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How To Find The Right Texas State Lottery Game For You

Did you know that the most commonly picked Texas lotto number is 26 while the least popular is 52? With that little factoid under your belt, it’s time to jump into the basics of the Texas lottery.

Knowing all that the Texas state lottery has to offer can help you clear through the variety and select a playstyle that works for you.

What You Should Know About the Texas State Lottery

The Texas lottery first began in 1992, May 29 to be exact. 

While over half of all ticket sales are used to pay winners of the lottery, not all money spent by players ends up in the pockets of winners. The percentage of ticket sales that do not go back to the winners are used for education and veterans, as well as to cover expenses needed to run the lottery.

When you’re determining how you’ll play the Texas state lottery, keep in mind the odds for each option. You can find more info on the Texas Lottery Live website.

Finding Your Lotto Play Style

Now you know a bit of background on the Texas lottery. It’s time to decide which one you want to participate in based on your personal lotto play style. Lotto players usually have a preference for one of the following basic game types:

  • Lotto – the most popular lottery game
  • Little Lotto – held more frequently than lotto with better odds of winning
  • The Dailies (Pick 3 and Pick 4) – these have even better odds of winning and are played more often than other options
  • Multi-state Games – lowered odds of winning with a higher payoff if you do
  • Instant Games – also known as “scratch-off” games

The playstyle you choose will depend on how much you’re willing to bet and how frequently you’d like to play. Odds should also be considered. Keep in mind, a higher payoff will always go along with lower odds of winning.  

Options for the Texas Lottery

Each state will have variations of the game types mentioned in the previous sections. Texas has the following specific lottery types to pick from:

  • Pick 3
  • Daily 4
  • Cash 5 
  • Texas Two-Step
  • Lotto Texas
  • All or Nothing
  • Triple Chance
  • Scratch Cards

To get acquainted with your options you can test out the variety of Texas lottery games one at a time or select based on odds alone. The best options for you is based on a mix of how much you want to invest and the risk you’re willing to take. 

When you’re just getting started with the lottery, it’s not an altogether bad idea to start with high odds games versus jumping into the deep end with the higher-risk options.

Multi-State Games

If you’re looking for something a bit bigger than the Texas state-wide lottery options, you can opt for multi-state games. The two major multi-state games Texas participates in are the Mega Millions and Powerball. Powerball and the Mega Millions are both played by 44 states.

Multi-state games have a huge jackpot with a low chance of winning.

Lotto Tips and Advice to Follow

Now that you’re on the path to picking the lotto playstyle right for you, it’s time to make sure you’re in the know with the best lotto advice. Keep the following in mind to better your chances of winning:

  • Pick an even mix of odd and even numbers
  • Pick an even mix of high and low numbers
  • Consider a lotto pool for heightened odds
  • Don’t pick previously drawn number combinations
  • Don’t bet five or six consecutive numbers
  • Mix up the number groups you select
  • Don’t pick number multiples 
  • Mix up the last digits to avoid selecting all the same
  • Avoid quick picks in favor of your personally selected numbers

Reading up on lotto strategies and advice can take up a mass of your time before you realize you’ve been sucked down the rabbit hole of lottery tips. Stick to these tips and you’ll be on the right track to selecting winning numbers. 

Did You Win?: Find Out Where You Can Check Results

Arguably the most important part of the lottery is knowing where to go to check your status. It’s pointless playing if you don’t know that you’ve won. You’ll find out if you’re a winner by visiting the Texas Lottery official site.

The official Texas lottery site also shows all past winning numbers. And for those who want to know the winning numbers as soon as they’re announced, the site gives you an option to tune into live drawings. 

Daily newspapers and Texas Lottery retailers are also common sources for tracking down the winning numbers. 

You Won! Now What?

If you find yourself the winner of a Texas lottery game there a few guidelines to follow.

The first is that you redeem your prize money within 180 days. If you fail to redeem the prize money it will be considered forfeited. For all the trouble you put into selecting the right game for yourself and then selecting the winning numbers, it would be silly to miss out on prize money simply for failing to turn in the winning ticket. 

If your prize money is less than $599 you can claim the prize from any Texas lottery retailer, the claim office, or through the Lottery Commission in Austin. Prizes between $600 and $2.5 million should be claimed at the Lottery Commission in Austin or through your local claim center. But if you win over $2.5 million you will only be able to redeem the money through the Lottery Commission in Austin.

For all three of these prize ranges you can fill out a claim form and send it through the postal service.

Put Your Game Face On for the Texas State Lottery

If you’re looking to participate in the Texas state lottery, this article should have put you on the right path to get started. As you play more games, you’ll develop a taste for your preferred lottery games. Eventually, you’ll even develop a favorite go-to.

Check out our related articles for more lottery playing insights. 

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