How Do You Pick Your Irish Lotto Numbers?
Last Updated: Thursday 29th July 2021, 14:48 pm
All that stands between you and an Irish Lotto fortune are six numbers, but how do you go about choosing the correct digits? Nicholas Walsh of Grannagh, Co Kilkenny received a cheque for €500,000 on Friday after pocketing the Lotto Plus 1 jackpot on Wednesday 11th May. Nicholas was asked how he came up with the winning line, to which he answered, “my lucky numbers have always been the birthday dates of every family member which means they will all probably expect a big hand-out!"
However, choosing notable dates might not always be the best course of action. Nicholas was lucky because the numbers drawn on that fateful night were 1, 7, 9, 17, 29 and 31, all within the possible range of days on a calendar. Had a ball above 31 been drawn, he wouldn’t have been able to win the jackpot by playing birthdays and anniversaries. As there are 47 balls in play in Irish Lotto, Lotto Plus 1 and Lotto Plus 2, there are 16 numbers that could instantly ruin this system if they were to be drawn.
Another issue with this method of picking Irish Lotto numbers is that it is extremely popular, meaning there is a higher risk of having to share your prize if you do strike it lucky. The same goes for playing obvious patterns, such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 or even multiples of 7, a number commonly thought to bring good fortune. While Nicholas was fortunate in that the Lotto Plus top prizes are not split between multiple winners, had he won the Irish Lotto jackpot he may not have gotten to keep it all to himself.
On Wednesday 23rd March, the winning UK Lotto numbers were 7, 14, 21, 35, 41 and 42, five of which are multiples of 7. On that night, an unprecedented 4,082 players matched five balls, splitting the pot so many ways that each player received just £15 (€19.40), compared with 55 ticket holders banking £1,896 (€2,458) each in the same tier in the previous draw. Had the 41 in the winning line been a 28, completing the pattern, it is entirely possible that there could have been 4,082 jackpot winners, each receiving a £6,096 (€7,903) share of the £24.8 million (€32.1 million) top prize.
Every Irish Lotto line has as much chance of winning as any other, but in order to avoid having to share your award with others, picking a random selection is advisable. The Irish Lotto Number Generator will provide you with as many lines as you like, helping you avoid falling into patterns that may lower your payout.
