I can only speak on what I've have seen in tracking lottery patterns. When I started out, I looked for the simpliest pattern(s), which normally the most obvious to the eyes. Many that plays Mega Million or the bigger jackpot games have a method that follows those simple discoveries.. Years of trail and errors has taught me a recurring reality: It goes deeper than the surface of simplicity.
The "surface pattern(s)" -- I would suggest to be viewed as a welcoming mat. Like math, there is yet a least common denominator to derive from the obvious patterns. That's when it gets tough (the price you pay to get "lucky").
The simple patterns works hand in hand with the deeper patterns. Though I understand what need to be done, the task (at least in my opinion) is difficult to follow. Regardless though, the logic behind it is forever clear and exciting. There will be a lot of negative surprises which make believe the patterns have been violated but with enough wisdom, you'd begin to understand that you gotta let the numbers lead you, not human emotion....and that's the bigger part of our problems.
There are numbers that has "intrinstic value" where it can throw a pattern out of joint. You have to study numbers like that and understand the role it plays -- it's what makes the randomness in a lottery matrix so difficult to tame. The way to get a grip on it, is as simple as following along in single file: Let the numbers lead you.