You can get Iliyas book at Amazon here. It's not for total beginners, but if you get stuck you can always ask us for help.
[NOTE: The books cover looks really cheesy :-) - but this guy is actually a world expert at combinatorial mathematics. He's a Professor with numerous papers published on this specific topic. So the book itself and the wheels are actually very good indeed. It's about the Bluskov wheeling systems, not a pretty cover!]
Easy Wheeling System That Works?
But if you want the really easy way, then you may prefer 'Win Lotto Systems' instead. It's a book and software package by Will Foster. The book is a good general guide on lottery strategy (which will actually help you!), and the software is basic but very simple to use lottery wheeling software.
You can get Win Lotto Systems online direct from the publisher here.
The Bottom Line
Wheeling is not about the jackpot! It can't hurt your chances of winning the big prize - but it's really about the small prizes.
When it comes to the jackpot it's more entries that give you a better chance of winning, NOT how those entries are selected.
You can even consider saving up your entries and playing less often. Because 5 combinations in one draw have a slightly better chance of winning than 1 combination in 5 draws. It's not quite as exciting as being in every draw though, but actually winning the lottery can make up for that ;-)
The alternative of course is to trade a much better chance of winning for a decent share of the jackpot millions - which is a great reason to join a lottery syndicate of course!
