Actually, I think there are a few simple strategies you can use.....mostly to keep you from losing money on tickets that don't have the same potential as others:
1) ALWAYS check the states website for overall odds on each ticket. All tickets are NOT created equal; even at the same price point. I play in PA quite often and if you look at the overall odds for some different games at the same price point, you'll find that there is sometimes a marginal difference in the overall odds. I say go to the website, because you can't always see the odds on the tickets, especially now that a lot of tickets are being dispensed through machines. Most retailers don't carry all the same games, so why waste your money on games that aren't the best odds? Find the only the best odds for the price point you like to play and only play those tickets.
2) If you state publishes it on the website, always keep an eye on the top prizes remaining or claimed. You can eliminate the games that don't have more than 1 top prize remaining, just because that would be like finding a needle in a haystack. I figure if I'm looking at two haystacks and one has 1 needle in it and the other has at least 2 in it, I'm going to hunt through the haystack with more needles!
3) Retailers are not always on the up and up. Sometimes they're just TOO lazy to return tickets which are supposed to be returned to the state....I know of someone who just bought a Holiday (Christmas) theme ticket here in PA a few weeks ago.....yes, a christmas ticket bought in MAY! That game was out of top winners LONG ago....he just wasted money on a game which should have been pulled from the shelf.
Yes, I do agree with some of the others when they say "Its the luck of the draw", but there's no reason to waste your time trying to get water from a dry well! Remember, information can be powerful!