.....one dude who posts here at LP named JADELottery. I used his Pick 3/4 Selector program (downloaded from a long forum thread here at LP) last week because I decided that I would try to play the numbers games more often (alongside my scratchers). I decided to spend $3 via 6 consecutive $0.50 evening box plays on Cash 3 and $7 on 7 consecutive straight/box plays for Cash 4 evening. All of this is in GA, BTW.
The Cash 3 number that caught my eye (the other 3 in the 4 "straight or box" column were numbers that had already been drawn recently) was 3-8-1. So, I played it $0.50 box for 6 consecutive draws.
Last night, while I was at work (and I just found out about 10 minutes ago), 381 hit straight on in the evening Cash 3 drawing. $3 worth of $0.50 box plays hit for $40 (at least -- who knows with the remaining draws). I know that I had played it straight instead of box, I woulda hit $250 instead of $40, but, since I'm just starting out, I didn't want to wait a year and a half to two years for 381 to hit straight on (knowing my luck on numbers games, that would have been the case).
I still haven't figured out all these systems and wheels and stuff available here at LP and what systems other people use and actually post here. I just chose Jade's P3/4 Selector because it seemed somewhat easy to use. Just put in the past 2 (or 3) results, fool around with one or two settings (type and method), and generate some suggestions to play.
Jade, thanks so much for your program. Yeah, $40 isn't as big as $250, but still, I'm one happy guy because I actually won something in the numbers games for the 1st time in my life. 
(P.S. to Todd -- I apologize if I should have posted this in my blog instead of the forums. I wasn't quite sure where I should post it.)
A Gold account on Lottery Post: $4.95
A Millionaire Jumbo Bucks scratcher: $20
Airfare and hotel in March 2007 to see The Price Is Right before Bob Barker retired: $600-something
Winning something to get a trip to a district office: Priceless 