We’re almost ready to reveal how to calculate how the odds of winning a top prize change over time. Understanding how the odds change for those top prizes is like unlocking a secret code to winning. And guess what? The key to cracking that code lies in with a simple starting point called the “total number of tickets printed.” Let’s take a closer look at this foundational data point required for analyzing games over time!
Picture this: each scratch-off game starts with a specific number of tickets printed. This number is like the starting point of our adventure into odds and prizes. We call it a “critical value” because it’s super important in figuring out how your chances of snagging that ultimate prize shift as time goes by. We’ve got this fancy thing called the SmartFactor algorithm that’s hungry for numbers, and to feed it, we need to know exactly how many tickets were printed for every game for sale in your state.
Now, let’s talk about the grand plan behind these printed tickets. You see, the folks in charge of lotteries have a special mission. They need to decide how many tickets to create for each game so that they can set the odds of winning. It’s like planning a magical adventure – they want to keep things exciting but fair! Some states keep it simple and spill the beans about the number of tickets they’ve printed for each game. You can find this treasure trove of info on their website or in the game details (usually a PDF) called the ‘game rules.’ It’s like a trail of breadcrumbs for us data explorers!
But wait, there’s more! Some states like to play hard to get and don’t reveal the total ticket count. Sneaky, right? Well, fear not! We’ve got not one, not two, but three tricks up our sleeves to crack the ticket count code.
Trick one: we dive into the detailed odds for every prize listed on the lottery’s website and whip out our algebra skills to solve for the mysterious “X,” which is the total number of tickets. Fancy math detective work, right?
Trick two: is our secret agent code – our tech-savvy code, that is. Our digital sleuthing tools keep an eye out for new games the moment they hit the state’s website. It’s like being the first to know about a hidden treasure chest! When a new game hits the web site, we add it to our database and automatically calculate the total number of tickets printed based on the data available that very first day it goes on sale!
And that’s not all…..
Trick three: is the golden key. We use any of these tricks to uncover the total number of tickets printed. With this number in hand, our mission gets supercharged. We start tracking how many tickets are left in the game each day. It’s like counting down the days until your big adventure ends. Then, like clockwork, we serve up fresh and spiffy SmartFactor calculations every week in our “Best Games to Play” report.
So, whether you’re a numbers wizard, a code-cracking champ, or just a curious explorer, you’re on the smarter journey of only playing the very best games where the odds of top prizes changing and our SmartFactor keeps you on top of the very best games to play!
Click on the next step below to see how odds change over time!