Here is part of how *I* track numbers, it's all AGE based and has ZERO to do with the actual number.
(DISCLAIMER- this is all based on a ballset of 55 white balls, not the current 59 ballset)
Let's start by taking a set of numbers from the last game:
1-21-23-30-43 and PB11
If you track this (and EVERY) subsequent set of numbers chronologically, you will notice that TYPICALLY one of those five whiteballs will be hit in the next three to five games.
That leaves you with four numbers left.
One of those remaining four will then be hit within the NEXT four to five games
For the sake of argument that puts you ten games down the road with three remaining numbers.
One of those three will be hit usually within the next seven games (usually the next 4 to 5 games really).
That leaves us with two numbers to choose from, and if those two remaining numbers make it to 22 games without being hit, you must play one of them, as with my tracking of this, one of those two numbers will get hit in the next four to five games. In two years of tracking this only twice has two numbers fallen past 30 games without getting hit, and even at that, one of those two will get hit in the next three to four games.
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The next question is when starting this, with five to choose from, which one do I play?
The answer is in my history, usually NOT the same one that hit prior, and by that I mean the fifth number in the ballset is 43, we don't care that it is number 43, all we care about is that it is the FIFTH number in the set. There has been a tendency for the FIFTH number to hit maybe twice in a row, but usually not three times. An I just picked the Fifth number as an example, it could be the first, second, third or fourth number.
If the first number in a row of five hits, then the next time you have five numbers, do NOT pick the first one to repeat, and so on.
The next thing is half the time a number won't repeat in the same position, so do question if you want your second number chosen to be #21 - chances are better that the next time #21 is hit it won't be the second number chosen, it will probably be the third number. This is the same for all numbers between about 12 and 48.
IMO far too much emphasis is put on the NUMBER and NONE is put on the POSITION.
It is too easy to fall in love with 'favorite' numbers, that's a big mistake. Sure, your favorite number will hit once in awhile, but they ALL do, ALL numbers hit in streaks, I've seen numbers hit three times in five games and then go 30 games until the next hit, and then 20 games until the next hit after that. It happens. It's called randomness, and EVERY number has gone thru it.
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I have discussed my theories with folks offline, and some 'prominent' folks on here, some have said I'm Full Of S*** - and I have proved myself right every time. These folks won't even acknowledge I was right. Oh well, life goes on.
Now, the problem is, there are a lot of variables here, a lot to choose from even when narrowing down by 'age', so it still comes back to randomness and luck. I have hit 4x5 twelve times using my theory (and a few others) above, but quite frankly I don't have 8 hours a week to spend on it, and I have nothing for selecting the Powerball.
Anyway, my point is, you don't want to pick ALL of your numbers from a pool that have hit in the last 2-3 games, and you don't want to pick ALL longshots, and you don't want to pick ALL of your numbers from the same rough 'age' area, ie all five numbers from 7-8-9 games ago as an example.
So maybe you folks can take my info and run with it, a 5x5 is 200K, go for it.