The pick 5 test, week 2. So far, the combo changed from one week to the next, with each matching 4 of 5 at least once. On the pick 3 side, it was 2 out of 3 twice in the only week tried so far. There are 2 cycles of mid and eve left, now it is time to pick just one to go into the weekend and next week. There could still be a hit, but must proceed as if there will not be a hit.

Pick 3 cost could be done 2 ways...

0.50 st and 0.50 box for $14 for a week, prizes $250 st / $40 bx

Or

$1 st and 0.50 box for $21 for a week, prizes $500 st / $40 bx

Then there is the pick 5...

$1 straight and $1 box for $28 for a week, prizes $50,000 st / $425 box.

Being mindful of the odds... this system only looks at combos with unique digits...

Pick 3 unique digit draws represent 72% of all draws, (120 when factoring in 6 way permutations) where pick 5 unique digit draws only represent 30% of all draws (252 when factoring in 120 way permutations).

Draw updates are also considered, as each history file will need to be maintained.

I came up with a work flow to update with a simple copy paste from the PA lottery past draws site so if I only update once a week it is the same as updating more or less frequently.

From looking at the data, the plan going forward is to go cheaper... $14 for 0.50st/0.50bx pick 3. Altering the play strategy so that a box hit will trigger adding in the pick 5 for the next 7 day cycle. 

From just 12 days of the test, it is much less frustrating than generating a pick for each draw. It is nicer to see digits matching more often, and one day they will mess up and maybe I get a hit...

I have added the 148 most recent draws to the PB history and I am working on the 14 months of missing data from the MM history.

The plan here is that the pick 3 box can fund the chase for the pick 5, and the pick 5 box can fund the chase for the jackpot games... not bored with playing, just over paying for it... even if a box on the pick 3 works, I will still spend $2 to add in a week of pick5...

Like every other system I have worked on for the past 20+ years, the reasonable expectation is that it does not work, though it IS the first system that also looks at box hits as a win. I could live with $14 to $16 per week for playing... I dropped the match 6 so there is already $14 per week towards it. 

This year has been slow, but the one straight hit gave me the Raspberry Pi 5 that I otherwise would have passed on. That is set up now as a local network web server so I can practice building full stack web solutions... will give this system a fair chance for the remainder of 2024. Maintenance once a week is much better than daily!