Here we go!
I'm going to assume that everyone following this post has experience with lottery numbers.
Before I begin, I think I need to review how winning numbers are drawn in Texas.
For Cash 5, they use 3 ball machines and 7 sets of balls. Sometime on the day of the drawining, someone opens the storage area and uses a device to determine which machine and ball will be used, plus an alternate machine and ball set.
The machine is brought to the studio and the balls are loaded. They then conduct 4 separate pre-tests. The combinations are recorded and published on the lottery website, but not early enough for anyone to use the information.
At appropriate time, they conduct drawing No. 5, which is the real one. The balls are mixed and within a few seconds 5 balls are the chute. These are recorded and published as the winning numbers.
I don't think you have to be an expert in any field to realize there is no way under the sun that anyone can predict ahead of time what those 5 numbers will be. Case closed.
But at the same time, as you watch the chaos going on in the that drawing machine, you have to think that there ought to be someway to reflect that activity in a useful way. I did and two words came to mind - gaps and trends.
The gap idea has been around for a long time. It's described in articles and books. It's just one of many ideas, techniques, whatever, that have been in circulation since lotteries began.
There are several ways to determine gaps. I'm going to tell you how I do it in a simple but effective way.
The first thing you need to do is to go to your state lottery website and get the winning numbers for the last 30 drawings. You need to transcribe them on graph paper using the following rule:
Use A any number between 1 and 9, B for any number between 10 and 19, C for any number between 20 and 29, D for any number between 30 and 39, E for any number between 40 and 49 and F for any number between 50 and 59.
On top of the sheet of graph paper enter the name of the lottery you are working with. I suggest a Pick 5 lottery. You can work with the other pick 5, 5+ and 6 lotteries at a later time.
On the left side enter the drawing date, skip couple columns and write in the winning numbers in NUMERICAL order, and its alphabetical sequence.
For example, you could have 1007 1 10. 23. 28 37 ABCCD. Then the next line, etc.
As you do this, and if your are paying attention, something is going to snap as you build the alphabetical sequences. More later.
You will update this data after each drawing. I suggest you get the numbers from the website. Newspapers, TV often give out incorrect numbers.
Next step is to get a fresh sheet of graph paper. Mark it as a worksheet for A numbers.
Beginning on the left, start a # column. Write in the numbers 1 to 9 down the column. Skip a column and start a column headed G, then a column headed H, a column headed V, a column headed W and a column headed X. Write in the numbers 1-9 down each column. These are the gap numbers.
To review: # GSHVWX
This sequence of columns NEVER changes.
Go to your winning number worksheet and transcribe all the A numbers in the # column, which is the lotto number column, IN ORDER OF OCCURRENCE. Everything you will be doing will, should, be done in the order in which they occur. If a winning combination is 2.4.7.10.12, for example, you would write down 2, 4, 7. This is very important. If you violate this rule, then all subsequent data will be corrupt.
If you are set up, the first line should have 1's all across. As you go down, you will have a line of 9s, or 10s, if you are doing the B numbers.
I'm going to use the A numbers for the TX Cash 5 lottery I'm tracking.
The first A number is 1. I enter it below the 9 and then I COUNT UP COLUMN to the number 1 at top of the column. This is 9 spaces.
I then cross off the 1 and enter a 9 in the S column below the 9 that is already there.
I then count up the S column to the 9, which is a space of 1. I cross off the 9 and enter a 1 in the H column below the 9 thats already there.
I then count up the H column to the 1 and enter a 9 in the V column below the 9 that is already there.
I then count up to 9 in the V column and enter a 9 in the W column. I then count up to the 9 in the W column and enter a 1 in the X column.
The first line should read: 1 919191.
Very important that you cross off each number counted. Don't blot it out. Just use a light cross to indicate that the number has been counted.
The second A number in my Cash 5 is 3.
Starting with the last number in the column, I count up to number 3, which in this case is 8 spaces. I cross off the 3 and enter an 8 in the G column. I then count up to 8 in the G column, which is 2 spaces. I cross off the 8 and a 2 in the S column. I then count up to the 2 in the S column, cross it off and enter a 9 in the H column.
I count up the 9 in the H column, cross it off and enter 1 in the V column. I count up to 1 in the V column, cross it off and enter a 1 in the W column. I then count up to 1 in W column, cross it off and enter a 9 in the X column. I then go up and cross out the 9 in the X column.
The second line reads: 3 829119
Continuing the third lottery number is 7.
I count up the # column to 7. I cross it off and enter a 5 in the G column. I count up the G column to 5, cross it off and enter a 5 in the S column. I count up to 5 in the S column, cross it off and enter a 7 in the H column. I count up the H column to 7, cross it off and enter a 3 in the V column. I count up to 3 in the V column, cross it off and enter an 8 in the W column. I count up to 8 in the W column, cross if off and enter a 3 in the X column. I then go up and cross out the 3 in X column.
The third line reads: 7 557383.
Continue this scheme until all of the A numbers have been entered.
You need to take your time, try not to make any mistakes. Write plainly. You only have to do this once (for each lottery) and it has to be correct.
You know you have made a mistake when you count up a column to a certain number and find that you have already crossed off!!! Or, you find the same number twice, an indication that you failed to cross one of them off!!! You should never have more than 9 active A numbers and gaps.
When you have entered the last lottery number and computed the gaps, you will have a rather messy piece of very important graph paper. You need to keep it. It will have further use.
What you do at this point is get yourself a fresh sheet of graph paper. Enter the column headings at top left I use a red pencil for the A gaps. At bottom of the sheet, enter the word MASTER. Enter an A above the S.
Refer to your gap worksheet and enter the nine lottery numbers down the column in the order that they appear. You can use regular pencil or a color pencil. I use color to indicate that it's the starting point.
Now enter the gap numbers in the order in which they appear down the appropriate column.
After you have completed you master set of data,
you need to get 6 sheets of graph paper. If you have the kind that has small cells, that would be good. If not, regular cells will work.
Turn the graph sheet side ways. At the top left, 3 column to the right and 3 columns down, enter AG in the color your are using. Immediately below the AG enter numbers 1 thru 9 and a 'dot.'
To the right of AG, enter the first draw date of the numbers you are using. Enter only the draw dates, across the top of the sheet.
At the bottom of the sheet, at least 6 rows from the bottom of the page, enter the A gaps in the order they occur on your worksheet. This will begin 1.2.3, etc, and continue for as many numbers as you have. Enter ALL of the numbers.
When you are done, you will have a string of numbers from which you will create other aids. This data stream is unique to itself. It was created using lotto numbers, but will stand alone from here on.
Take a second sheet of graph paper, mark it AS and follow the same procedure as indicated for AG.
Again, you will have a stand alone data stream. At no point will you ever cross check it with another gap stream or in any other manner. It's a unique stream.
Take a third sheet of graph paper, mark it AH and follow the same procedure for AG and
AS. This is another unique, stand alone data string.
Follow the same procedure for AV, AW and AX.
Bottom line, you will have 6 repeat 6 unique data strings, which you will use to make your predictions.
Continuing, get another fresh sheet of graph paper. At the bottom of the page, enter MASTER. Above this word enter INVENTORY. Above that enter A-GAPS.
At the top of the sheet on the left, about 5 columns over enter AG. Below that, enter the numbers 1- 9.
A couple of rows below, enter AS and the numbers 1-9. Below that, enter AH and the numbers 1-0
Go back to the top of the sheet and in the middle of the page enter AV, 1 to 9, then AW, 1-9 and then, AX, 1-9.
Referring to your gap work sheet, conduct an inventory of the gap numbers in each of the 6 strings.
Use 4 down marks and a cross for each 5 occurrences.
When you are done, you will notice that although each string was created from lottery numbers, the count and frequency distributions vary, which is good.
The 'dot' will be used to enter the 'skips' on the draw date that they occur. More later.
Hope I have not made any mistakes explaining this. It's a simple procedure but can take a toll on your eyes. But, it will pay off later.
Next: Distribution and count charts.
Thanks for your interest,
Bobby