I don't know if anyone has ever discussed this before, and if so, maybe it's old news. But I've never bought into the theory that all the white balls in Powerball had an equal chance of being drawn based on where the ball has to be at the time a ball is drawn (in the middle of the hopper). So I started watching videos of drawings - http://www.musl.com/pbvideos.asp - and set up what I figured was how the balls were arranged in columns prior to being dropped. I thought that order may be important because naturally the inside balls at the time of the drawing (not necessarily where they are when they're dropped, but most balls will stick together) have a better chance of being picked and to me on the video it looks like the outside balls at the time only bounce around the outside when the shuffling part occurs. By the video's, it's hard to tell what balls are in which columns, but this is how I figured they were arranged.
11 |
|
32 |
|
53 |
10 |
21 |
31 |
42 |
52 |
9 |
20 |
30 |
41 |
51 |
8 |
19 |
29 |
40 |
50 |
7 |
18 |
28 |
39 |
49 |
6 |
17 |
27 |
38 |
48 |
5 |
16 |
26 |
37 |
47 |
4 |
15 |
25 |
36 |
46 |
3 |
14 |
24 |
35 |
45 |
2 |
13 |
23 |
34 |
44 |
1 |
12 |
22 |
33 |
43 |
I put the numbers in a spreadsheet and then started highlighting the white balls that were chosen for the drawings this year. Here's what the last one looked like:
3/13/2004 |
|
50-44-11-48-45 |
|
11 |
|
32 |
|
53 |
10 |
21 |
31 |
42 |
52 |
9 |
20 |
30 |
41 |
51 |
8 |
19 |
29 |
40 |
50 |
7 |
18 |
28 |
39 |
49 |
6 |
17 |
27 |
38 |
48 |
5 |
16 |
26 |
37 |
47 |
4 |
15 |
25 |
36 |
46 |
3 |
14 |
24 |
35 |
45 |
2 |
13 |
23 |
34 |
44 |
1 |
12 |
22 |
33 |
43 |
The date and balls drawn in order at the top and then those drawn highlighted with the first one drawn in a different color (the colors don't show up here but do on the spreadsheet). I was curious to see if the first one drawn had any effect on the rest of the draw. Anyway, I think if you look at the spreadsheet you'll see some interesting patterns, either certain columns or certain rows favored at times. What does it all mean? I think it could help out with wheeling - maybe wheel balls in certain columns or wheel certain rows close together based on some balls you had in mind. Just a theory and would be interested in what others thought. Here's a direct link if you want to download the spreadsheet:
http://www.popularlotterynumbers.com/balldrop.zip
I didn't bother with the powerball because I figured it had more time to shuffle around, but if anyone wants to look into it, this is the pattern I think they use for the columns prior to the drop:
9 |
|
|
|
42 |
8 |
17 |
25 |
33 |
41 |
7 |
16 |
24 |
32 |
40 |
6 |
15 |
23 |
31 |
39 |
5 |
14 |
22 |
30 |
38 |
4 |
13 |
21 |
29 |
37 |
3 |
12 |
20 |
28 |
36 |
2 |
11 |
19 |
27 |
35 |
1 |
10 |
18 |
26 |
34 |
plnwebguy