How to win big in the Powerball draw and the numbers you need to be picking and avoiding

Brits have been urged to stay clear of certain numbers if they want to maximise their lotto winnings in the event that they win big.

The advice comes after Powerball, the world's biggest rolling jackpot game, has arrived in the UK. Powerball is behind some of the world's most extraordinary lottery wins, including the record-breaking jackpot worth more than $2.04 billion in 2022.

Andy Carter, a senior winners' advisor at Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, has shared some expert advice on how to maximise the winnings. He said: When it comes to picking numbers, data shows that many people don't choose them at random. Players often opt for numbers with special meaning, such as birthdays, anniversaries or even house numbers.

So, numbers between 1 and 31 tend to be selected more frequently. Some people like to choose one number from each decade, while others prefer a patterned sequence, such as multiples of seven or even something as simple as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.

Lots of players also have a set of lucky numbers they've stuck with for years. In fact, a number of our winners have told us they played the same numbers for decades before finally striking it lucky. One syndicate from Cambridgeshire won 1 million in 2024 after playing the same set of numbers for 30 years.

Choosing popular number combinations can also have a practical impact. Because so many players gravitate towards similar number ranges and combinations, particularly birthdays, jackpot wins involving lower numbers are statistically more likely to be shared among multiple winners.

"So, if you're hoping to avoid splitting a big prize, it could be worth including some higher numbers in your selection - this doesn't however change your odds of winning."

In Powerball, the top jackpot keeps rolling over until someone finally matches all the winning numbers, meaning the prize can grow to staggering amounts.

Playing is simple - choose five numbers from 1 to 69 and one Powerball number from 1 to 26. If youd rather leave it to fate, you can choose a Lucky Dip, where the numbers are picked at random.

Your ticket starts with four lines, but you can add more if you want to boost your chances. You can also buy tickets for multiple draws with entries available up to four weeks in advance. The biggest prize is the rolling jackpot, which is paid over 30 years.

Although the jackpot prize is the same as the USA, the rules are slightly different. In the UK, you must pay 4 per line. There is also an additional prize, where players are given the opportunity to match two main numbers at the cost of 8. Additionally, the jackpot in the UK is uncapped, starting at 12million.

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