Help Index
WIN$EASY Help Contents

»  Accessing and Printing On-Line Help

On-line help can be obtained by pressing F1 or by selecting Help on the Main Menu's menu bar then "Help Contents" on the list that drops down.  If the Main Menu window is maximized, it will be reduced to normal size.  This is done so that, if you reduce the Help window to an icon, you can see and access the icon.  To maximize the Main Menu window again, either use its maximize button or select "Maximize Main Menu Window"  under Window on the Main Menu's menu bar.

To print a Help topic, select 'File' on the menu bar above (this Help window's menu bar, not the program's menu bar) and then select 'Print Topic' from the drop-down list.

»  Finding Information

To find information on a specific subject, select the Search button above and enter an appropriate keyword.  The primary sources of "how to" information are the Main Menu Options Index and the miscellaneous topics listed under "See also" below.

For details about using Windows on-line Help, select Help on this Help window's menu bar.

Context-sensitive help is available by pressing function key F1.  If a function window is active when F1 is pressed,  help for that window will be displayed.  If an option or sub-option on the Main Menu is highlighted when F1 is pressed, help for that item will be displayed.  Otherwise, this topic will be displayed.  If F1 is pressed while this or any other Help topic is displayed, the Windows 'How to Use Help' topic will be displayed.

If you are a new user, be sure to read the Getting Started topic  first.

»  General Help Topics in Alphabetical Order

Changes

Information about differences between the current and prior versions of WIN$EASY.

Errors, Problems and Suggestions

Help for some common and not-so-common problems, plus information on conserving memory, program operation, reporting errors, getting help with problems, common questions and answers and making suggestions to the author.

General Program Usage

Information about colors, fonts, keyboard use and double-clicking with a mouse.

Getting Help

Information about the "Shortcuts", "Keyboard Help" and "About WIN$EASY" windows.

Getting Started

What to do first, how to convert WIN$EASY for DOS drawing-data files for use with this program, and some program usage hints.

Installation

Descriptions of the files installed and files that may be deleted, and information about reinstalling WIN$EASY or removing it from your system.

Main Menu Options Index

An alphabetical guide to the options on the Main Menu and their sub-options.

Other Available Programs

Descriptions and ordering information for other programs by the same author.

Program Overview

A description of the purpose of this program and what you can do with it.

»  See also:

The following  definitions and miscellaneous topics may be jumped to (or in the case of definitions, popped up) from appropriate parts of the above topics or from topics referred to by the above topics.  (When selected from the list below, the definitions are presented as regular topics instead of pop-ups.)

Definitions

Active Game

Bonus Number

Boxing and Wheeling

Configuration

Drawing

Function Window

Keno

Lotto

Main Menu

One-Number Game

Path

Permutation

Selection

Shortcut Keys

Sub-Option

Miscellaneous Topics

Add/Change/Delete/Insert Window

Analysis Window for Lotto Games

Analysis Window for One-Number Games

Avoiding File Deletion When Reconfiguring Lotto Games

Closing a Window

Configuring Keno Games

Configuring Lotto Games

Configuring More Than 99 Games

Configuring One-Number Games

Lotto Custom Frequency Selections

Lotto Frequency Chart

Lotto Frequency Chart Options

Lotto Regular Frequency Selections

Main Menu -- Keyboard Access

One-Number Custom Frequency Selections

One-Number Frequency Chart

One-Number Frequency Chart Options

One-Number Regular Frequency Selections

Power Ball Games

Resetting the Drawing Range

Saving Selections

Setting the WINEZ Environment Variable

Using the Esc Key

Wild Card Games

With/Without Analysis


Main Menu Options Index

Listed below, in alphabetical order, are the ten options listed on the Main Menu's menu bar.  Listed below each option are its sub-options, also in alphabetical order, and a brief description of each of them.  Any available shortcut key combinations for accessing the sub-options are shown in parentheses after the sub-option title.

»  Analysis

Compare Selections/Draws (F2)

Find when all or a part of a selection appeared in the drawings.

Drawing Frequency Chart (F6)

See how often each number or digit appeared in the drawings.

Drawing Permutations List (One-number games only)

See which permutations of a number drawn have also been drawn and which have not.

General Drawing Analysis (F8)

Find patterns, trends or coincidences in the drawings.

Hot/Cold Numbers Drawn (F7)

Find hot and cold numbers in recent drawings.

Play-Slip Patterns (Frequency Plot)

Find the play-slip pattern that has been drawn most often in flipped or moved positions.

Playing-Card Conversion

Convert drawings, selections or any series of numbers to playing-card equivalents.

With/Without Analysis

See which numbers appear or don't appear with any given number drawn in any selected range of drawings.

»  Draws

Add New Drawing(s) to File (Ctrl+A)

Save each new drawing for each game.

Add Playing-Card Drawings

Convert new playing-card drawings to numbers for saving.

Compare Selections/Draws (F2)

Find when all or a part of a selection appeared in the drawings.

Edit (Change-Delete-Insert) Drawings

Change, delete or insert drawings in the drawings file.

List All Drawings (F3)

See all drawings on file.

List Drawing Permutations (One-number games only)

See a drawn number with its permutations drawn and not drawn listed separately.

List Selected Drawings (F4)

Keep a list of selected drawings for any purpose.

Reduce Number Of Drawings On File

Delete a given number of the first drawings in a drawings file.

Sort Each Filed Drawing Numerically (Lotto games only)

Sort the numbers in each filed drawing into ascending numerical order.

»  File

Backup Data Files (Ctrl+B)

Backup and retrieve data files.

Exit WIN$EASY (Ctrl+X)

Quit the program.

Print-File Options (Ctrl+P)

Copy data files or scratch pad data to a printer.

Retrieve Data

Retrieve backup data files.

Set Alternate File Path for:

Draw/Selection/Match/Scratch Data     }

Drawing Data Only                                       }  Maintain separate data bases.

Selection/Match/Scratch Data Only       }

View Current File Paths

See the paths currently assigned to data files.

»  Games

Select, add (configure), delete or reconfigure games, or change game names.  (No sub-options)

»  Help

About ...

Author, copyright, license and disclaimer information.

Help Contents (F1)

The initial access screen for Help, with general and miscellaneous topics and definitions listed.

Keyboard (Ctrl+K)

A list of hints for keyboard usage.

Shortcuts (Ctrl+F1)

A list of keyboard shortcuts for accessing some program functions.

»  Match

Compare all saved selections to the last drawing(s) to find winners.  (No sub-options)

»  Quit

Exit the program.  (No sub-options)

»  Scratch Pad

Experiment with numbers or groups.  (Lotto games only) (No sub-options)

»  Selections

Add Personal Selection(s) to File

Save selections you compose.

Begoña's Lotto Selection Method (Lotto games only)

Selections from a unique index.

Compare Selections to All Drawings (F2)

Find when all or a part of a selection appeared in the drawings.

Delete Entire Selections File

Erase all saved selections.

Dice Roll Selections

Selections based on simulated dice rolls.

Drawing Permutation Selections (One-number games only)

Selections from numbers drawn or their permutations drawn or not drawn.

Edit (Change-Delete-Insert) Selections

Change, delete or insert selections in the selections file.

Freezer Jar (Box/Wheel) Selections (F5)

Selections from boxing or wheeling digits or numbers.

Frequency Chart Selections (F6)

Selections based on how often digits or numbers were drawn.

List Filed Selections (Ctrl+S)

View all saved selections.

Play-Slip Pattern Selections

Selections from flipped or moved play-slip patterns.

Number Permutation Selections

Selections from permutated numbers.

Numerology Selections (Ctrl+N)

Selections with numbers calculated from names, birth dates and the current date.

Purge Duplicate Selections (F9)

Erase all duplicate saved selections.

Randomly Delete Selections

Erase a given number of saved selections at random.

Recent Hot/Cold Selections (F7)

Selections based on the results of the last 1 to 20 drawings.

Simulated Lottery Machines

Selections from simulated drawings.

Sort Saved-Selections File

Sort all filed selections in ascending numerical order.

Sum Selections (Ctrl+U)

Selections with numbers or digits having a given sum.

Zodiac Selections (Ctrl+Z)

Selections based on a birth date or sun number and a zodiac wheel.

»  Window

Options for cascading or tiling function windows and for arranging icons, options for closing, maximizing, minimizing and restoring windows, and options for identifying open windows and identifying or selecting the active window. ( All sub-options are described within this topic.)

»  See Also:

Program Overview

General Program Usage

What To Do First

Getting Help

Errors, Problems and Suggestions

Help Contents (the topics and defintions under the "See also" heading)

Changes


Program Overview

»  Purpose

In a typical 6/49 lotto game, the odds are 13,983,816 to 1 against winning the big prize.   Every "system" for winning the lottery is designed to reduce those odds through some method of recognizing or anticipating the trends, patterns or coincidences that occur even in random drawings.

WIN$EASY is designed to help you reduce those odds by providing the analysis tools necessary for any winning system, by providing the most common number-selection methods (such as boxing and wheeling) and by providing several innovative number-selection methods of its own -- for virtually any lottery in the world, including any that use playing-cards in lieu of numbers.

Plus, WIN$EASY makes playing any lottery easier and more fun by automating data maintenance, drawing analysis, number selection, and matching selections with drawings.  It even provides an electronic scratch pad for experimenting with lotto numbers and groups.

»  Primary Functions

Configure the program for use with up to 99 different  lotto and one-number (daily) lotteries per data base, then reconfigure, add or delete games, change game names, or select the active game.  By using separate data bases, there is no limit to the number of games that can be used with the program.

Maintain a data base of the numbers drawn in each lottery and analyze the drawings to spot trends, patterns and coincidences.

Use a wide variety of number-selection techniques based on drawing analysis and many other methods, with or without random elements, and save the selections to be played in each lottery.

Convert drawings, selections or any series of  the numbers 1 to 52 to their playing-card equivalents.

Perform error-free matching of your selections with the last drawing(s) to identify winners, and save the auto-match report for each game.

Use an electronic scratch pad for experimenting with lotto numbers and combinations, and save them in files for later use.

Maintain separate data bases for use by different players or for other purposes.

Backup data files and retrieve the backups when needed.

Copy the drawings, selections, auto-match and scratch pad files to a printer.

View on-screen lists of all drawings, selected drawings, numbers not drawn, saved selections and other items.

Edit  (change, delete or insert) filed drawings or selections.

Add personal selections to the selections file for each game, purge duplicate selections, randomly delete any number of selections, or delete an entire selections file.

View complete on-screen help, including keyboard usage tips and shortcut command lists.

»  Programming

WIN$EASY was originally developed for DOS from 1988 to 1991 using various versions of Microsoft BASIC.  In 1991, development of the Windows version was begun, using Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition, MicroHelp VBTools, and the Microsoft Help Compiler, within Microsoft Windows Version 3.1.  All run-time modules and libraries from those sources included with this program are used and distributed with the permission of their copyright holders.

WIN$EASY for Windows was initially developed and tested on a 80386DX-25MHz computer with 4 megabytes of RAM, a hard disk (with space reserved for a 4 megabyte permanent Windows swap file), and a color VGA monitor.  Versions 2.0 and later were produced on an 80486DX2-66Mhz system with 16 megabytes of RAM, a hard disk (with a 30+ megabyte swap file), the ATI Graphics Ultra Pro local bus video system, and a 15" color VGA monitor.  The program's performance on any other type of system may vary, but it should function properly on any system capable of running major Windows applications.  WIN$EASY for Windows must be run under Windows version 3.0 or 3.1 in Standard or Enhanced mode.

»  See also:

Changes

General Program Usage

What To Do First

Errors, Problems and Suggestions

Other Available Lottery Programs


Errors, Problems and Suggestions

Discussed below are a variety of problems, errors and other anomalies that could occur while using this program.  In some cases, the "problem" is normal and is explained below.  In others, possible solutions or alternative procedures are discussed.  If you experience an error that interrupts the program, or any anomaly that interferes with the proper operation of the program, and it is not explained below, or if you have a problem operating the program that cannot be solved by reference to the discussion below or the other topics in this on-line help, or if you have a suggestion for improving the program, please contact the author:

Charles F. Mowery, Jr.

406 Van Reed Manor Drive

Brandon  FL  33511

Telephone:  (813) 689-4212

When reporting a problem, please explain in as much detail as possible the nature of the problem, or the exact wording of any error message shown on the screen, and what you were attempting to do when the problem occurred.

If you are a registered user and are the first to report an error or other anomaly or to make a specific suggestion, you will receive a free copy of the version of the program that corrects the problem or implements the suggestion.

NOTE:   WIN$EASY for Windows must be run under Windows version 3.0 or higher in Standard or Enhanced mode.  The format, appearance and functioning of some windows, controls, colors and graphics may vary significantly under Windows 3.0 and may vary according to the resolution under which you run Windows in any version.  Using Windows 3.1 with 800x600 resolution, 256 colors and the small (normal) font is highly recommended.

»  Installation and Setup

Most problems connected with installation of the program are caused by a failure to follow carefully the instructions in the dialogue boxes during installation.  For example:

1.  During installation and setup, in the "WIN$EASY Setup" dialogue box, when you are asked  to "Enter the path (drive and directory) for installing WIN$EASY," you also are advised:  "Do NOT install it in the same directory with the DOS version."  The default directory shown at that time may be one in which you have already installed WIN$EASY for DOS.  If so,  you must change the "Install to" entry to a different directory.  If you install WIN$EASY For Windows in the same directory as WIN$EASY for DOS, the DOS program file is overwritten.  Contact the author for information about replacing the DOS version.

2.  During installation, if a prior shareware or registered version of WIN$EASY exists in the destination directory that you select, you are given the option of protecting your existing configuration and drawing data files from being overwritten by the new installation.  If you respond 'No' to that option, your existing configuration file is replaced by one that includes configuration only for the Florida lotteries, and any existing drawing data files named DRAW1.DAT, DRAW2.DAT, DRAW3.DAT or DRAW4.DAT are replaced with drawing data from the Florida lotteries.  Unless you made backups, those existing configuration and data files cannot be recovered.  However, any drawing data files with file names with a number larger than 4 are not replaced and should still exist in the destination directory.  Contact the author for assistance in restoring your original configuration and the use of those additional drawing data files.

3.  After installation is completed, you should find a WIN$EASY Program Group in the Program Manager Window.  If it is not there, and if you are sure that you used the proper steps for installation and setup, the following explains a possible reason for this problem.

The Program Manager Window will appear automatically when you run Windows, either as an icon or in its full, maximized size.  Therefore, you should not include a reference to PROGMAN.EXE in either the "Load" or "Run" line of the WIN.INI file or in the "Startup" Program Group (Windows 3.1).  If you have any such references in those locations, remove them and run Windows again and you should find both Program Manager and the WIN$EASY program group displayed.

Note:  After installation and setup, it is not necessary to leave the WIN$EASY icon (or any other icons) in the WIN$EASY Program Group.  The icon can be moved to any other program group of your choice (see your Windows User's Guide) and the WIN$EASY Program Group can then be deleted.

»  If the File-Path Window Appears Each Time You Run WIN$EASY

There are some circumstances, described elsewhere in this documentation, in which this situation will be normal, but you will be aware of them when they exist.  If you know of no reason for this situation to occur, check each of the following:

1.  The WIN$EZ.CFG file should be in the same directory as the WIN$EASY.EXE program file, unless you have a specific reason for having it elsewhere.

2.  The WIN$EASY.HLP file should be in the same directory as the program file, unless you have a specific reason for having it elsewhere or deleting it.

3.  Click once (only once) on the WIN$EASY icon (wherever it is) to highlight its icon label, or use the arrow keys to move the highlight to it.  Then select "File" on the Program Manager's menu bar and select "Properties..." on the drop-down menu.  In the "Program Item Properties" window that appears, the "Working Directory" box should have the name of the directory in which the WIN$EASY program file resides.  If a different directory name or no directory name is shown in that box, enter the name of the proper directory (the one with the program file) in the box and select OK.

»  If the "Directory" List in the File-Path Window Does Not Show All Available Subdirectories Under a Listed Directory

Under certain circumstances, the last directory shown in the "Directory" list may not have all of its subdirectories listed below it.  If you are sure that one or more subdirectories are missing under a listed directory, double-click on the listed directory (or use the arrow keys to move the highlight to the directory and press Enter) and the list should change to show all available subdirectories under that directory.

»  If One or More Menu Options, Command Buttons or Other Items Do Not Respond to Mouse Clicks or Keyboard Selection

If the item appears with gray or faded letters, it has been disabled intentionally by the program.  There are several reasons why this might occur for several different items, such as when no selections have been saved for the active game, when no drawings have been saved for the active game, when the active game is a lotto game and the disabled item only applies to one-number games,  when the active game is a one-number game and the disabled item only applies to lotto games, or, in the case of the Playing-Card-Conversion options, when a  lotto game uses more than 52 numbers.  For example, the Match option on the Main Menu will be disabled when there is no saved drawing and/or no saved selection for the active game.  In short, if the option is disabled (grayed or faded letters), there should be a reason for it.  If the item is enabled and does not respond, and if your hard disk is being accessed, wait for a brief moment or until the hard disk access has stopped, and then try to select or activate the item again.  Also, Shortcut Keys (except for F1) will not work if an option on the Main Menu is highlighted.  To clear the highlight, press Esc.  Finally, some program procedures will not permit certain (or any) other actions to be taken until the procedure is completed.  Normally, the hour-glass cursor will be on the screen in these cases to indicate that you should wait before attempting some other action.

Note:  Under Windows 3.0, the control box and maximize or minimize buttons may appear on windows which should not have them.  In such cases, they will not work when you click on them.  The only window that should have a functioning maximize button is the Main Menu.  In short, if a control box or sizing button appears but does not work under Windows 3.0, it probably should not work.

»  If the Focus Line Disappears or Skips an Item When You Use the Tab Key to Move the Focus

A disappearing focus line (the dotted line around the item having the focus) is usually simply a case of you not seeing it, since it is not always very clear.  Pressing the Tab key one or more additional times should help you find it or, if it did disappear, will cause the focus line to reappear.  As for skipping an item, note that in the case of option buttons, when one of them has the focus, the focus is moved between them with the arrow keys, not the Tab key.

»  If a Number Does Not Appear, Disappears or Changes to a Different Number When You Enter It

This may occur if the number you are attempting to enter is outside the range of acceptable numbers for the active game or for the function you are using, or if you attempt to enter a duplicate number for a lotto selection or drawing, or if you attempt to enter a non-digit character as part of a number.  In some such cases, the program will simply refuse to accept the number or will change it to an acceptable number without advising you of the reason.

»  If the Program or Certain Functions Operate Slowly

There are three primary reasons why the program or certain functions may operate slowly.  First, certain functions have to deal with a lot of numbers (or time-consuming graphics), particularly the analysis functions, and it simply takes time to get through all the numbers (or to display the graphics).  Second, if the slow-down occurs when your hard disk is being accessed, or if you note the hard disk constantly churning, it probably means that you don't have enough memory (RAM) and Windows is using the swap file for some or most of its work.  (See the "Out of Memory" discussion below for some ways to conserve memory.)  Third, if you are using a computer that operates at less than 25Mhz or has a slow hard disk, several parts of the program will operate slowly.  Note that for some operations, such as purging duplicates from a large amount of lotto selections, the procedure may begin slowly and then speed up as it progresses, and other procedures that initially operate quickly may slow down toward the end of the procedure.  That is normal.

»  If an "Out of Memory" Error Occurs

If an "Out of memory" error occurs, it means what it says:  you need more memory to accomplish what you are trying to do.  The possible solutions are:  to add more memory to your system, to avoid having several function windows open at once, to close or reduce to an icon any  window that is not being used, and to close all other windows and applications that may be open or running outside of WIN$EASY, including the Program Manager (reduce it to an icon).  Also, if you have sufficient free space on your hard disk, use a permanent Windows swap file or  increase the size of it.  You should at least be using a temporary Windows swap file.  Consult your Windows user's guide for more details about conserving memory.  Also, be sure to read the last paragraph in this section and the "Overflow" section below.

The amount of drawings or selections that can be saved is limited only by the amount of disk space you have available.  However, the amount of drawings or selections that can be listed in the List All Drawings, List All Selections, Edit Drawings, Edit Selections and Compare Selections With Drawings functions, and the content of the chart in the General Analysis window, are limited by the amount of memory available (and see the "Overflow" discussion below).  Lists of numbers not drawn in one-number games and selections generated and listed in the Freezer Jar utility are not limited by memory constraints.

You should be able to work with several years worth of drawings and several thousand selections without experiencing an out-of-memory error.  And, even when you do have that problem in the functions mentioned above, you may still be able to use other functions that do not require displaying the full list of drawings or selections, such as the Purge Duplicate Selections, Randomly Delete Selections, Auto-Match and other functions (but see the "Overflow" discussion below).  Also, all saved drawings and selections can always be copied to your printer via the Print Options utility.  To avoid memory problems in the mentioned functions, try limiting the scope of any analysis or list, be sure to delete, whenever possible, any selections that you don't intend to play, and, if you have saved large amounts of drawings, consider deleting the oldest drawings.

If the out-of-memory error occurs when you are trying to print a part of the on-line help, which is a function controlled by Windows, try removing the check mark [X] from the "Use Print Manager" box in the "Printers" window accessed via the Windows Control Panel.

To check the status of your memory usage while running WIN$EASY, select Help on the Program Manager's menu bar, then select "About Program Manager...",  which will show the percentage of free "System Resources".  If it is below 30%, you may experience display anomalies or other problems related to low memory.  Be sure to keep WIN$EASY and any function windows that you are using open when you make this check, and reduce the WIN$EASY Main Menu window to normal size in order to see and have access to the Program Manager window or its icon (at 800x600 resolution).

There are 27 functions windows that can be reduced to icons.  In order to have all 27 displayed simultaneously requires more than  17 MB of virtual memory (the combination of RAM in your system and the space available in the Windows swap file).  The Playing-Card Conversion window alone can require over 30% of the system resources.  Therefore, in order to make the best possible use of your system resources, you should have as few as possible of the functions windows open simultaneously, especially if  the Playing-Card Conversion window is open.

»  If an "Overflow" Error Occurs

This error indicates that the procedure you are using cannot work with the amount of drawings or selections you are asking it to handle.  As discussed above, you can save as many drawings or selections as will fit on your disk, and, even when memory constraints interfere with lists of large amounts of drawings or selections, other functions may still be able to work with them.  However, most functions are limited to working with no more than 32,767 drawings or selections, and an "Overflow" error will occur if that limit is exceeded, without regard to the amount of available memory.  This limit does not apply to listing numbers not drawn in one-number games, generating (and/or saving) selections in the Freezer Jar utility, or printing saved drawings or selections.

See Reduce Number Of Drawings On File for assistance when the number of drawings on file is a problem. For reducing the number of selections on file, see Edit (Change-Delete-Insert) Selections, Delete Entire Selections File and Randomly Delete Selections.

»  If a Function Window Is Only Partially Displayed, or One Window Shows Through Another, or an Icon or Icon Label Disappears or Is Only Partially Displayed

Any of these phenomena can occur when you have very little free memory available.  To avoid these problems, see the suggestions in the "Out of memory" section above.   To resolve this type of problem, try reducing the Main Menu to an icon and then restoring it, or closing and reopening any function window experiencing display problems, or restoring and re-minimizing any function whose icon is experiencing display problems.  Note, however, that it is normal for some windows to be only partially displayed for a moment when they first open while data is being read from a file or the window is being formatted by the program.

»  If Colors, Shapes or Text Appear to be Distorted or Inappropriate

Colors and shapes may vary according to your Windows setup for video resolution, number of colors and font size.  Versions 2.0 and later of WIN$EASY for Windows were developed using a resolution of 800x600, 256 colors and the small (normal) font, and it is highly recommended that you run WIN$EASY with those settings.  If your system permits increasing the monitor's display size vertically or horizontally and you have done so, some shapes may be distorted when using some Windows display resolution settings.  For example, the zodiac wheel or lotto machine graphics may appear oval-shaped instead of round.  Also, the numbers and labels on the zodiac wheel may be off center when using a large font or a resolution other than 800x600.  Severe distortions, lack of colors or other significant display anomalies may indicate a problem with your system or the video display drivers.  (For example, if the colors seem washed out and you have an ATI Mach32 video driver,  try setting "256 Color Palette" and/or "Device Bitmaps" to "Off" in the "Advanced" section of the ATI FlexDesk Control Panel.)

»  If a Window Appears That You Did Not Select

In the case of a window appearing that was not specifically selected by you, the usual situation is that the window is required for the action that you did select, such as transferring a selection or numbers to the Scratch Pad, which will result in opening the Scratch Pad window to display the transferred selection or numbers, or selecting a row of drawings in the Analysis window's chart, which will result in opening the Draw List window to list the selected drawings.

»  If a Window Closes or Disappears Unexpectedly

All open windows are closed by the program whenever you change the active game, or when you double-click on the Main Menu's control box to close the program.  (Selecting any of the other options for exiting the program will not close the open windows until you confirm your intention to exit.)  Also, all windows related to selections, except the one you are using, are closed whenever you change, delete or add a selection.  And, all windows related to drawings, except the one you are using, are closed whenever you change, delete or add a drawing.  Also, the change-delete-insert window, used for adding drawings, adding a personal selection, or editing drawings or selections, will close whenever the window from which it was called, or any related window, is closed.  These closings are normal and are designed to insure that you don't use a function inapplicable to the active game and that you always have accurate data displayed.  As for disappearing windows, it may simply be a case of one window covering another.  The list of open windows under the Window option on the Main Menu will show you which windows are open and will enable you to access any window hidden by another one, or you can simply recall the window in the normal manner, i.e. by selecting the appropriate option or sub-option on the Main Menu or using the applicable Shortcut key combination.

»  Other Anomalies or Problems

 General Drawing Analysis and Play-Slip Patterns Windows:  If you are using the General Drawing Analysis function for any type of game, or the  Play-Slip-Patterns window's "Frequency Plot" function, you may experience some minor anomalies if you attempt to use other functions while those named functions are performing calculations or file searches.  (One such anomaly is not being able to close some other window after it is opened -- but the other window should be able to be reduced to an icon at any time and should be able to be closed after the mentioned calculations or searches are completed.)  Note that this does not apply to situations in which either of the mentioned windows is open but no calculations or searches are being performed.

Function Window Positions:  The function windows position themselves in the manner considered most appropriate at the time they are opened.  For example, when a single function window is open, it positions itself at the top center of the Main Menu window.  When an additional function window is opened, the windows will normally position themselves in cascade format to permit access to as many windows as possible at one time.  Some exceptions to this rule will be noted when the function being performed makes a different window arrangement appropriate.  Such window repositioning is normal.

Moving Windows and Taking Other Actions When More Than One Window Is Open:  When more than one function window is open, all actions should be taken with respect to the active window.  The active window will be the one on top when they are in cascade format, or will be the last window opened, or will be the last one in which some action was taken.   If you attempt to use the mouse to drag to a different position a window that is not active, all open windows will return to cascade format, and the one that you attempted to move will be on top as the active window, which then can be moved.  If you attempt to use the mouse to select an option in a window that is not active, it may or may not work, depending on a number of factors.  In any case, the window will move to the front of the cascade and become the active window, and you then can take any desired action in that window.

Problems with the Configuration File (WIN$EZ.CFG):  If your configuration file somehow becomes corrupted, it can be reconstructed using a text editor if you follow the format described here and save the file as a normal ASCII text file.  The first line of the file should have the number of the game that will be active when the program is run (use 0 or 1 if you're not sure).  This is followed by two lines for each configured game, where the first line has the game name and the second has the configuration numbers described in the examples below.  For example, if only 2 games are configured, Florida Lotto and Florida Cash 3 (a one-number game that you want to be active when the program begins), the WIN$EZ.CFG file would look like this:

2

Florida Lotto

 6 49 6 0 3 0 5 1

Florida Cash 3

 0 3 0 0 3

The following describes the purpose of each of the configuration numbers in that example file:

Florida Lotto:   6 49 6 0 3 0 5 1

6 = amount of numbers drawn in one drawing.

49 = highest number drawn.

6 = amount of numbers played (marked by player on play slip, not including any bonus or wild card, but including a power ball).

0 = no bonus number drawn; 1 = bonus number drawn;  2 = power ball game; 3 = bonus number compared only to last number of selection and in same range;  larger than 3 = same as 3 but bonus number range different and this number is the highest number able to be drawn as the bonus.  The last two types are wild card games.

3 = minimum number of matches required for a win.

0 =  bonus number not included in minimum match for a win; 1 = bonus included in minimum match for a win.

5 = amount of numbers on a play slip row.

1 = game number (in parentheses on the program's game list).

Florida Cash 3:   0  3  0  0  3

0 = indicates one-number game type (always 0 for a one-number game).

3 = amount of digits drawn to form number drawn (3 to 6).

0 = lowest digit able to be drawn (0 or 1 only).

0 = (reserved for future use).

3 = game number (in parentheses on programs's game list).

Other Problems:  Although the program has been extensively tested, given its complexity and the ability to have several function windows open at one time, you may experience other problems not described above or elsewhere in this on-line help.  If you do, please notify the author.

»  Common Questions and Answers:

When boxing or wheeling lotto numbers, how can I save less than all possible combinations?

Check the 'Save all selections' box prior to beginning the selection process.  If the total possible number of combinations is less than 500, save them all and then use the Randomly Delete Selections function to reduce the number of selections to the desired amount, or selectively delete one or more of the selections from the selections list box.  If the number of combinations to be generated is 500 or more, you will be able to cancel the generation of selections each time the separate list window is filled.  If you want fewer than the number of selections saved at that point, cancel the generation of selections and use the Randomly Delete Selections function.  Another way is to change the number of the selections in the "Number of Selections" box.

Is there a way to enter and save a personal lotto selection using the mouse, instead of typing the numbers?

Use the Play-Slip Patterns window, click on your numbers using the mouse and select the 'Save Numbers' button.

For boxing or wheeling in one-number games, why am I limited to only 20 selections in most cases?

If you are using fewer than the amount of digits drawn or the same amount, it is possible to have all possible combinations generated.  In other cases, the odds and the payoff in a one-number game would not justify playing a large amount of numbers.  However, if you want more numbers, simply reselect and save them as many times as you wish, using the same digits.  You will find that few duplicate numbers are generated and those that are can be purged using the Purge Duplicate Selections function.

How do I get rid of duplicate drawings that were entered erroneously?

Use the Edit (Change-Delete-Insert) Drawings function to delete the erroneous duplicates.  Determining which drawings are erronous and which are valid duplicate drawings (unlikely for lotto games but likely for one-number games) is another matter.  However, careful use of the 'Sort' option in the List All Drawings window can assist you in making that determination, particularly if you enter lotto drawings in the order they were drawn, rather than in sorted numerical order, and check the actual drawing order in the List Selected Drawings window.  For example, for lotto games, in the List All Drawings window, you can sort not only the numbers in the individual drawings but also the entire list and look for duplicates, and then use the List Selected Drawings window to compare the actual drawing order of apparent duplicate drawings.

Is there a way to copy a window or part of a window (e.g. a frequency chart)  to a printer?

When the window with the information that you want printed is on the screen, press the Alt+PrintScreen key combination.  That transfers the window to the Windows Clipboard.  Then, if you want to print the entire window, run Windows Write and use the Shift+Ins key combination to transfer the image from the Clipboard to Write.  Finally, use the Print option in Write.  Of course, you can use any program which accepts and prints graphic images.

If you want to edit the window before copying it to the printer, use the same first step as above, but transfer the image to Windows Paintbrush (or any graphic editing program) instead of Write, do the desired editing within Paintbrush and then use the Paintbrush Print option.  Note that, in order to insure that the entire window fits in Paintbrush, you may have to preset the image size, using Options - Image Attributes within Paintbrush before transferring the image.

»  See also:

Changes

General Program Usage

Getting Started


General Program Usage

»  Color Scheme

The colors of the window titles, the Main Menu's menu bar, all scroll bars, the highlighting for selected items in most lists, and the background  of the Main Menu window are all determined by the color scheme you use for Windows.  The program was developed using the "Windows Default" color scheme, but other color schemes also work fine.  To change the Windows color scheme, select Program Manager -- Control Panel -- Colors.  If colors seem washed-out or otherwise inappropriate, try changing one or more settings for your video display driver (if it has that capability).

»  Using Font or Type Managers

The fonts used for text and numbers were chosen on the basis of compatibility with the widest possible user base and to achieve a uniform format in each window.  The use of certain font or type managers, such as Adobe Type Manager (ATM), may affect the appearance and formatting of some windows and it is recommended that any such type manager be turned off prior to using this program.

»  Keyboard-Only Use (No Mouse)

Every effort has been made to facilitate the use of the program without a mouse, but some inconveniences for keyboard-only users will be noted.  For example, if you don't have a mouse installed, the absence of the hour-glass mouse icon will prevent you from being aware of certain program delays.  On the other hand, some type-ahead ability is available for some functions.  If the program does not respond to proper keyboard input immediately or after a reasonable pause, try typing the input again.

»  Keyboard Use (With or Without a Mouse)

Select the Help option on the Main Menu, then the "Keyboard" and "Shortcuts" sub-options, and review the content of those two windows' reminders of the ways the keyboard can be used to control the program and to access program functions via shortcuts.  A little experimentation will quickly accustom you to keyboard operation, which is generally the same as in other Windows applications, except where indicated otherwise on-screen.  Also, see Main Menu -- Keyboard Access.

To access a Main Menu option, press and release F10 or Alt, then press the key for the underlined letter in the option you want to select.  Except for command buttons (e.g. "OK", "Cancel", etc), all controls and user-input options in the function windows can be accessed by holding down the Alt key and pressing the key for the underlined letter in the item you want to access.  Command buttons can be accessed by pressing the Tab key until the button you want to access has the focus (a dotted line appears around the button's caption).  All other controls and user-input options in the function windows can also be accessed by using the Tab key.  Because an underlined letter in a function window may duplicate an underlined letter on the Main Menu, it is preferable to use F10 to access the Main Menu.  If you use the Alt key to access the Main Menu, release it before pressing the letter key.  In case of conflict, holding down the Alt key while pressing a letter will select the function window item rather than the Main Menu item with that letter underlined.

Note: Sometimes a press of the Tab key will cause the dotted focus line in the function window to disappear.  In such cases, press the Tab key  one or more times again until the focus line reappears.

The Enter key may be used to activate, select  or change the status of any control or item that has the focus (dotted line around the item's caption) or is highlighted.  The exception is [X] check boxes, which require pressing the space bar to change their status.

The Enter key may also be used to signify the end of user input in any box requiring the entry of numbers or text.  Pressing Enter in these cases will shift the focus to the next appropriate option, button or control.

For information about the Esc key and related matters, see Using the Esc Key.

Note:  To access the Main Menu, press F10 or Alt.  To close a Main Menu drop-down list of sub-options or to remove the highlight from an item on the menu bar, press Esc.

Browsing Tip:  For this or any Windows application's Help window, it is possible to browse through all of the topics in the order in which they appear in the help file (which is not necessarily a logical order), even if the Help window's browse buttons are disabled or not visible.  In your WIN.INI file in your Windows directory, under the line [Windows Help], add the line SeqTopicKeys=1.  It isn't necessary to restart Windows after saving that change.  Then, in any Help window, you can move forward from topic to topic by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Right Arrow, and you can use the 'Back' button in the Help window's menu bar to move backwards.

»  Double-Clicking in Lists

Most mouse actions can be accomplished by a single click on the desired item.  In some lists, however, double-clicking on an item in the list, as opposed to a single click to highlight the list item, has a different effect, as in the following examples:

All Drawings List -- add the selected drawing to the Selected Draws list.

Dice Roll Window's Numbers List -- add the selected number to the selection.

File Path Window's Drive and Directory Lists -- select the drive or directory.

Game List -- activate the selected game.

Lotto Analysis List -- add the selected row of drawings to the Selected Draws list.

Numerology Name and Birth Date List -- choose the selected item for calculation.

One-Number Analysis List -- add the row of drawings to the Selected Draws list.

One-Number Permutations Drawn/Not Drawn Lists -- tag the selected item for saving.

»  See Also:

Changes

Getting Started

Errors, Problems and Suggestions


Getting Help

Shortcuts Window

Keyboard Help Window

About WIN$EASY Window

Group License

»  Help Index

Help Contents is the first screen displayed when you access the on-line documentation (the file you are reading now).  To get help, press function key F1 or select Help on the Main Menu's menu bar, then the "Help Index" sub-option.

»  Shortcuts

The "Shortcuts" Window summarizes the shortcut key combinations that can be used to access various functions in the program instead of having to use the mouse to click on a Main Menu option and then a sub-option.  To access the Shortcuts Window, press Ctrl+F1 (which is an example of one of the shortcuts) or select Help on the Main Menu then the "Shortcuts" sub-option (which is an example of the mouse actions that shortcuts are designed to avoid).

Note:  Shortcuts (except for F1) will not work if an option on the Main Menu is highlighted.  To clear the highlight, press Esc.

»  Keyboard Help

The "Keyboard Help" Window contains a brief description of some of the primary ways the keyboard can be used instead of a mouse to operate the program.  To access that window, press Ctrl+K or select Help on the Main Menu then the "Keyboard Help" sub-option.  (Several program windows also contain hints for keyboard operation.)

»  About ...

The "About WIN$EASY" window shows the program title, the copyright statement, the name and address of the author, and license and disclaimer information.  To access it, select the "About ..." sub-option under Help on the Main Menu.

»  Group License

Please note that the use of WIN$EASY is limited to individuals who have purchased a registered copy of the system and to members of their immediate households.  This means that  registered users and their family members or other persons living in the same residence can use the system, but it cannot be used by or for anyone else.

If you want to use WIN$EASY for a lottery club, lottery pool or similar arrangement, you must obtain a group license from the author.  The cost of the license is $10 per member of the group or $100 for an unlimited number of members in one group.


Configuring Lotto and Keno Games
Configuring Lotto Games

»  Access and Purpose

Select Games on the Main Menu to access the Game Selection and Configuration Window.  Then select the Add New Game or Reconfigure Game button, as appropriate.  The window that is called provides the procedure for either configuring a new lotto game for use with the program, replacing an existing game with a different game, or reconfiguring an existing game to have different features.  (The same window, with different contents, is used for one-number games.)

Note:  In order for the program to function properly, it is important to insure that all games are configured correctly and, in the case of lotto games, to insure that the specific type of lotto game is identified prior to configuring it.  For this reason, prior to configuring any lotto game, you should review all of this topic and the following definitions and topics:   Lotto, Keno, Bonus, Power Ball Games and Wild Card Games.  If a game does not appear to fit the characteristics of a normal lotto game, a keno game, a power ball game or a wild card game, as described in those definitions and topics (and the topics they refer to), contact the author for assistance.

»  Configuration Options

Game Name Section

If you are adding a game, only the Game Name section will be displayed at first. Enter the name of the game in the white box in this section.  Note that you cannot enter a name that begins with the word  "Keno".

Game Type Section

Select either the Lotto, the Power Ball or the Keno option button, as appropriate for the game you are configuring, and the "Lotto/Power Ball/Keno Options" frame will appear, which is described below.  A wild card game is configured using the Lotto option button.

Before configuring a Keno game, be sure to read the definitions of Lotto and Keno.  Note that you cannot use the Reconfigure Game button for a Keno game and cannot reconfigure a non-Keno game as a Keno game.  See Configuring Keno Games for more information about configuring that type of game.  If a so-called "Keno" game's selection always has the same amount of numbers, it should be configured as a lotto game, not a Keno game.

If the last number drawn in a lotto game, regardless of what the number is called (bonus, wild card, power ball etc.), is compared only to the last number in your selection to determine a win, or if the range of numbers able to be drawn as the last number in a drawing is different than the range for the other numbers in the drawing, or if you have no control over the last selection number, either because it is added at the time you play the selection or for any other reason, the game must be configured as either a power ball or wild card game.  See Power Ball Games and Wild Card Games for configuration information in addition to the information in this topic.

Lotto/Power Ball/Keno Options Frame

Numbers Drawn:  Enter the amount of numbers that are  in each drawing, not including the bonus number, wild card or power ball, if any.  (See the note below for games that draw more than one bonus number.)

Drawing Range: 1 to:  Enter the highest number able to be drawn in the game.  For example, for a 6/49 game, since the numbers 1 to 49 are used, you would enter "49".  This range applies to the regular drawing numbers.  If a bonus number is also drawn and has a different range, see "Bonus/Wild Card Range" below and see Wild Card Games.

Note:  The next four items, Numbers Selected by Player and the three bonus number items, will not appear if you are configuring a power ball game, since their settings are determined by the nature of power ball games, as defined for this program.

Numbers Selected by Player:  Enter how many numbers the player marks on the play slip for the game being configured.  For example, in the Pennsylvania Super 7 game, at the time of this writing, 10 numbers are drawn in each drawing, but the player only plays (marks) 7 numbers on the play slip.  Do not count any bonus number or wild card that may be added to your selection at the time the selection is played.

Bonus (Wild Card) Drawn:  Check this box only if a single bonus number or wild card is part of the game's drawing.  If you check this box, the following two options will appear, as will the "Minimum must include Bonus / Minimum includes Power Ball" option described later below.  Note that all references to "bonus" in this window also apply to a wild card.

Bonus Range: 1 to:   Enter the highest number able to be drawn as the bonus number or wild card in the game.  In some games, the bonus number or wild card can have a different range from the other numbers drawn.  For example, the game might draw several numbers in the range 1 to 39 plus a bonus playing card in the range 1 to 52.  If the game draws a bonus or wild card with a different range than the other numbers drawn, see Wild CardGames for details (even if the bonus is not a playing card).

Bonus Number Can Duplicate Any Other Number Drawn:  Check this box only if the bonus number or wild card is drawn in such a way as to permit it to duplicate one of the other numbers drawn.  See Power BallGames and Wild CardGames for details.  (If you select, for the type of game, the Power Ball option button, this option will not appear, since it is assumed that the power ball number can duplicate other numbers in that type of game.)

Note:  If a game draws more than one bonus number, include the amount of all numbers drawn, including the bonus numbers, in the "Numbers Drawn" entry and do NOT check the "bonus number Drawn" box or the "Minimum must include Bonus" box.

Minimum matches for a win:  Enter how many numbers the player must match to win the smallest prize.  In most lotto games, this will be 3.  If the smallest prize is awarded for zero matches, do not enter 0 in this space.  Enter the amount needed for the next larger prize.  (The Auto-Match Window includes an option for listing selections with no matches.)  The following option will only appear if you checked the Bonus or Wild Card Drawn box or if you are configuring a power ball game.

Minimum must include Bonus / Minimum includes Power Ball:  Check this box only if a bonus, wild card or power ball match must be included in the matches needed to win the smallest prize.  In some games, the smallest prize can only be won if one (or the only one) of the numbers matched is the bonus, wild card or power ball.  If the game draws more than one bonus number, do not check this box. (See the Note above.)

Play Slip Boxes in Each Row:  Look at the play slip for the game you are configuring and count the numbered boxes in the longest row  from left to right in one panel of the play slip and enter that number. For example, a 6/49 game's play slip  will usually have 5 numbers per row in each panel (and 10 rows per panel, with the last row having only 4 numbers), and you would enter "5" for such a game.  In a power ball game, the power ball may be selected on a different part of the play-slip panel.  Ignore that part of the panel and consider only the number of boxes per row in the regular selection part of the panel.

Note:  The simulated play slip in the Play-Slip Patterns Window cannot have rows with more than 10 boxes and cannot have more than 10 rows.  If the actual play slip for the game you are configuring has longer or more rows, enter a smaller or larger number until it is accepted by the program.  In that case, even though the program's simulated play-slip will not exactly match the real one, you can still use the play-slip-patterns function for making selections.

OK:  When you're sure that the data you have entered is correct and all applicable check boxes are checked or unchecked, as appropriate, select the OK button.  The program will then review your input and will report any apparent errors.  If none are found, the new game will be added to the game list, the window will be closed and you will be returned to the Game Selection and Configuration window.

Note: If you are reconfiguring a game and select the OK button, you may be advised that certain files applicable to the original game must be deleted.  In certain circumstances for lotto games, some of these deletions can be avoided.  To do so, select the Cancel button in the advisory window and see Avoiding File Deletion When Reconfiguring.

Cancel:  You can select the Cancel button at any time to abort the configuration procedure, close the window and return to the Game Selection and Configuration window.

»  See also:

Adding or Reconfiguring a Game

Configuring Keno Games.


Configuring Keno Games

»  Configuring the Primary Keno Game and the Connected Games

The only significant difference between a Keno game and a normal lotto game is that, in a Keno game, there are several ways to play, i.e. you decide how many numbers you want to play for each drawing and you can have a different amount of numbers in each play for each drawing.  In order to accomodate this difference in all of the number-selection functions, the program expects you to treat each different play method, i.e. each different amount of numbers played, as a separate game connected to the primary Keno game.  Hence, before configuring a Keno game, you should decide which different ways you will normally play.  (You can always add other ways to play later.)

Note:  If a so-called "Keno" game's selection must always have the same amount of numbers, the game should be configured as a lotto game, not a Keno game.

For example, if you will normally play 5 numbers, 10 numbers and/or 15 numbers for each drawing, you should configure one game for each of those play methods.  The first game you configure will be the "primary" Keno game and the others will be games "connected" to the primary game.  The only difference between the primary game and its connected games will be the number you enter in the "Numbers Selected by Player" box, and possibly a change in the "Minimum Matches for a Win" box, when configuring each of the games (see Configuring Lotto Games -- "Lotto Section").

Configure the first (primary) Keno game with one of the ways you intend to play the game, e.g. play 5 numbers (you enter "5" in the "Numbers Selected by Player" box).  Then configure a separate Keno game for each of the other ways you intend to play that game by entering a different amount in the "Numbers Selected by Player" box for each additional game that you configure.  The only difference in the configuration of the additional games connected to the primary game, and the only changes you will be permitted to make, will be a change in the "Numbers Selected by Player" box and possibly a change in the "Minimum Matches for a Win" box.

The option to configure additional games connected to the primary game will be offered to you immediately after you configure the first, primary Keno game.  You can add any connected games at that time or later (see below).

Once they have been configured, the distinction between primary  and connected games is no longer significant.  In fact, you could delete the primary game and continue to work with any remaining connected games.  But, see "Working With More Than One Primary Keno Game" below.

Also, once you have configured a Keno game, you cannot reconfigure it with the "Reconfigure Game" button.  You can change the "Numbers Selected by Player " and "Minimum Matches for a Win" options by selecting the "Add New Game" button and you can change part of the game name by selecting the "Edit Game Name" button (see below for details), but any other changes will require that you first delete the Keno game that you want to reconfigure and then configure it as a new game.

Note: A primary  Keno game and its connected games use the same file for drawing data.

»  The Keno Game Name

As explained on-screen when you configure a Keno game, the first part of a Keno game's name is controlled by the program and is in the form "Keno n1/n2:", where n1 will be the primary Keno game's file number (see Games and the Note under "Access and Purpose"), and n2 will be the amount of numbers to be selected by the player for that game.   For example, a primary game in which you decide to play 5 numbers might be named "Keno 12/5:" and a connected game in which 10 numbers will be played would be named "Keno 12/10:".  The "12" in both game names in this example indicates that the two games are connected, i.e. share the same drawings file.  (Note the colon at the end of this part of the game name.)

The second part of the game name (after the colon) may be entered by you and can be blank or anything you choose to enter.  If you configure more than one primary Keno game, however, be sure to include in the second part of the game's name information that clearly identifies and distinguishes one primary Keno game from another.  Since the primary (or a connected) game can be deleted, it is also a good idea to have the second part of each connected Keno game's name be the same as what you entered for the primary game to which it is connected.

»  Adding Connected Keno Games and Deleting Keno Games

To add new ways to play (additional, connected games) for a Keno game already on the game list, select the "Add New Game" button in the "Game Selection and Configuration" window when the primary Keno game or one of its connected games is highlighted.  You will then be offered the option of adding new connected games by changing only the "Numbers Selected by Player" box and possibly  the "Minimum Matches for a Win" box.  No other configuration changes can be made to configured Keno games.

Any Keno game can be deleted, including a primary game and/or one or more of its connected games.

»  Working With More Than One Primary Keno Game

A primary Keno game is one in which, at the time it is configured, the number in parentheses after the game name in the list of games is the same as the number before the slash ( / ) in the first part of the game name.  All Keno games connected to that primary Keno game will  have the same number before the slash. This distinction is only important, however, as an aid in understanding how to distinguish one set of connected Keno games from another when you have configured more than one primary Keno game.

If you have configured more than one primary Keno game, it's important to insure, when you save new drawings or take other actions, that you are working with the proper Keno game.  One way to do that is to add to the second part of each primary game's name (the part after the colon in the name) information that clearly identifies and distinguishes each primary Keno game from all other primary Keno games.

The connected games are distinguished from their primary game and from each other by the number after the slash in their names.  But, if you configure more than one primary game, both the primary games and the connected games should have additional information in the second part of their names to distinguish one primary game from another, and the connected games should have the same information as the primary game to which they are connected.

For example, suppose you had a primary Keno game named "Keno 12/5: Alberta Keno" and another primary Keno game named "Keno 13/10: Montreal Keno".  And suppose that you had connected games for both of them named "Keno 12/15:" and "Keno 13/15:" with nothing for the second part of the connected games' names after the colon.  You would know that "Keno 12/15:" was a connected game for "Keno 12/5: Alberta Keno" because both have "12" before the slash in their names.  But, if you deleted both primary games, you then wouldn't know (unless you remembered) which connected game applied to Alberta Keno and which applied to Montreal Keno because you didn't include any identifying information after the colon in the connected games' names.  And the same problem would occur, even without the deletions, if you didn't add identifying information after the colon in the games' names when you configured them.

»  See Also:

Configuring Lotto Games

Adding or Reconfiguring a Game


Configuring One-Number Games

»  Access and Purpose

Select Games on the Main Menu to access the Game Selection and Configuration Window.  Then select the Add New Game or Reconfigure Game button, as appropriate.  The window that is called provides the procedure for either configuring a new one-number game for use with the program, replacing an existing game with a different one, or reconfiguring an existing game to have different features.  (The same window, with different contents, is used for lotto games.)

»  Configuration Options

Game Name Section:  If you are adding a new game, only the Game Name section is shown initially.  First enter the game's name in the white box in this section.

Game Type Section:  Select "One-Number".

One-Number Section:

Smallest Digit:  Select the option button that indicates the smallest digit able to be drawn in the game, Zero or One.

Digits Drawn:  Select the option button that indicates how many digits are drawn to form the single number for each drawing, Three or Four.

OK / Cancel:  You can select the Cancel button at any time to abort the configuration procedure.  Otherwise, when you're sure that the name and option buttons are the way you want them, select the OK button to add the new game to the game list.

»  See also:

Adding or Reconfiguring a Game


Add/Change/Delete/Insert Window

Adding New Drawings or Personal Selections

Editing Drawings or Selections

The Add/Change/Delete/Insert window is called by options in other windows for the purposes of adding new drawings or personal selections to their respective files or changing, deleting or inserting drawings or selections in their respective files, or adding groups to the Scratch Pad's Groups Pad .  The window will have slightly different contents for each purpose, and instructions in the center of the window  will show you what to do in each case.

»  Adding Drawings or Personal Selections

To add (save) one or more new drawings, press Ctrl+A or select the Draws option on the Main Menu, then the "Add New Drawing(s) to File" sub-option.  To add (save) one or more personal selections, select the Selections option on the Main Menu, then the "Add Personal Selection(s) to File" sub-option.  The Add/Change/Delete/Insert window then will be opened in either case.

Enter the new drawing or selection in the white box.   Note that the number of the drawing or selection to be added (its position as the last one in the file) is shown in the title bar of the window and will increase as each drawing or selection is added.

Note: For lotto games, whether you enter the numbers in each drawing in numerical order or in the order they were drawn is up to you, but be sure to use the same method for all drawings.  If you don't, some analysis techniques may be less helpful.  For the most intricate analysis techniques, it would be better to enter the drawing numbers in the order they were drawn.

Also, when adding lotto drawings that include a bonus number, power ball or wild card, always enter that number last (even if it isn't actually drawn last), since all functions that read the drawings file identify the last number in a drawing as the bonus, power ball or wild card number when appropriate.

»  Changing, Deleting or Inserting Drawings or Selections

When deleting or changing a drawing or selection on file, the drawing or selection subject to being deleted or changed is shown in the white box.  If you are inserting a drawing or selection into a file, the box will be empty, awaiting your entry of the drawing or selection to be inserted.  See Editing Drawings or Selections.

The term "inserting" is used here to refer to inserting a drawing at some point other than as the last one in the file.  For example, if you forget to add a drawing until after you have added later drawings, you will want the forgotten drawing to be in its proper chronological position in the file and would use the "insert" procedure [the "Drawings -- Edit (Change/Delete/Insert) Drawing(s)" option on the Main Menu].  The most recent new drawing can be added by using the normal procedure (Ctrl+A or the "Drawings -- Add New Drawing(s) to File" option) or by using the "insert" procedure and inserting the drawing after the last one in the file.

»  Adding or Editing Drawings for Keno Games

When you add, change, delete or insert Keno drawings, the active game can be either the primary Keno game or one of the games connected to that primary game (i.e. a  game with the same number as the primary game before the slash in the game name).  It doesn't matter, as long as you're sure that you know which game the drawings pertain to, since all connected Keno games share the same drawing file.  See Configuring Keno Games for information about the distinction between primary and connected Keno games.  Otherwise, Keno drawings are handled in the same way as the drawings for other lotto-type games.

»  Adding Groups to the Groups Pad in the Scratch Pad Window

This same window is also accessed for the above purpose from the  Scratch Pad Window.

»  Cancel and OK Options

Cancel may be selected at any time to abort the proposed action and close this window.

When adding, changing or inserting a drawing or selection, or adding a group to the Scratch Pad's Group Pad, after you have entered the item and/or made any changes, select OK to perform the addition, change or insertion.  When adding, changing or inserting an item, the program will check the entry to be sure that it meets the purpose for which it is intended and will advise you of any problems (e.g. duplicate or out-of-range numbers).

Note: When deleting a drawing or selection, the only available options are either to select OK to perform the deletion or to select Cancel to abort the deletion.  No changes can be made to the drawing or selection shown in the box.

.


Analysis

»  Access and Purpose

Press F10 then A , or select Analysis on the Main Menu's menu bar.  The Analysis option provides the following sub-options, each of which is described separately in this documentation:

General Drawing Analysis

See also:  Analysis Window for Lotto Games and Analysis Window for One-Number Games.

Drawing Frequency Chart

Hot/Cold Numbers Drawn

Compare Selections/Draws

Drawing Permutations List

Play-Slip Patterns (Frequency Plot)

Playing-Card Conversion

With/Without Analysis

General Drawing Analysis is the primary analysis tool.  The other options are available under other options on the Main Menu but are also listed under the Analysis option because each can provide one or more useful analysis tools.  For example, the Play-Slip function's Frequency Plot option can show you if a given play-slip pattern has appeared more often than others in a given series of drawings.


Compare Selections/Draws
Compare Selections/Drawings Window

»  Access

Press F2, or select the Main Menu's Selections option, then "Compare Selections to all Drawings", or select the Main Menu's Analysis option, then "Compare Selections/Draws".

»  Purpose

The "Compare Selections/Drawings" window allows you to compare one or more of your saved  selections for the active game with all of the  drawings on file for that game.  The comparison shows you how many of the digits in a one-number game selection, or how many of the numbers in a lotto game selection, match digits/numbers in each of the drawings.  The purpose of this comparison is to see when and how often all or part of any selection may have been drawn before.  Plus, you can set a minimum number of matches that must be found for a drawing to be listed.

The comparison can be particularly helpful in lotto games since, if one of your selections is an exact match of one of the drawings, you will probably want to change that selection.  In any case, for either type of game, when frequent or recent matches are found, whether you change your selection or not will depend on how you feel about the likelihood of a given combination of digits or numbers appearing more than once in a given period.

Note: This procedure is similar to the Auto-Match procedure, which is designed to find any winners in your saved selections.  The primary difference is that Auto-Match allows you to compare each selection to one or several of the last drawings.  This comparison procedure always compares a selection to all drawings on file.

»  Selections List

The top part of the window lists the number of each saved selection (its position in the selections file) and its content, and one selection is highlighted.  When each comparison is finished, the highlight moves down to the next selection, if any, and the prior selection is marked with an "x" to indicate that it already has been compared.

Note:  For Wild Card games, no provision is made for including as part of the selection the wild card number added to your selection at the time it is played or purchased.

»  Drawings List

The bottom part of the window lists the number (position in the drawings file) of each drawing in which at least the specified number of matches were found, followed by the content of the drawing and, in parentheses, how many matches were found.  The heading of the list indicates the selection that was compared, which avoids confusion from the fact that the highlight in the Selections List will have moved down to the next selection.

Note:  For Wild Card games, matches between any selection number and the wild card in the drawing are counted, even though no wild card is in the selection shown.  For Power Ball games, matches between the selection's power ball number and any number in the drawing are counted, not just matches with the drawing's power ball number.

»  Compare Selections/Drawings Options

Least # of matches to list:  You can limit the drawings list to only those drawings in which at least a given minimum number of matches is found by entering that number in the space after this option.  For example, if you enter "3" in this space, the drawings list will include only those drawings in which at least 3 digits/numbers match digits/numbers in the selection being compared.  If you change this number after any selection has been compared, all "x" marks will be removed from the Selections List and the Drawing List will be cleared.

Most # found in 1 draw:  During the comparison, this number is constantly updated to show the maximum number of matches found in any drawing.

[X] Sort Drawings:  This option does not appear for one-number games.  For lotto games, check this box to have the drawings displayed in sorted numerical order.  (Any bonus, power ball or wild card number always will be shown last.)  The option has no effect  if you already have saved the numbers in each drawing in numerical order, as opposed to the order in which they were drawn.  If you check or uncheck this box after any selection has been compared, all "x" marks will be removed from the Selections List and the Drawing List will be cleared.

Compare:  This button begins the comparison of the highlighted selection to all drawings on file.  After the comparison is completed, the drawings with the most matches will be highlighted.

Edit Selections: This button calls the Edit Selections window so you can change or delete selections after seeing them compared to the drawings.

Note:  If you access the Edit Selections window by any means while the Compare Selections/Drawings window is open, and if you begin to make a selection change, deletion or insertion, then, if you close the Edit Selections window, the Compare Selections/Drawings window will be closed and reopened.  This procedure insures that the Compare Selections/Drawings window has current data.

Cancel: This button closes the window.


Frequency Chart and Selections Window

Drawing Frequency Chart

Frequency Chart Selections

»  Access and Purpose

To access the "Frequency Chart and Selections" window, press F6, or select the Main Menu's Selections option, then the "Frequency Chart Selections" sub-option, or select the Main Menu's Analysis option, then the "Drawing Frequency Chart" sub-option.

The "Frequency Chart and Selections" window serves two purposes.  First, it provides an analysis function via a chart showing how often each digit in a one-number game or each number in a lotto game appears in all drawings on file.  (A separate chart is available for bonus, power ball or wild card numbers in lotto games that use them.)  Second, it provides a series of "Regular" and "Custom" selections based on the frequency of the digits/numbers drawn.  The window is different for each type of game and is further described in one of the topics listed below.  (The browse buttons above are available for these topics.)

»  See also:

One-Number Frequency Chart

One-Number Regular Frequency Selections

One-Number Custom Frequency  Selections

One-Number Frequency Chart Options

Lotto Frequency Chart

Lotto Regular Frequency Selections

Lotto Custom Frequency Selections

Lotto Frequency Chart Options


One-Number Frequency Chart

The One-Number Frequency Chart appears at the top of the Frequency Chart and Selections Window and begins with a list of the names of the digits, Zero thru Nine.  Under each digit name is shown the number of times that digit was drawn in "any" position and in the "1st" , "2nd", "3rd" and, when applicable, "4th", "5th" and "6th" positions of all  of the 3- to 6-digit numbers drawn within the identified drawing range for the active game.  In each position row, from "Any" to "6th" (when applicable), the most frequently drawn digit in that position is shown in blue and the least frequent digit in that position is shown in red.

»  Reset Range

The chart initially shows the digit frequency for all drawings on file and the drawing range is shown below the chart on the right (e.g. "Drawing Range:  1 to 1407").  The Reset Range button allows you to change the drawing range to see the digit frequencies for any one or several of the drawings on file.  See Resetting the Drawing Range.

»  Most to Least List

Also below the chart, on the left, is a "Most to Least" list of the available digits, listed in the order of frequency drawn in any position, from the most frequent on the left to the least frequent on the right.  (When two or more digits have been drawn the same number of times, they are shown in numerical order.)

»  See also:

One-Number Regular Frequency Selections

One-Number Custom Frequency  Selections

One-Number Frequency Chart Options


One-Number Regular Frequency Selections

The regular Selections List for one-number games appears on the left side of the Frequency Chart and Selections Window.  The regular selections are based on 14 selection criteria or categories, as described below for a 3-digit game:

  1.  Most Frequent..............  the most frequently drawn digits

  2.  Least Frequent.............  the least frequently drawn digits

  3.  Others at Random........  digits not the most or least frequently drawn ("Other")

  4.  Most by Position...........  the digits most frequently drawn in their respective positions

  5.  Least by position..........  the digits least frequently drawn in their respective positions

  6.  Other by Position........... digits not the most or least frequent in their positions

  7.  Most/Most/Other............ two most-frequently-drawn digits and an "Other" digit

  8.  Most/Most/Random....... two most-frequently-drawn digits and a random digit

  9.  Most/Least/Other........... one most-frequent, a least-frequent and an "Other" digit

10.  Most/Least/Random.......  one most-frequent, a least-frequent and a random digit

11.  Least/Least/Other.......... two least-frequently-drawn digits and an "Other" digit

12.  Least/Least/Random..... two least-frequently-drawn digits and a random digit

13.  Other/Other/Random..... two "Other" digits and a random digit

14.  All Random....................  digits selected at random

For 4-digit games, in the 3-part  (7th thru 13th) categories, the extra digit will be another random or "Other" digit, whichever is called for by the third part of the category name.  For 5- and 6-digit games, in the 3-part categories, two eligible digits will be selected for each of the first two parts and one digit (5-digit games) or two digits (6-digit games) will be selected at random from all digits for the third part, which will be named "Random" in all cases (e.g. Most/Most/Other will be named Most/Most/Random).

Note that in a 3-digit game, all but one of the available digits (0-9) will appear in the first three categories.  In a 4-digit game, all but two of the digits will appear in the first two categories, the first two digits in the "Others at Random" category will be the two digits that did not appear in the first two categories and will be the "Other" digits,  and the last two digits in that category will be selected at random from all digits.  For 5-digit games, all of the digits will appear in the Most Frequent and Least Frequent categories and there will be no "Other" digits.  And, for 6-digit games, all of the digits will appear in the first two categories, two of the digits will appear in both categories, and there will be no "Other" digits.  Thus, for 5- or 6-digit games, the "Others at Random", "Other by Position" and "Other/Other/Random" categories will be changed to "All Random"and will include only digits selected at random from all available digits, and the third part of all other 3-part categories that include "Other" digits will include random digits instead and will be renamed as described above.

When more digits than are needed are eligible for a given category or part of a category, the program selects digits randomly from all digits eligible for that category or for that part of the category.

»  Sort

Initially, each selection's digits are displayed in the order in which they were selected.  In a 3-digit game, for example, for the "Least/Least/Random" category, the first two digits will be least-frequent digits and the 3rd digit will be a digit selected at random from all digits.  You can then, if you wish, rearrange the order of the digits in all selections by selecting the Sort button.  See One-Number Frequency Chart Options -- Sort.

»  See also:

One-Number Frequency Chart

One-Number Custom Frequency  Selections


One-Number Custom Frequency Selections

The Custom Selections List appears on the right side of the Frequency Chart and Selections Window.  Use Alt+Down or click on the arrow at the top of the list to drop or raise the Custom Selections List.  Selecting an entry from the dropped list also raises the list.

Up to 8 custom selections are possible, plus a personal selection may be entered in the top box of the custom list when it is blank or by modifying the content of any selection appearing there.  However, a personal selection cannot have any text included with the number and the number must consist of only 3 to 6 digits, as appropriate for the active game, with no spaces between the digits.  (One leading space is permitted.)

The 8 criteria are self-explanatory and refer to the digits not drawn, drawn one or more times, drawn exactly, more or less than X times, drawn from  X to Y  times (where you enter the X and Y values in the boxes next to those variables), drawn the average times and, for the last selection, any digits that do not already appear in any saved selections.  By checking the "Select by Position" box, you can have the X and Y criteria applied on a  by-position basis.   For example, if the By-Position  box is checked and X is set at 54,  each of the "Drawn X Times" selection's digits will have been drawn 54 times in its respective position.

Note: Whenever you change the value of X or Y or the status of the by-position check box, you must use the Reselect button (to the left of the custom list) to activate the change.

When the custom list is raised by pressing Alt+Down, by clicking the arrow button or by selecting one of the 8 custom selections, you will be shown which digits are eligible for the particular criterion selected and also the average(s) applicable to the "Drawn the average times" criterion.  If the by-position box is checked, the information will be presented on a by-position basis.  Note, for example, that "Avg. Draws" shows the average times that all digits were drawn for each of the three to six positions when the by-position box is checked.

»  See also:

One-Number Frequency Chart

One-Number Regular Frequency Selections

One-Number Frequency Chart Options


One-Number Frequency Chart Options

The lower center portion of the Frequency Chart and Selections Window for a one-number game contains two sets of command buttons for the four available options described below, one set on the left for the Regular Selections list and one on the right for the Custom Selections list.  The arrows on the buttons point toward the selections list to which they apply.

»  Save 1

These buttons are for saving the selection appearing at the top of either list.  Note that, for the Custom List, the item in the box at the top of the list is the one that will be saved and may be a personal selection entered by you.   If nothing is in that box, nothing will be saved.  See Saving Selections.

»  Save All

These buttons are for saving all selections in the appropriate list (for the Custom List, the personal selection, if any, in the Custom List box also will be saved).  See "Saving Selections".

»  Sort

These buttons are for randomly rearranging the digits in each selection in either list to form different selections.

»  Reselect

These buttons are for making new selections from the eligible digits for each category in either list.  Whenever you change the value of the X or Y variable or the status of the by-position check box below the Custom List, you must use the Reselect button for the Custom List to activate the change.

Note: If you use Reselect and have not changed either the value of the X or Y variable or the status of the by-position check box, a new (different) selection for any category is only possible when the number of digits eligible for the category is more than the number of digits in a selection for the active game.

»  See also:

One-Number Frequency Chart

One-Number Frequency Chart -- Reset Range option

One-Number Regular Frequency Selections

One-Number Custom Frequency  Selections


Lotto Frequency Chart

The Lotto Frequency Chart appears at the top of the Frequency Chart and Selections Window and shows how often each number was drawn in all drawings within the identified drawing range for the active game.  The number drawn appears first, followed by an equals sign and the number of times that number was drawn.  The most- and least-frequent numbers are distinguished by color.  If a bonus number, power ball or wild card is included in the active game's drawing, whether or not that number is counted along with the other numbers in the drawing will depend on the type of game, and a comment will appear above the chart to indicate whether or not the bonus number is included.

»  List by Number or Frequency

When the window first appears, the list is shown in numerical order, i.e. the numbers able to be drawn are listed from the lowest to the highest.  The list can be changed to show the numbers in frequency order, i.e. the most frequently drawn numbers listed first and the least frequently drawn numbers listed last.   See Lotto Frequency Chart Options -- Frequency Sort / Numerical Sort.  These options are also available for the Bonus Chart described below.

»  Drawing Range

When the window first appears, the drawing range is set to cover all drawings on file. The range of drawings can be changed to cover any one or several of the drawings on file.  See Lotto Frequency Chart Options -- Range and Resetting the Drawing Range.  The range of drawings currently being counted is shown at the top right of the window (e.g. "Drawing Range:  1 to 92").

»  Bonus Chart / Regular Chart

For lotto games that draw a bonus, power ball or wild card number, the number of times that each such number appeared within the selected range of drawings can be viewed on a separate chart by selecting the Bonus Chart button.  To redisplay the regular frequency chart, select the button again (its caption will have changed to Regular Chart).  Both charts can be sorted by number or frequency.

»  See also:

Lotto Regular Frequency Selections

Lotto Custom Frequency Selections


Lotto Regular Frequency Selections

The Regular Lotto Frequency Selections List appears at the bottom center of the Frequency Chart and Selections Window for lotto games.  You can also enter a personal selection in the box at the top of the list, either when the box is blank or by editing any selection that appears there.  (Do not use any non-digit characters in a personal selection.)

Note:  Power Ball numbers are included in the selections as the last number and are counted separately to determine the frequency of their appearance as power balls.  Wild Card numbers are not included in the selections, since the player has no control over the selection of wild cards (as defined for this program).

»  Regular Frequency Selection Criteria

The regular frequency selections are based on fourteen selection criteria or categories.  The first three are the most significant, since they control the content of all but the last of the remaining criteria.

1. Most Frequent:  the most frequently drawn numbers.

The program selects the n most frequently drawn numbers, where n is the amount of numbers in a selection for the active game.  If there are fewer than n numbers that have been drawn the most frequently, the program selects the next most frequent numbers, and so on until a complete selection can be formed.  If more than enough numbers are eligible for the last round of most-frequent choices, the program selects an appropriate number of them at random.

For example, suppose that in a 6-number game, there are 5 numbers that have been drawn most frequently and all have been drawn 20 times.  Suppose further that there are 3 numbers that have been drawn 19 times, i.e. all 3 qualify as the next most-frequent number, but only one more number is needed.  In this case, the program would select at random one of those 3 numbers as the last most-frequent number for the selection in the Most Frequent category.

2. Least Frequent:  the least frequently drawn numbers.

The same procedure as described above for the Most Frequent numbers is used to select the proper amount of the least-frequent numbers, except that it begins with the least frequent numbers and then, if necessary, the next least frequent, etc.

3. Others at Random:  numbers selected at random from among all numbers except those selected by the program for the Most Frequent and Least Frequent categories.

For example, in a game that draws 6 numbers in the range 1 to 49, there would be 37 numbers eligible for selection in the Others at Random category (49 numbers, minus the 6 most-frequent, minus the 6 least-frequent, leaves 37 numbers). Thus, the numbers selected for this category could include numbers that were eligible but not selected for the Most Frequent and Least Frequent categories.

Note:  Bonus numbers, if any, may or may not be counted.  A comment at the top of the frequency chart will so indicate.  If bonus numbers are counted, they will be counted for all categories.

4th Through 13th Categories.  Each of these categories includes two or three of the terms "Most", "Least", "Other" or "Random".  "Most" refers to the numbers in the Most Frequent selection, "Least" refers to the numbers in the Least Frequent selection, "Other" refers to the numbers in the Others at Random selection, and "Random" refers to any numbers able to be drawn in the active game.  Thus, for each type of number except "Random", only those numbers already in one of the first 3 selections are eligible for inclusion in the 4th through 13th categories. For example, for the Most and Other (9th) selection, the only eligible numbers are those in the Most Frequent selection and those in the Others at Random selection.

Note that the word "Random" in the Others at Random category refers only to the method of selection for those numbers and does not change the fact that this selection cannot include any numbers that are in the Most  Frequent or Least Frequent selections.

The 4th through 13th categories all have 2 or  3 sections.  For example, Most/Least/Random is a 3-section category and Most and Least is a 2-section category.  The program attempts to include an equal amount of numbers in each section of the category.  For example, for a 6-number game in the Most/Least/Random category, 2 numbers would be from the Most Frequent selection, 2 from the Least Frequent selection, and 2 would be selected at random from all numbers used by the active game.

If an equal amount of numbers cannot be selected for each section of a category, the last section of the selection will have one number more or less than the other(s).  For example, for a 5-number game in the Most/Least/Other category,  the selection would have 2 numbers from the Most Frequent selection, 2 from the Least Frequent selection and 1 from the Others at Random selection.

14. Random Numbers: The last (14th) category will be a selection composed of numbers selected at random from all numbers able to be drawn in the active game (which could include numbers eligible for or included in the first three categories).

»  See also:

Lotto Frequency Chart

Lotto Custom Frequency Selections

Lotto Frequency Chart Options


Lotto Custom Frequency Selections

The Lotto Custom Frequency Selections List appears at the bottom center of the Frequency Chart and Selections Window for lotto games when the Custom Select button is used (see Lotto Frequency Chart Options -- Custom Select / Regular Select").  You also can enter a personal selection in the box at the top of the list, either when it is blank or by editing any selection that appears there.  (Do not use any non-digit characters in a personal selection.)

Note:  Power Ball numbers are included in the selections as the last number and are counted separately to determine the frequency of their appearance as power balls.  Wild Card numbers are not included in the selections, since the player has no control over the selection of wild cards (as defined for this program).

»  Custom Frequency Selection Criteria

The custom frequency selections for lotto games are based on eight different criteria or categories, four of which have variable parameters (X and Y) that can be controlled by you.  In each case, the numbers in the selection are chosen at random by the program from any of the numbers eligible for the category based on the amount of times the numbers were drawn.

Each time new custom selections are displayed, the program advises you of any category for which there were not enough eligible numbers and to which random numbers had to be added to make a complete selection.  That advisory also lists the random numbers that were added to the selection.  The program also advises you of the average applied to the "Drawn the average times" category and of the amount of numbers eligible for the "Not in saved selections" category.

Note:  Bonus numbers, if any, may or may not be counted.  A comment at the top of the frequency chart will so indicate.  If bonus numbers are counted, they will be counted for all categories.

The values of the X and Y variables in the criteria can be entered by you in the boxes to the left of the custom selection list.  After changing either of those values, you must select either the OK button or the Reselect button (See Lotto Frequency Chart Options -- Reselect) to activate the new values and have the program make new custom selections.  The asterisk ( * ) in the criteria definitions below represents the phrase "within the selected drawing range for the active game."

Never drawn:  numbers that have not appeared in any drawing *

Drawn one or more times:  numbers that have appeared in at least one drawing *

Drawn exactly X times:  numbers that have appeared exactly X times *

Drawn more than X times:  numbers that have appeared more than X times *

Drawn less than X times:  numbers that have appeared less than X times *

Drawn from X to Y times:  numbers that have appeared from X to Y times *

Drawn the average times:  numbers that have appeared one time more or one time less than or exactly the average times *  (The average refers to the average times that all numbers have been drawn *)

Not in saved selections:  numbers that do not appear in any selections already on file.  This category is very useful when you are saving several selections and want to be sure that they include all of the numbers able to be drawn.

»  See also:

Lotto Frequency Chart

Lotto Regular Frequency Selections

Lotto Frequency Chart Options


Lotto Frequency Chart Options

The following command buttons all appear on one line below the Lotto Frequency Chart in the Frequency Chart and Selections Window for lotto games.

Frequency Sort / Numerical Sort:  When the "Frequency Chart and Selections" window first appears, the frequency chart is in numerical order, i.e. the numbers able to be drawn are listed from the lowest to the highest.  The list can be changed to show the numbers in frequency order, i.e. the most frequently drawn numbers listed first and the least frequently drawn numbers listed last, by selecting the Frequency Sort button.  The button's caption then changes to Numerical Sort and can be used to change the list to its original numerical order.  This option is also available for the Bonus Chart (see below).

Range:  When the "Frequency Chart and Selections" window first appears, the drawing range is set to cover all drawings on file. The range of drawings can be changed, by selecting this button, to cover any one or several of the drawings on file.  See Resetting the Drawing Range.  The range of drawings currently being counted is shown at the top right of the window (e.g. "Drawing Range:  1 to 92").

Custom Select / Regular Select:  changes the selection list at the bottom of the window from Custom Selections to Regular Selections and vice versa.  The button's caption changes appropriately each time it is used.

Reselect:  causes the program to select new numbers for either the Custom or Regular selections list, whichever is currently displayed.  If the Custom list is displayed and you change the X or Y variable, you must use this button, or the OK button next to the Custom list, to activate the change and generate new selections.

Note: The Reselect button will not result in a different selection being generated for any listed category in which  the amount of eligible numbers available for the category is exactly the same as the amount needed to make a complete selection.

Save One:  selects for saving the selection in the box at the top of the Regular or Custom list, whichever is displayed.  The selection could be a personal selection.  See Saving Selections.

Save All:  selects for saving all 14 of the Regular Selections or all 8 of the Custom Selections, depending on which are displayed.  Any personal selection that you may have entered in the top box of the list also will be selected for saving.  See Saving Selections.

Bonus Chart / Regular Chart:  For games that draw a bonus, power ball or wild card number, the number of times that each such number appeared within the selected range of drawings can be viewed on a separate chart by selecting the Bonus Chart button.  To redisplay the regular frequency chart, select the button again (its caption will have changed to Regular Chart).  Both charts can be sorted by number or frequency, using the Frequency Sort / Numerical Sort button described above.

»  See also:

Lotto Frequency Chart

Lotto Regular Frequency Selections

Lotto Custom Frequency Selections


Resetting the Drawing Range

Drawing Range Options Window

»  Access & Purpose

The "Drawing Range Options" window appears when you select the Range or Reset Range button in any window that has one.  It permits you to choose the drawing(s) that will be analyzed or counted in the function being used.

»  Range Options

Start with drawing:  The window appears with this number set at 1, the first drawing, but you can change it to any number from 1 to the number of drawings on file for the active game (the number that appears initially for the other two options).

End with drawing:  The window appears with this number set at the number of drawings on file for the active game, but you can change it to any number from 1 to the number of drawings on file.

Note: To set the range for a single drawing, set Start and End at the same number, i.e. the number of the drawing you want to be used.

Use the last (n) drawings:  The window appears with this number (n) set at the number of drawings on file for the active game, but you can change it to set the range to any amount of the last drawings, up to the total number of drawings on file.  For example, if there are 100 drawings on file and you set this number at 20, the function being used would apply only to drawings 81 through 100.  When this number is changed, the Start and End numbers are also changed appropriately by the program.  For some purposes, this is the only option enabled when the window appears, and for some purposes (e.g. Recent Hot/Cold Selections) this number will be limited to 20 or less.


Saving Selections

Save-Selections Options Window

»  Access and Purpose

Whenever a save option is activated for one or more selections in any window, the "Save-Selections Options" window will appear and will have enabled one or more of the options discussed below.

»  Save and Transfer Options

Save in Selections File:  In order to later use the Auto-Match function to check for winners in any selections that you play, you must save them in the active game's selections file by marking this option.  (The file will be named SELECTn.DAT, where n is the number in parentheses after the game's name in the Game Selection and Configuration Window's game list.)

Add to Selections in File:  If you select this option, the saved selection(s) will be appended to the selections already in the file.  If there is no selections file, one will be created and the new selection(s) will be saved in it.

Delete Selections in File:  If you select this option, the selection(s) to be saved  will replace the selections already in the file.

Note:  As indicated by the note at the bottom of the window, be careful that you don't replace selections that you have played but have not yet checked for winners via the Auto-Match function.  If the file is empty, this option will be disabled.

Transfer to Playing-Card Conversion:  This option will be enabled only for a single lotto selection and only if the game uses numbers within the range 1 to 52.  If you select this option, the selection will be transferred to the Playing-Card Conversion Window.  If that window is not open, it will be opened.  When saving a selection from the Scratch Pad window, this option is not enabled because the Scratch Pad window has a command button for that purpose.

Transfer to Scratch Pad:  This option will only be enabled for lotto selections.  If you select this option, the selection(s) will be transferred to the Scratch Pad's "Groups" list (added to any groups already in the list).  If the Scratch Pad window is not open, it will be opened.  When saving a selection from the Scratch Pad window, this option is not enabled.  Also, the Scratch Pad's groups list is limited to 200 groups.  If you attempt to transfer more than 200, you will be advised of the limit and of the fact that any groups in excess of 200 will be ignored.

Note: The "Transfer" options may be used either in addition to or instead of the "Save" option.  Thus, if you want to transfer a selection from any of the number-selection functions to either the Playing-Card Conversion Window or the Scratch Pad, but you do not want to save the selection, you would still select the number-selection function's save option and would then select one or both of the "Transfer" options and unselect the "Save" option in this "Save-Selections Options" window.

OK / Cancel:  After selecting the appropriate options, select OK to accomplish the save, or select Cancel to abort the save option. In either case, the save-options window will be closed and the window in which you chose the save option originally will be reactivated.


Selection

The term selection refers to the number(s) intended for use as a single play in a given lottery.    A personal selection is one that is composed and entered by you, as opposed to one generated by the program.  A selection need not be saved or actually played to be referred to as a selection.  In the Scratch Pads window, group has the same meaning as selection.  A one-number game's selection is a single number composed from 3 to 6 digits.  A lotto game's selection has the amount of numbers able to be marked by the player in one panel on the active game's play slip.  Note:  the numbers in a completed lotto selection are always displayed by the program in sorted numerical order, regardless of how or in what order they were generated or entered, except for power ball numbers, which are always shown last.  Also, except in the auto-match function, wild card numbers (as defined for this program) are not included in any selection.  See also the topics "Drawing", "Power Ball Games" and "Wild Crad Games".


Main Menu -- Keyboard Access

Options on the Main Menu's menu bar and their sub-options can be selected at any time by clicking on them.  However, in order to use the keyboard to select the Main Menu options (including Help) or sub-options, you must first press F10 or Alt.  To select an option on the Main Menu's menu bar when any one of its options is highlighted, press the underlined letter in the desired option.  When a drop-down list of sub-options is visible, use the arrow keys to move the highlight to the desired sub-option and press Enter, or just press the underlined letter in the sub-option to select it.

Note:  If  one of the options on the Main Menu is highlighted, the shortcut key combinations (except for F1) will not work.  If you want to use a shortcut in this case, first press Esc to remove the highlight from the menu bar and then use the shortcut.


Permutation List Window
Drawing Permutations List

Drawing Permutation Selections

Permutation List Window

(One-Number Games Only)

»  Access and Purpose

To access the "Permutation List" window, select the Selections option on the Main Menu then the "Drawing Permutation Selections" sub-option.  Or, select Draws on the Main Menu, then the "List Drawing Permutations" sub-option. Or, select Analysis on the Main Menu, then the "Drawing Permutations List" sub-option.

For one-number games that draw 3 or 4 digits, the purpose of the Permutation List window is to show you each number drawn in the active game for which one or more permutations of the number have also been drawn.  For games that draw 5 or 6 digits, all unique numbers drawn are listed, including those for which no permutation has been drawn, and the purpose is to see which permutations of each drawing also have been drawn and which have not.  The numbers drawn are listed in numerical order (not in the order drawn) in the drop-down list box, "Draw List".  You can then select one of the numbers in the list and see its drawn and not-drawn permutations in the separate "Perms Drawn" and "Perms Not Drawn" lists.  Then, if you wish, you can save as selections one or more of the numbers listed via a variety of save options.

Note: For games that draw 3 or 4 digits, if no permutation of a drawn number has been drawn, that drawn number will not appear in the Draw List, even if the number has been drawn more than once.  For example, if 237 has been drawn but no permutation of those three digits has been drawn, 237 will not appear in the Draw List.  For all one-number games, the selected number at the top of the Draw List, together with the numbers in the Perms-Drawn List and the Perms-Not-Drawn List, show you all possible permutations of the digits in those numbers.

»  Permutation-List Options

List Permutations:  First, select a number from the Draw List.  Then, select the List Permutations button to see which permutations of that number have been drawn and which have not.  For example, suppose that 237 and 273 have been drawn in a 3-digit game but the other four possible combinations of those three digits have not been drawn.  If you select 237 in the Draw List, then 273 will be displayed in the "Perms Drawn List" and 327, 372, 723 and 732 will be in the "Perms Not Drawn" list.  Note that you could have selected 273 in the Draw List, in which case 237 would be in the Perms-Drawn list.  For games that use 5 or 6 digits, since this procedure is lengthy, you will be advised on-screen as to its progress and will have the opportunity to abort the procedure.  (See Cancel below.)

Save Options:  The seven option-buttons described below are listed above the Save button in the Save Options frame on the right side of the Permutation List Window.

Draw List Selection refers to the selected number at the top of the Draw List.

Draw List refers to all numbers in the Draw List, and the amount of numbers in the list is shown in parentheses after this option.

Perms-Drawn List refers to all numbers in the Perms-Drawn list, with the amount of them shown in parentheses.

Perms-Not-Drawn List refers to all numbers in the Perms-Not-Drawn list, with the amount of them shown in parentheses.

Drawn More than Once * refers to all numbers marked with an asterisk, i.e. all numbers in the Draw List that have been drawn two or more times, with the amount of them shown in parentheses.

Recent Draws R refers to all numbers marked with an R (Recent), i.e. all numbers in the Draw List that have appeared in the last 20 drawings, and the amount of them (20, or less if there are fewer than 20 drawings on file) will be shown in parentheses.

Tagged selections S refers to all numbers in both the Perms-Drawn and Perms-Not-Drawn lists marked with an S (Save), i.e. all numbers that have been tagged by you for saving.  A number in either list may be tagged for saving by double-clicking on it or by highlighting (selecting) it and pressing Enter.  Use the same procedure to remove a single S tag, or use the Clear Tags button (see below) to remove all S tags from both lists.  If you select the Perms-Drawn List or Perms-Not-Drawn List option described above, an S will appear after each of the numbers in the list referred to, and any S tags after any numbers in the other list will be erased.  If you select the Draw List Selection, Draw List, Drawn More than Once *, or Recent Draws R  option, all of which numbers appear in the drop-down Draw List, no S will be placed after the applicable numbers in any list.

Save:  Select the Save button to activate the currently selected save option (see above).  See Saving Selections.

Clear Tags:  Selecting this button will remove the S tag from all numbers in both the Perms-Drawn and Perms-Not-Drawn lists.

Cancel:  This button serves two purposes.  Normally, it will close the Permutation List window.  However, if the program is in the process of listing the permutations drawn and not drawn when you select Cancel, the procedure will be aborted but the window will not be closed.  You will be advised on-screen when the abort procedure is available.  The abort procedure may be particularly helpful for games that use 5 or 6 digits, since the listing procedure is lengthy when 120 or 720 permutations must be identified from among 100,000 or 1,000,000 numbers, and you may not wish to wait for it to finish.  However, if you abort the procedure, no permutations will be listed.

Note:  If you access any other function while the program is identifying the numbers for the Draw List (which only occurs when this window is first opened), this window will be closed.  Also, if you access any other function when the perms drawn and perms not drawn are being listed (i.e. when you select the List Permuations button), the listing procedure will be aborted (but the window will not be closed).


Closing a Window

Using the Esc Key

Closing the Main Menu

Quitting/Exiting the Program

»  Closing Function Windows

Function windows have a Cancel button, which will close the window when that button is selected.  You can also close a window by double-clicking on the window's Control Box.  The active function window can be closed by pressing the Esc key.  All windows can be closed at once by selecting the "Close All" sub-option under the Window option on the Main Menu.

»  Esc Key

Pressing the Esc key has the same effect as selecting the active window's Cancel button.  Esc also will close either the About ... or Exit WIN$EASY window when either one is active, even though neither one has a Cancel button.

Esc will not close the Main Menu (it has no Cancel button) but will raise a dropped-down part of the menu bar or remove the highlight from the menu bar.

Note: The Draw List and Scratch Pad windows may contain data that will be lost if the window is closed.  If you attempt to close either of these windows when such data is present, you will be warned and given the opportunity either to reduce the window to an icon (which will retain the data), to close the window, or to abort the closing and keep the window open (for example, so that the Scratch Pad data can be saved before closing the window).

»  Closing the Main Menu / Exiting the Program

To close the Main Menu, which signifies an intent to exit the program,  select Quit on the Main Menu's menu bar, or select File on the menu bar then the "Exit" sub-option, or double-click on the Main Menu's Control Box, or press Ctrl+X, or press Alt+F4 (a Windows shortcut).  If an option on the Main Menu is highlighted, Ctrl+X will not work unless you first press Esc to clear the highlight.  All of these options will work even if  a function window is open.  All open function windows, even if reduced to icons, will be closed when the Main Menu window is closed.


Permutation

A permutation is a number formed by rearranging the digits from another number.  For example, the possible permutations of the number 237 are 273, 327, 372, 723 and 732.


Games

Deleting a Game

Editing a Game Name

Selecting the Active Game

Adding or Reconfiguring a Game

Game Selection and Configuration Window

»  Access and Purpose

Select Games on the Main Menu  to open the "Game Selection and Configuration" window.  It is used for selecting an active game, editing a game's name, deleting a game, configuring (adding) a new game or reconfiguring an existing game, all as described below.  For detailed information about adding and configuring each type of game, see the topics under "See also" below.

Note: The number in parentheses after each game's name in the game list is the number that appears in the file names for that game's saved drawings, saved selections, Auto-Match report and, for lotto games, numbers and groups saved from the Scratch-Pad.  The game's number (in parentheses after the game name) is controlled by the program and does not depend on the game's position in the game list.

»  Game Selection and Configuration Options

Select Game: To select the game that you want to be active, double-click on the name, or move the highlight to the name and press Enter, or select the Select Game button when the game you want to be active is highlighted. That game then will be shown as the "Active Game" on the Main Menu, and this window will be closed.

Edit Game Name:  Select this button to change the name of the highlighted game in the game list.  It calls the "Edit Game Name" frame.  Use normal editing procedures to change the name in the white box at the top of the Edit Game Name frame, then select OK to activate the change.  At any time prior to selecting OK, you can select the frame's Cancel button to abort the editing procedure and close the editing frame, or select Edit Game Name again to restore the original game name in the box and start over, or select the window's Cancel button to abort the procedure and close the window.

Delete Game:  Select this button to identify the highlighted game for deletion from the game list.  It calls an advisory window that tells you the files that will be deleted, at which point you can abort the deletion by selecting Cancel in the advisory window or select OK in that window to perform the deletion.

Add New Game:    WIN$EASY will work with up to 99 games in one data base.  (Do not attempt to configure more than that in one data base.  If you want to use the program with more than 99 games, see Configuring More Than 99 Games.)  When you select the Add New Game button, the "New Game -- List Option" option frame will be displayed.

Select either the "Add at the end of game list" or "Insert before highlighted game" option button to indicate where you want the new game positioned in the game list, then select the OK button.  If you select the former option button, the new game will be added at the end of the game list.  If the latter option button is chosen, the new game will be inserted before the game currently highlighted in the game list (if the first game were highlighted, the new game would be inserted as the first game in the list).  Or, select Cancel to abort the add-game procedure.

For detailed information about configuring each type of game, see the topics under "See also" below.

Reconfiguring an Existing Game:  Select this button to replace (reconfigure) the highlighted game with a new game or to change some of the features of the highlighted game.  Note that this button cannot be used to reconfigure a Keno game.  For detailed information about reconfiguring each type of game, see the topics under "See also" below.

Note: The "Reconfigure Game" button also can be used to see the current configuration of any game on the game list when the game is highlighted.

»  See also:

Configuring Lotto Games

Configuring Keno Games

Power Ball Games

Wild Card Games

Configuring One-Number Games


Analysis Window for Lotto or Keno Games
Analysis Window for Lotto Games

»  Access and Purpose

To access the "Analysis" window, press F8, or select the Main Menu's Analysis option then the "General Drawing Analysis" sub-option.

The "Analysis" window for lotto games provides numerous options for finding how often and in which drawings any pattern of one or more numbers, or first or second digits, or any sum (even, odd or both), appeared in any range of drawings for the active game.  "Pattern" for this purpose refers to the combination of one or more numbers or digits that the program will search for in the specified drawings for the active game.

Note:  For games that draw a bonus number (except wild card games), the bonus number will always be included in the specified analysis.  For power ball games, the power ball will be included unless you specify otherwise (see below).  For wild card games (as defined for this program), because of the nature and purpose of the wild card number, it will always be ignored in all types of analysis.  To see how often any wild card number was drawn, use the 'Bonus Chart' button in the Frequency Chart and Selections window for lotto games (see Lotto Frequency Chart Options).

In section 1a of the window, you specify the general content of the search pattern, i.e. numbers or digits, how many, in series or not, and you specify whether you want to find all patterns or  enter a specific pattern to be searched for.  (Section 1b, sum analysis, is described below.)  In section 2a, you specify any limitations for the search, i.e. how many times the pattern must be found to be listed and whether it must be found in consecutive drawings, or whether the numbers/digits in the pattern must appear in pattern order or in adjacent positions.  For power ball games, you can also specify in this section whether or not the power balls are to be included in the analysis.  In section 2b, you can also specify how the search is conducted, i.e. whether the drawing or the pattern should be sorted before comparing the two.  And finally, in section 3, you specify the drawing or drawings that will be searched.

»  Lotto Analysis Options

Section 1 -- Pattern or Sum

Pattern Search (1a):  First enter in the "pattern(s) of" box the amount of numbers or digits you want the search pattern to have.  The amount can be from 1 up to the amount of numbers in a selection for the active game.  Then select either the Numbers, 1st digits or 2nd digits option button.

Numbers refers to any numbers able to be drawn in the active game.

1st digits refers to the first digit of each number able to be drawn in the active game.  Zero (0) is considered to be the first digit for all numbers less than 10.  For example, the first digit in the number 5 is 0 (as in 05).

2nd digits refers to the second digit of each number able to be drawn in the active game.  For all numbers less than 10, the number itself is considered to be the 2nd digit.  For example, the second digit in the number 5 is 5 (as in 05).

In series:  Check this box only if you have entered 2 or a larger number in the first, "pattern(s) of", box and you want the pattern of numbers or digits to be in series.  Then select either the Forward or Reverse option button to indicate which type of series to search for.  For example, 1-2-3 is a forward series and 20-19-18 is a reverse series.  Note that a series never skips a number (for example, 1-2-4 is not a series).  Selecting either Forward or Reverse will cause the In Series box to be checked automatically.

All Patterns:  Check this box if you want to find all possible patterns that fit the criteria you described with the above options.  For example, if you are searching for patterns of 3 numbers in forward series in a game that uses 49 numbers, the program would begin searching each drawing for 1 - 2 - 3, then 2 - 3 - 4, etc., and would finish with 47 - 48 - 49.  Note that the numbers would not have to be drawn in series, unless you so specify (see the "Pattern Order" and "Adjacent Positions" options below).

Specific Pattern:  Check this box if you only want to search for one specific pattern that matches the criteria you identified with the above options. Then enter in the white box after this option the specific number(s) or digit(s) you want to search for.  Two or more numbers or digits may be separated by spaces or any non-digit characters.

Note: If you specify a specific pattern to search for, it must match the criteria that you indicated via the other options above or it will not be found. For example, if you indicate that you are searching for a forward series of 3 numbers and then enter 3 numbers that are not a forward series, that pattern will not be found, even if it exists in a drawing.

Bonus Number Only / Power Ball Only:  If you enter "1" in the "pattern(s) of" box, and if the active game draws a bonus number or power ball, one of these option boxes will appear.  If you check the box, the pattern search will be limited to the bonus number or power ball in each drawing and the rest of the numbers in the drawing will be ignored.  See Wild Card for a description of games for which this option will not appear and in which the wild card numbers are ignored.

Sum Search (1b):  In a sum search, depending on the option(s) you select, the program searches the drawings to find the sum specified by you, or to find all possible sums able to be drawn in the active game, or to find all even sums or all odd sums able to be drawn in the active game.  The range of possible sums for the game is shown in parentheses after the All sums option.  Each sum in the range is arrived at by adding together n of the numbers able to be drawn in the game, where n is the amount of numbers in a selection for that game.  For example, in a 6/49 game, the lowest sum is 21 (1+2+3+4+5+6) and the highest is 279 (44+45+46+47+48+49).  If the active game is one in which n is the same as the amount of numbers drawn in the game, each drawing's sum is the total arrived at by adding together all of the numbers in the drawing. For games in which n is less than the amount of numbers drawn (e.g. in games that draw a bonus number), each drawing has more than one sum, and the sums are arrived at by adding together all possible combinations of n numbers in the drawing.

All Sums:  Select this option button to find all possible sums for the active game.  If you select this option, two additional options will appear, allowing you to specify whether you want to find just Even sums or just Odd sums by checking either of the boxes with those names, or you can search for both even and odd sums, i.e. all possible sums able to be drawn in the active game, by checking both boxes.  You must check at least one of the boxes before beginning the analysis.  Next to each box will be a white space in which running totals of the even and odd sums found will appear during the analysis.

Specific Sum:  Select this option button if you want the program to find a specific sum. Then enter the specific sum in the white box after this option.

Section 2 -- Additional  Criteria

Note:  If you save drawing numbers in numerical order, instead of in the order they were drawn, the purpose and effect of each of these additional criteria may be different or inapplicable.  For example, if you are searching for a forward series, there is no point in checking the Adjacent Positions box, since drawings in numerical order already have any numbers in series adjacent to each other.  Also, some options have no application when certain other options are selected and some can effectively cancel out others, as you will see when you become familiar with them or experiment with them.  In any case, inapplicable options will be ignored.  For example, several of the options can only apply to pattern, not sum, searches.

Minimum appearances (2a):   If you want to find only patterns or sums that appear at least a given number of times, enter the desired amount of times in the white box in the option "Pattern/Sum must appear in at least (white box) drawings",

Consecutive appearances (2a):  Check this box if you enter 2 or more in the minimum appearances box and you want to limit the search to patterns or sums that appear that many times in consecutive drawings.  For example, if you check this box and you enter 3 in the minimum appearances box, the pattern or sum must appear in 3 consecutive drawings, one after the other, with no intervening drawing in which the pattern or sum did not appear, in order to be identified.

Pattern Order (2a):  Check this box when you are searching for patterns of 2 or more numbers or digits and you want to find drawings in which the pattern was drawn in the same order as the search pattern itself.  For example, if the program is currently searching for the pattern 26 - 18 - 32, those three numbers must appear in that order in the drawing (but other numbers may appear, i.e. may have been drawn, between them, unless you also check "Adjacent positions" -- see below).

Adjacent Positions (2a):  Check this box when you are searching for patterns of 2 or more numbers or digits and you want to find drawings in which the numbers or digits were drawn in adjacent positions, i.e. consecutively, one after the other, with no other number drawn between any of them.  Note that the numbers or digits would not have to be drawn in the same order as the pattern being searched for, unless you checked "Pattern Order" -- see above.

Do Not Include Any Power Ball Numbers/Digits:  This check box will only appear for a game configured as a Power Ball game.  If you check this box, the power ball numbers will be ignored and the specified analysis will be performed only with respect to the other numbers in the drawings.

Sort the Drawings / Patterns (2b):   If you check the Drawings box after the "Sort the numbers/digits in" option, each drawing will be sorted into numerical order before being compared to the searched-for pattern. (If you save drawings in numerical order, this box has no effect, checked or unchecked.)  If you check the Patterns box, each pattern will be sorted into numerical order before being compared to any drawing. The effect of checking one or both of these boxes will vary according to the other options chosen.  These options were designed for 1st or 2nd digit searches but can also have some interesting results in number searches.  Note that, if the drawing includes a bonus or power ball number, that number will always be kept last for the analysis, even if the remainder of the drawing is sorted into numerical order.

Section 3 -- Drawings to Analyze

The three option buttons in this section enable you to set the range of drawings to be analyzed.  Select the All option to analyze all drawings on file, the Last option to enter a specific number of the last drawings for analysis, or the From-To option to enter a specific range of drawings for analysis.  Note that the number of drawings on file is indicated in parentheses after the All option.

»  Command Buttons

Five command buttons are available at the lower right of the window and are self-explanatory.  Begin Analysis should be selected only after you have selected one or more of the options described above.  Get Draw List will open the Draw List Window for selected drawings.  Sum Selections will open the Sum Selection Window.  Add Selection will open the Add Personal Selections Window if you want to save a personal selection.  Cancel will close the Analysis Window.  The 2nd, 3rd and 4th buttons are provided as a convenience, since they call the functions that you are most likely to want to use in conjunction with the Analysis window.

»  Beginning and Stopping the Analysis

The search for the criteria you have specified begins when you select the Begin Analysis button.  During the search, all criteria not being used in the search will disappear (to help you focus on the specific options you selected), and the bottom part of the window will display constantly updated data about the pattern or sum being searched for, the number of each drawing being analyzed and the number of "Finds", i.e. the number of times that the specified criteria were found.  Also, a Stop Analysis button will replace the normal command buttons and you can select it to abort the search at any time.

Note:  During the analysis, the "Games" option and the "Close All" sub-option under "Window" on the Main Menu will be disabled in order to prevent conflicts with the analysis operations.  Also, while it is possible to open other windows and/or reduce the Analysis window to an icon during the analysis without stopping it, the analysis operation will be suspended during the performance of any function in another window and will resume when that function is completed.  Note that the use of other functions during the analysis may result in some anomalies, such as not being able to close a window (but it should be able to be reduced to an icon).  Note also that, although the cursor changes to an hourglass while the analysis is being performed, the arrow cursor will reappear when it is over the Stop Analysis button or in another window.

When the analysis is for a pattern of 2 or more numbers and you have checked the 'All Patterns' box, in order to speed up processing, the program first determines which unique patterns exist in the drawings and then searches only for those patterns and identifies which drawings have one or more of them.  To further enhance the speed of what is otherwise a lengthy procedure, the program will not display the drawing numbers while searching for the identified patterns, but the pattern being searched for and the number of finds will be displayed and constantly updated.

»  Analysis-Results Chart

A chart showing the results of the analysis is displayed at the bottom of the Analysis window when the analysis is completed or when you abort it via the Stop Analysis button.

In each row (line) of the chart, each pattern or sum found is on the left, the number of each drawing (the drawing's position in the drawings file) in which the pattern or sum was found is in the center, and the number of  times the pattern or sum was found in the indicated drawings is on the right (Finds).  By double-clicking on any part of a row (or moving the focus to that row and pressing Enter), you can have the content of all drawings in that row displayed in the Draw List window.  (Note that it is not necessary to use the Get Draw List button when you use this procedure.)

If the chart is empty, no searched-for pattern or sum was found in the specified drawings.  Also, if you stop the analysis before it is finished, the chart will still show the search results up to the point where you stopped it.

Note that, for even and odd sums, the number of finds of each type are shown next to the appropriate check box in the top section of the window.

»  Processing Times and Limits

Different types of analysis require widely varying times for completion.  For example, finding all of the possible patterns of 3 numbers for a 6/49 lotto game may involve many thousands of unique patterns and could require a couple of hours or more, depending on the number of drawings being searched and the speed of your CPU.  (On a 486--66Mhz system, a search for all 3-number patterns for a 6/49 lotto game with about 300 drawings on file could take 2 to 3 hours, since there may be over 5,000 unique patterns found.)  The number of unique patterns that can be handled in one analysis is limited to 32,767 and you will be advised if that limit is reached.  The analysis-results chart is also limited in the number of rows it can display, depending on the amount of available memory, and you will be advised if that limit is reached.  In any case, whether to avoid those limits or to save time, the alternative is to perform such analyses in increments of several drawings each.  For example, if there are 300 drawings on file, you might want to analyze the drawings in 100-drawing increments by setting the appropriate drawing range for each increment in section 3 of the window.

»  See also:

Analysis Window for One-Number Games


Analysis Window for One-Number Games

»  Access and Purpose

To access the "Analysis" window, press F8, or select the Main Menu's Analysis option then the "General Drawing Analysis" sub-option.

The "Analysis" window for one-number games enables you to search the drawings to find how often and in which drawings any one of 16 different search criteria appeared.  The 16 criteria options are in a drop-down list, which you can drop or raise by selecting the arrow button or pressing Alt+DownArrow.  Other options allow you to limit the search either to criteria found a given minimum number of times in a series of a given number of drawings or to criteria found in a given number of consecutive drawings, and to specify the range of drawings to be searched.

»  One-Number Analysis Options

Analysis Criteria (Section 1):  Each of the 16 criteria in the drop-down list complete the question "In which drawings and how often was/were ...?"  For example, the first criterion is "In which drawings and how often was each digit drawn?"

Note:  Some of the criteria, as explained below, use one or more digit  or position variables (D thru D3 and P thru P2, respectively), the value of which you set in the Variables option frame by entering the value in the appropriate box.   The option frame will appear when it is needed.  In the frame, the white boxes in which you enter data will only appear for the specific variable(s) applicable to the criterion you have selected in the list.  The third criterion is for sum analysis (described below) and you also use the same option frame to select either the All Sums option, which will search for all possible sums, or the "Sum =" option, which permits you to enter a specific sum to search for in the  box after "Sum =".

  1. Each digit drawn:  finds the drawings in which each of the eligible digits appeared and how often each appeared.

  2. Each 3- to 6-digit number drawn:  finds when (in which drawings) and how often all possible numbers able to be drawn in the active game appeared in the drawings.

  3. A given sum or all possible sums drawn:  A "sum" for this purpose is the total arrived at by adding together each of the digits in a number. For example, the sum for the number 123 is 6 (1+2+3).  This criterion finds when and how often all possible sums appeared, or finds all drawings in which the sum of the individual digits in the drawing equals the specific sum specified by you, depending on which option you select in the Variables frame.  The smallest possible sum in a game that uses the zero (0) digit is 0.  The largest possible sum in any game is 9 times the number of digits drawn in the game.  For example, the largest sum in a 3-digit game is 27 (9+9+9) and in a 4-digit game is 36 (9+9+9+9).

  4. Each digit drawn in position P:  finds when and how often each digit was drawn in a given position, P, according to the value you set for P.  (For example, 6 is in the 2nd position in the number 8612.)

  5. Digit D drawn in position P:  finds when and how often a given digit, D,  was drawn in a given position, P, according to the values you set for D and P.

  6. Any 2 different digits drawn in the same drawing:  finds all possible combinations of two different digits, regardless of their position in the number drawn.  For example, the combination 1-4 appears in the number 451.

  7. Any 2 different digits drawn adjacent to each other (Front/Mid/Back Pair):  finds all possible combinations of two different digits, provided that the digits appear next to each other in the drawing.  For example, this criterion is met for the combination 1-4 in the number 541 but not in the number 154.  This criterion is useful for finding front or back pairs or, for 4-digit or 6-digit games, middle pairs.

  8. Digits D1 and D2 drawn in the same drawing:  finds all drawings that have the two digits, D1 and D2, specified by you in any position or order within the drawings.

  9. Digits D1 and D2 drawn in the same drawing in positions P1 or P2:  finds all drawings that have the two digits, D1 and D2, specified by you, provided that the digits appear in either of two positions, P1 or P2, specified by you.  For example, if you specify the digits 1 and 4 and specify the positions 1 and 3, the numbers 154 or 451 would meet these criteria but 145 would not (because the 4 is not in position 1 or 3).

10. Digits D1, D2 and D3 drawn in the same drawing:  finds all drawings that have the three digits, D1, D2 and D3, specified by you.

Note: For all criteria in which you specify two or three of the digits, D1 through D3, two or three of them can be the same digit.

11. Any 2 digits drawn in forward or reverse series:  finds all drawings that have two digits in series, provided that the two digits appear adjacent to each other. For example, the forward series 1-2 appears in the number 125 but not in 152, and the reverse series 2-1 appears in 521 but not in 251.  The program will search first for all possible forward series and then for all possible reverse series.

12. Any 3 digits drawn in forward or reverse series:  finds all drawings that have 3 digits in series, provided that the digits appear adjacent to each other.  For example, in a 4-digit game, the forward series 1-2-3 appears in the number 1235 but not in 1253.  The program first searches for forward series and then for reverse series.

13. Any digit drawn twice in the same drawing:  finds all drawings in which any digit appears at least twice.  For example, 4 appears twice in the number 434 and in 444. Note that in the number 444, the pair of digits would be counted as appearing twice.

14. Any digit drawn twice in adjacent positions (Front/Mid/Back Pair):  finds all drawings in which any digit appears at least twice, provided that the digits appear next to each other.  The numbers 344 and 444 meet this criterion for the digit 4 but the number 434 does not.  Note that in the number 444, this criterion is met twice.  This criterion is useful for finding front or back pairs in which the digits are the same and, for 4-digit or 6-digit games, middle pairs in which the digits are the same.

15. Any digit drawn 3 times in the same drawing:  finds all drawings in which any digit appears at least three times.

16. Any digit drawn 3 or 4 times in adjacent positions:  finds all drawings in which any digit appears at least 3 or 4 times, provided that the digits appear next to each other (e.g. 333, 4444, 4555 and 5444, but not 5455 or 4454).

Criteria must appear (Section 2):  This section of the analysis options provides the two alternative options described below for limiting the search criteria.  You can select the option button for either one and enter the appropriate values in the white boxes.

At least (X) times in any series of (Y) consecutive drawings.  Select this option to limit the finds to instances in which the criteria are met at least X times in any series of Y drawings, where you set the values for X and Y.  For example, if the criterion is "each digit drawn" and you select this option and enter 3 as the value of X and 21 as the value of Y, the program will only count as a find the appearance of the digit being searched for at least 3 times in any series of 21 consecutive drawings. Note that the digit does not have to appear in 3 consecutive drawings.  In fact, all 3 appearances in this example could be in the same drawing or in any two or any three drawings within any series of 21 consecutive drawings.

Consecutively in at least (Y) consecutive drawings.  Select this option to limit the finds to instances in which the criteria are met in at least Y consecutive drawings, where you set the value of Y.  For example, if the criterion is "each digit drawn" and you select this option and enter 3 as the value of Y, the program will only count as a find the appearance of the digit being searched for at least once in each of at least 3 consecutive drawings.  Note that, in this example, the digit may appear more than once in one drawing, but it would not be counted as a find unless the digit also appeared at least once in each of the next two drawings.

Drawings to analyze (Section 3):  The three option buttons in this section are the same as, and have the same effect as, they do in the Analysis window for lotto games.  See Analysis Window for Lotto Games, Section 3 -- Drawings to analyze.

»  Command Buttons

See Analysis Window for Lotto Games, "Command Buttons", for a description of the available command buttons, which are the same in the Analysis window for one-number games.

»  Beginning and Stopping the Analysis

The search for the criteria you have specified begins when you select the Begin Analysis button.  During the search, the bottom part of the window will display constantly updated data about the digit(s) or sum being searched for and the number of each drawing being analyzed.  Also, a Stop Analysis button will appear and you can select it to abort the search at any time. (The other command buttons will be disabled during the search.)  See also the Note under "Beginning and Stopping the Analysis" in the Analysis Window for Lotto Games topic, which Note applies also to one-number game analysis.

»  Analysis-Results Chart

See Analysis Window for Lotto Games, "Analysis-Results Chart" for a description of the chart showing the results of the search.  The chart is the same for one-number games.


Avoiding File Deletion When Reconfiguring

(Lotto Games Only)

This topic does not apply to reconfiguration of one-number games nor to reconfiguration of any type of game for the purpose of replacing a game currently on the game list with another, different game.  This topic also does not apply to reconfiguration of a Keno game solely for the purpose of adding a new connected game. (See Configuring Keno Games.)

This topic applies to those instances in which you want to reconfigure a lotto game because the rules for the existing game have changed, such as when a bonus number is added to the drawing, and you want to keep the saved drawings, selections or Scratch Pad data applicable to that game for some reason.

When you reconfigure an existing game for any reason, depending on the type of change(s) made, the program may delete any existing drawings, selections and/or Scratch-Pad files applicable to that game.  The drawings file must be deleted when the reconfiguration includes a change in the amount of numbers drawn (including when a bonus number becomes, or is no longer, part of the drawing).  The selections and Scratch-Pad files must be deleted when the reconfiguration includes a change in the amount of numbers able to be played by the player (except when the reconfiguration is for a Keno game -- see above).  All three types of files should be deleted when the reconfiguration includes a change in the range of numbers able to be drawn, but it is not absolutely necessary.

File deletion is not necessary if the only changes are to the game name (for which a separate option is available -- see Games), and/or to the minimum matches needed for a win, and/or to the requirement for the bonus number to be part of the minimum winning match (unless the bonus number is a new feature or is removed from the drawings), and/or to the amount of numbers in a play slip row.  (See Configuring Lotto Games for an explanation of the configuration options mentioned.)

In any case, in order to be on the safe side and to insure the integrity of the files, the program does not offer an option for not deleting files that should be deleted.  However, you are advised as to which files will be deleted and are given the option of cancelling the change(s).

If you want to reconfigure a game in a manner that does not require deleting some of the original game's files, first copy to another directory the files for the data that you wish to keep, e.g. the DRAWn.DAT (drawings), SELECTn.DAT (selections), SCTCHNn.DAT (scratch pad numbers) or SCTCHGn.DAT (scratch pad groups) files, where n is the number in parentheses after the game's name in the game list in the Game Selection and Configuration Window.  Then, after you have reconfigured the game, re-copy those files back to their original directory. (Some of the listed files may not be present, e.g. if you have not saved any selections for the original game.)  Determine which files, if any, you wish to keep, and/or which must or should be deleted, by following the guidelines in the previous paragraphs.

Note: If you use this procedure for a one-number game or when reconfiguring a lotto game in a manner that requires file deletion, the program will not work properly with the reconfigured game.  If you use the procedure in a case in which file deletion should be done but is not required, the analysis portions of the program may not be as useful.  The procedure described above for avoiding file deletion is not recommended unless you understand thoroughly how the program works with the various data files.


Hot/Cold Numbers Drawn

Recent Hot/Cold Selections

Hot Lots Window (Lotto Games)

Hot Perms Window (One-Number Games)

»  Access and Purpose

To access the "Hot Lots" or "Hot Perms" window, press F7, or select the Main Menu's  Selections option then the "Recent Hot/Cold Selections" sub-option, or select the Main Menu's Analysis option then the "Hot/Cold Numbers Drawn" sub-option.

The "Hot Perms" window for one-number games and the "Hot Lots" window for lotto games both perform the same function, to wit:  to provide a chart showing the results of the last 20 drawings in the active game and to offer selections formed from the hot and cold digits or numbers in those drawings.

The chart uses vertical bars to show the number of times that each digit (one-number games) or number (lotto games) was drawn, and uses spots to mark the drawings in which the digit or number appeared.  Below the chart are provided a Hot selection, a Cold selection and a Mixed selection, based on the results of the drawings, and command buttons for saving one or more selections, making new selections or changing the drawing range.

The only differences in the two charts are that, for one-number games, the digits 0 to 9 will appear below the vertical bars and, for lotto games, the numbers from 1 to the highest number able to be drawn in the lotto game will be below the bars, and that, for lotto games, the red spots will signify a bonus number or power ball, instead of signifying, for one-number games, that the digit was drawn more than once in that drawing (as noted at the bottom of the chart, when applicable, for both types of games).  For wild card games, the wild card number will be ignored in this window and a note to that effect will appear on the chart.

For example, if a yellow spot appears on the vertical chart line above the number 6 and on the horizontal chart line numbered 5, it  means that the 5th last drawing included the number 6.  If the spot is red in this example, it means that 6 appeared more than once in the 5th last drawing (for a one-number game) or that 6 was the bonus number or power ball in the 5th last drawing (for a lotto game).  Also, if the vertical bar above 6 stops at chart line 15, for example, it means that the digit/number 6 was drawn 15 times in the range of drawings covered by the chart.  The range will always be 20 or less.

The digits or numbers in each drawing can be seen by checking the positions of the spots on the horizontal chart line for that drawing.  For example, you can read the spots across horizontal chart line 10 to see which digits/numbers were drawn in the 10th last drawing.  Note that, in power ball games, the power ball can duplicate one of the other numbers drawn.  In that case, if there is one less spot on the horizontal line than the amount of numbers drawn, it means that the number specified by the red spot was drawn both as a regular number and as the power ball in that drawing.

»  Hot, Cold and Mixed Selections

The Hot and Cold selections are chosen based on a point system that considers how often and how recently the digit or number has been drawn, weighted in favor of recentness.  Each digit or number is given from 1 to 20 points for each time it appears in a drawing.  The number of points starts at 1 for the 20th last drawing (the oldest drawing, horizontal chart line "20" on the chart) and goes up to 20 points for the last drawing (the most recent drawing, horizontal chart line "1" on the chart).

The Hot selection consists of the digits or numbers with the highest point totals, and the Cold selection consists of the digits or numbers with the lowest point totals.  The Mixed selection consists of an appropriate amount of digits or numbers selected at random from the Hot and Cold selections.  Note that the Hot, Cold and Mixed selections all have a box that can be checked [X] for use with the Select or Save options.  For Power Ball games, the power balls are counted separately and an appropriate choice for the power ball (hot or cold, based on the same calculation method) is added to each selection as that selection's last number.

If more digits/numbers are eligible than are needed to complete a Hot or Cold selection, and all have the same point total, the program selects at random as many as are needed from the eligible digits/numbers.  In a 6-number lotto game, for example, suppose that five numbers have been selected for the Cold selection and all have point totals of 44 or less, and suppose that the numbers  8 , 13 and 22 all have point totals of 43.  The program would select at random one of those three numbers as the sixth number to complete the Cold selection.  (See Select [X] below.)

Note:  For one-number games that use 6-digits, two digits will appear in both the Hot and Cold selections.  Consider them the "lukewarm" digits.

»  Hot Lots/Hot Perms Options

Range:  Select this button to change the range charted to any number from 1 to 20 of the last drawings.  See Resetting the Drawing Range.

Select [X]:  Select this button to have the program make a different selection of digits or numbers for any selection that is checked [X].  Note that a different selection is only possible if there are more than enough eligible digits or numbers to make a complete selection of the type checked.  (For example, for one-number games that use 5 or 6 digits, selecting this button will never result in different Hot or Cold selections.)

Save [X]:  Select this button to save any of the Hot, Cold or Mixed selections that are checked [X].  See Saving Selections.

Cancel:  Select this button to close the window.


Play-Slip Patterns Window

Play-Slip Pattern Selections

»  Access and Purpose

To access the Play-Slip Patterns Window, select Selections on the Main Menu, then the "Play-Slip Pattern Selections" sub-option.  Or, select Analysis on the Main Menu, then the "Play-Slip Patterns (Frequency Plot)" sub-option.

For lotto games, the "Play-Slip Patterns" window displays a representation of one panel on the play slip for the active game.  (See the Note under "Play Slip has how many boxes per row?" in the Configuring Lotto Games topic for exceptions.)  For one-number games, the play slip contains 10 rows, each row containing 3, 4, 5 or 6 boxes, depending on the number of digits drawn in the game.  The boxes in each row contain the digits 0 through 9, with each row having the same digits.

The "Play-Slip Patterns" window provides primarily a number-selection method, but its "Frequency Plot" option also serves as an analysis tool.  The number-selection method consists of plotting the play-slip pattern for numbers that are selected either by the program or by you, or are taken from one of the drawings in the active game, and then flipping or moving the pattern on the  play slip to form other patterns, which then can be used as selections.

The amount of numbers/digits able to be plotted on the play-slip is limited to the amount (n) in a selection for the active game. For lotto games, if a drawing is being plotted, and if the game draws more than (n) numbers, only the first (n) numbers in the drawing will be plotted. To plot any other numbers from such a drawing, use the Plot Numbers option described below.  (The full content of the drawing can be viewed on the Selected Drawings list.  See Listing Selected Drawings.)

For power ball games, the power ball is plotted on the program's play-slip along with the other numbers, even though it may be selected on a separate part of the real play-slip.  See "Selecting the Power Ball for Power Ball Games" below for details.

For wild card games, the wild card number is ignored, both in the drawing and in the selection.

»  Play-Slip Options

Selecting Numbers to Plot:  The source of the numbers plotted on the play slip can be any of the options described below, or you can select your own numbers.  To select a number, click on the number on the play slip and its color will change from red-on-white to yellow-on-red to indicate that it is selected.  Click on it again to unselect it.  If there are already the proper amount of numbers plotted, you will have to unselect a number before you can select another one.  See "Plot Numbers" below for keyboard plotting.

Random Plot:  Select this button to plot a group of randomly selected numbers/digits on the play slip.

Frequency Plot:  This option shows you which drawing, if any, has had flipped or moved patterns of itself drawn more often than other drawings.  If you select this button, you will be given the option of selecting the range of drawings whose patterns will be plotted, flipped and moved, and then you will be given the option of having the flipped and moved patterns compared either to just the drawings in the range you specified or to all drawings on file.  The most efficient (time-saving) use of this function is to select a relatively small range of drawings for the first option.  You can stop the function at any time by selecting the Stop Plotting button, which will appear and will have the focus when this function begins.

Note:  During the frequency plotting, the "Games" option and the "Close All" sub-option under the "Window" option on the Main Menu will be disabled in order to prevent conflicts with the plotting operations.  Also, while it is possible to open other windows and/or reduce the Play-Slip Patterns window to an icon during the plotting without stopping it, the plotting operation will be suspended during the performance of any function in another window and will resume when that function is completed.  Note that the use of other functions during plotting may result in some anomalies, such as not being able to close a window (but it should be able to be reduced to an icon).  Note also that, although the cursor changes to an hourglass while the plotting is being performed, the arrow cursor will reappear when it is over the Stop Plotting button or in other windows.

Plot Drawing:  Select this button to plot the numbers/digits in the drawing shown in the "Drawing #" box below this button.  The '#' (number) refers to the drawing's position in the drawings file.  When this window first appears, the number of the last drawing on file will be shown in the box.  You can enter any drawing number in the box and then use the Plot Drawing button to see that drawing plotted on the play slip.

Plot Numbers:  Select this button to plot the numbers/digits in the "Numbers" box below the button.  You can enter your own numbers in the box or change any of the numbers already in the box via the keyboard and then select the Plot Numbers button to have the numbers plotted on the play slip.

Note: For any plotting method, the numbers plotted on the play slip will also be listed in the "Numbers" box.  However, when you change a number in the "Numbers" box, the new number is not plotted on the play slip until you either select the Plot Numbers button or press Enter while the cursor is in the "Numbers" box.

One-Number Games:  The box positions, from left to right in each row, in the window's play slip reflect the digit positions in the selected number.  After the last digit in a number is selected, the digits will always be arranged to appear in the order that they were selected (or in the order that they appear in a plotted drawing or random selection).  For example, if the last digit you select is 2, but you click on the first box in the 2 row to select it, the last box will be shown as selected instead of the first.  Note that this rearrangement doesn't occur until after you have selected all of the digits in a number and, hence, you need not worry about the position of the box in a row when you select it and need only concern yourself with selecting the proper digits in the proper order.

   If you change a selected digit, the changed digit will be the last selected and, hence, will be shown in the last box in a row, and this may change the number in the "Numbers" box.  The easiest way to change the order of the digits, or to change a single digit, but maintain the order of the digits, is to re-enter all the digits in proper order or change the desired digit in the "Numbers" box.

   Because the box positions reflect the digit positions in the selected number, the first box in one row and the last box in one row (possibly the same row) will always be selected.  Hence, it will never be possible to move the pattern to the left or right, and the left and right move buttons will always be disabled.  Similar anomalies will apply for certain digit combinations, such as when all digits in the number are the same (in which case the horizontal flip would be enabled but meaningless).

Selecting the Power Ball for Power Ball Games:  The power ball is always considered to be the last number plotted, regardless of the selection method, and is identified by reversed colors on the play slip (red on yellow instead of yellow on red).  To change the power ball, either deselect it on the play slip and select the desired number, or change the last number in the 'Numbers" box (if all numbers have been plotted).

   If all numbers have been plotted and you change a number that is not the power ball, it will be considered to be a power ball change, since it will be the last number selected when you make the change.  In that case, to re-identify the original power ball number. simply deselect and reselect that original power ball number on the play-slip, or make the change in the "Numbers" box.

   If a power ball number is plotted (one box is red on yellow) but the total number of plotted boxes is one less than the amount of numbers in a selection, it means that the power ball number duplicates one of the other numbers, and the highlighted (red on yellow) box is both the power ball number and one of the regular numbers.   In this case, if you deselect any one of the numbers, the power ball will be deselected but its duplicate will remain selected (i.e. the color of the power ball box will change from red on yellow to yellow on red).

   Any of these power ball situations can be verified by reviewing the numbers in the "Numbers" box, and none of them affects the results of flipping or moving the pattern for a power ball game.

Flipping and Moving the Pattern:  The currently displayed pattern can be flipped or moved by using any of the following option buttons when they are enabled.

Vertical / Horizontal Flip:  Select either of these buttons to flip the currently plotted pattern vertically or horizontally.  The result is the same as turning the pattern over from top to bottom or vice versa without moving the play slip itself (for a vertical flip), or turning the pattern over from left to right or vice versa without moving the play slip (for a horizontal flip).

Move Left / Right:  Select one of these buttons to move each number in the pattern one block to the left or right on the play slip.

Move Up / Down:  Select one of these buttons to move each number in the pattern one block up or down on the play slip.

Note: If any one of the six possible flips or moves (vertical, horizontal, left, right, up or down) is not possible because one of the numbers in the new pattern would be outside of the confines of the play slip or would be in one of the unused grey blocks (if any), the button for that flip or move will be disabled.

Save Numbers: Select this button to save the number or group in the "Numbers" box to the selections file.  See Saving Selections.  The number or group in the box will always match the numbers/digits plotted on the play slip panel, except as noted above for numbers that you change without then selecting the Plot Numbers button.

Clear:  Select this button to unselect all numbers plotted on the play slip and remove all numbers from the "Numbers" box.

Cancel:  Select this button to close the window.


Auto-Match Window

Matching Selections With Last Drawing( s)

»  Access and Purpose

If you select Match on the Main Menu, the "Auto-Match" window is called.  The purpose of the auto-match function is to match all selections on file with the last drawing(s) to see if you had any winning matches.  The Auto-Match window is the same for one-number games as for lotto games, except that two additional options appear for lotto games, to wit:  "Sort Drawing" and "List All Matches", which are explained below.

»  Auto-Match Options

Drawing range:  The frame at the top of the window contains four option buttons which allow you to choose to have the selections on file compared either to the Last Drawing, or to the Last (n) Drawings, where you enter the value of (n),  or to Drawing No. (n), where you enter the specific drawing number (n) in the box provided, or to All Drawings on file.  Normally, you would compare the selections to the last drawing.  When the window is first opened, both the Last Drawing and Drawing No. options indicate the number of the last drawing (i.e. how many drawings are on file).  The number of selections on file is shown on the right side of the window.

Report:  Check this box before selecting the Start button if you want a report of the selections-to-drawing(s) comparison saved in a file.  The file will be an ASCII text file, which can later be viewed with any text editor or copied to a printer, and will have the name MATCHn.DAT, where n is the number in parentheses after the active game's name in the game list in the Game Selection and Configuration Window.  When you check this box, if any previous report file exists for the active game, you will be given the option of either having the new report appended (added) to the existing report file (thereby keeping the prior reports) or having it overwrite the previous file (thereby deleting any prior reports for that game).  If you are using the auto-match function for several drawings, you can check this box at any time and a report will be saved for all drawings compared after the box is checked (but not for drawings compared before you checked the box).  Also, if you cancel the auto-match function at any time while comparing several drawings, the report will still contain the results of the comparison for all drawings compared before the function was cancelled.

View Last Report:  Select this button to review any previous auto-match reports on file for the active game.  The report will be presented in a frame at the top of the window with a scroll bar for scrolling up or down through the report.  To close the report frame, select its Close button.  This option can be used at any time to see the most current report or the most current portion of a report currently being generated.  In other words, if you are using the auto-match function for several drawings, you can use this button at any time to see the report for the last drawing reported.

Start:  Select this button to begin the comparison of the filed selections to the drawing(s) specified.  The number of the drawing being compared and its content will be shown in the "No. = Drawing" box.  The results of the comparison will be shown in a box at the bottom of the window where each selection will be listed by number (its position in the selections file), followed by the content of the selection and, in parentheses, the number of matches found.

   For one-number games, Front-, Back- and Middle-pair matches and any exact matches or full permutation matches will be specifically identified.

   For lotto games, winning matches will be highlighted or otherwise specifically identified.  A winning match in a lotto game is one that has at least as many matches as the amount you entered, when you configured the game, as being necessary for winning the smallest prize.  For lotto games that use a bonus, power ball or wild card number, that number will appear last in both the drawing and the selections listed.  As shown in a note at the bottom of the window, a single asterisk (*) after the number of matches in parentheses after a selection indicates that a match was made with the bonus or power ball number, and a double asterisk (**) indicates that the bonus or power ball match constitutes a win of the smallest prize, based on the information you provided when you configured the game.  (All references to "bonus" in that last sentence and in the window's note also refer to wild cards.)

For lotto games that draw a bonus number, all drawing numbers, including the bonus number, are compared to all numbers in each selection.

For power ball or wild card games, the last drawing number is only compared to the last selection number.

Wild Card Games:  When you select the Start button, you first will be asked to enter the wild card that was added to each of the selections on file.  This will be done in a separate dialog box for each selection.  (The program assumes for this type of game that the wild card is added to the selection at the time the selection is played or purchased and that you can choose not to play it, i.e. not to pay for it.)  If you did not play the selection, did not play the wild card, or do not want the wild card included in the auto-match procedure for any reason, press Enter instead of entering a number or select the dialog box's Cancel button and the wild card for that selection will be ignored.  Otherwise, enter the wild card number and either press Enter or select the dialog box's OK button.

Note:  If the wild card is in the form of a playing card, prior to using the auto-match function, use the Playing-Card Conversion function to determine the numbers corresponding to the wild cards for all selections.

List All Matches:   For lotto games, if you check [X] this box, all selections having at least one match will be listed.  For one-number games, all matches will be listed and this option will not appear.

List Zero-Matches:  If a prize is awarded for having no matches in a selection, check [X] this box and any such selections will be listed together with any selections that have other prize-winning matches.

Sort Drawing:  This option will only appear for lotto games.  Check it [X] if you want the drawing to be shown in sorted numerical order.  Any bonus number or power ball will always be shown last, even if the drawing is sorted.

Next Draw:  When the saved selections are being compared to more than one drawing, select this button to begin the comparison for each drawing after the first.  If only one drawing is being compared, this button will not appear, and it will disappear after the last drawing in the specified range of drawings is compared.  (The Start button will always start the comparison at the first drawing in the specified range.)

Cancel:  Select this button to close the window.

Note: Auto-Match is similar to the Compare Selections/Draws procedure, but the latter always compares each selection to all drawings on file and is intended as an analysis tool.


Drawings

»  Access and Purpose

Select Drawings on the Main Menu.  The Drawings option provides the following sub-options, each of which is described separately in this documentation:

Add New Drawing(s) to File

Add Playing-Card Drawings

Compare Selections to Drawings

Edit (Change-Delete-Insert) Drawings

See Editing Drawings or Selections and Add/Change/Delete/Insert Window.

List All Drawings (Lotto Games)

List Numbers Drawn/Not Drawn (One-Number Games)

See Listing All Drawings.

List Drawing Permutations

List Selected Drawings

Reduce Number Of Drawings On File

Sort Each Filed Drawing Numerically

»  See also:

Selections

Drawing

Selection


Edit Drawings Window

Edit Selections Window

Editing Drawings or Selections

»  Access and Purpose

To access either the "Edit Drawings" window or the "Edit Selections" window, select either the Draws or the Selections option on the Main Menu, then select either the "Edit  Drawings" or the "Edit Selections" sub-option, respectively.  The Edit Drawings and Edit Selections windows will display a list showing the number (position in the file) of each drawing or each selection and its content, and both windows will have the same four command buttons under the list.

Both windows have the same purpose, which is to edit the drawing or selections file by changing, deleting or inserting drawings or selections.

»  Edit Options

Cancel:  Select this button to close the window.

Change:  Select this button to change the content of the highlighted drawing or selection.  See also the Note below for more information.

Delete Options:   Select this button to delete one or a series of drawings or selections from the list.  You will be presented with a "Delete Options" option frame with the two option buttons and two command buttons described below.

Highlight Only:  Select this option button to delete only the highlighted drawing or selection.  See also the Note below for more information.

Highlight + (n) Drawings/Selections:  Select this option button to delete the highlighted drawing or selection plus the following n drawings or selections, where n can be any number from 1 to the number of drawings or selections after the highlight to the end of the list.  For example, if there are 10 items in the list and the 3rd item is highlighted, the value of n could be from 1 to 7.  If you then were to enter 7 and select OK, items 3 through 10 would be deleted from the list (the highlighted item plus the next 7 items).

OK / Cancel:  After selecting one of the 2 options above and, if you selected the second option, after entering the desired number for n in the second option, select OK to accomplish the deletion(s) or select Cancel to abort the deletion option.

As to deleting drawings, see also:  Reduce Number Of Drawings On File

Insert Options:  Select this button to insert an additional drawing or selection in the list.  You will be presented with the "Insert Before/After Highlight?" option frame, where you can select one of the options described below.  See also the Note below for more information.

Before / After:  Select the appropriate option button to have the new drawing or selection inserted either before or after the highlighted drawing or selection in the list.  If you select Before and the highlighted entry is the first one in the list, the inserted drawing or selection will become the first in the list and the highlighted entry will be the second.  If you select After and the last entry is highlighted, the inserted item will become the last entry and the highlighted item will be the next to last.

OK / Cancel:  After selecting one of the 2 options above, select OK to accomplish the insertion or Cancel to abort the insertion option.

Note: If you are changing, deleting or inserting a single drawing or selection, the editing will be performed in the Add/Change/Delete/Insert Window, which will be opened by the program at the appropriate time.  See that topic for more information.  If you are deleting more than one drawing or selection (see the Delete Options -- Highlight + (n)... discussion above), the Add/Change/Delete/Insert Window is not used, but you still will be given an opportunity to confirm or cancel the deletions before they are performed.


Listing Filed Selections

( #) Sels. Window  (One-Number Games)

( #) Selections Window (Lotto Games)

»  Access and Purpose

Press Ctrl+S, or select the Selections option on the Main Menu then the "List Filed Selections" sub-option.  The Drawings List and Selected Drawings List windows also include an option for calling this window.

The "(#) Selections" window for lotto games and the "(#) Sels." window for one-number games, where (#) is the number of selections listed, both present a list of all selections on file for the active game.  Each list entry shows the number of the selection (its position in the selections file) and its content.

»  Options

Cancel closes the window.

Sort List / Unsort List sorts the list for viewing the selections in ascending numerical order or returns the list to the order in which the selections appear in the saved-selections file.  Note that if the Sort Saved-Selections File function is used and no other selections are saved before accessing this window, this button has no purpose.  Note also that, for lotto games, the numbers within each drawing are always sorted into ascending numerical order prior to saving, and this button then provides the opportunity to see the entire selections list in ascending numerical order.  Finally, note that this function has no effect on the order in which the selections appear in the saved-selections file for the active game.

Get Drawings calls the Drawings List window.

Get Draw List calls the Selected Drawings window.

Transfer... This button appears only when the active game is a lotto game.  Selecting it reveals a Transfer Options frame with the following transfer options:

Selected Group to:  Select this option button to transfer only the highlighted selection to either or both of the destinations checked [X] below this option.  You can transfer the selection to the Scratch Pad or to the Playing-Card Conversion window, or both, by checking the appropriate box(es).  If the active game uses more than 52 numbers, the Card Conversion option will be disabled.

All to Scratch Pad:  Select this option button to transfer all of the listed selections to the Scratch Pad's Groups list.

OK:  Select this button to begin the transfer according to the options selected.  If the Scratch Pad's  Groups list already has its limit of 200 groups, you will be so advised and no group will be transferred to the Scratch Pad.  If you selected the All to Scratch Pad option and if adding all of them would exceed the 200-group limit, you will be advised that only some of the selections will be transferred -- at which point you can abort the transfer or allow it to continue with a transfer of less than the full list of selections.  The advisory will tell you how many would be transferred.

Cancel:  Select this button to close the Transfer Options frame.

Note:  The option to transfer the selections to the Scratch Pad will be particularly helpful when you want to use the numbers in already-saved selections to generate new selections for a different drawing.  In such a case, you would transfer the selections to the Scratch Pad and then, in the Scratch Pad window, use the Groups > Numbers option to isolate the unique numbers in the groups listed, then select the Numbers pad and select Numbers > Groups to generate new selections using the same numbers, and finally save the new selections.  An alternative would be, after isolating the unique numbers in the Scratch Pad window, to use the Freezer Jar window to generate the new selections, selecting (in the Freezer Jar window) the Scratch Pad as the source of the numbers.


Listing All Drawings

List All Drawings (Lotto Games)

List Numbers Drawn/Not Drawn (One-Number Games)

(#) Drawings Window

»  Access and Purpose

Press F3, or select Draws on the Main Menu then the "List All Drawings" sub-option for lotto games or the "List Numbers Drawn/Not Drawn" sub-option for one-number games.

The list-drawings window for both types of games includes a list of all drawings on file, but some of the options for each type are slightly different, as described below.  The window's title in both cases is "(#) Drawings", where (#) is the number of drawings on file.  For one-number games, the window also can be used to list all numbers not drawn.  (To see individual lotto numbers that have not been drawn, or individual digits that have not been drawn in one-number games, use the Frequency Chart Selections function for either type of game.  To see if a given combination of lotto numbers has been drawn, use the Specific Pattern option in the Analysis Window for Lotto Games or save the combination as a selection and then use the Compare Selections/Draws function.)

»  Drawing List Options Common to Both Windows

The list includes the number of each drawing (its position in the drawings file) and its content.  Both windows provide the following 3 options:

Cancel closes the window.

Copy to Draw List calls the Selected Drawings window and adds to its list the highlighted drawing from this window's list.  The highlight then moves down to the next drawing in this window's list.

Note:  Double-clicking on any drawing in the list, or pressing Enter when a drawing is highlighted and has the focus, also will copy that drawing to the Selected Drawings list and move the highlight down to the next drawing.

Get Draw List calls the Selected Drawings window without copying a drawing to its list.

Get Selections calls the List Selections window.

»  Lotto Drawing-List Options

Sort / Unsort:  This button serves two sorting purposes.  First, it will sort the numbers in each lotto drawing for the active game into numerical order.  That having been done, you will be asked if you want the entire list sorted.  If you select Yes, the drawings themselves will be sorted for viewing in ascending numerical order.   The number of each drawing (its position in the drawings file) in the list will remain with the drawing when the entire list is sorted numerically.  Note that this second type of sort can take a few moments for large lists of drawings or drawings with many numbers.  Note also that, whichever type of sorting is selected, this function has no effect on the order in which the drawings appear in the saved-drawings file.  See also the Sort Each Filed Drawing Numerically topic.

   After either type of sorting, the button's caption will change to Unsort and you can select it to re-sort the numbers in each drawing and the drawings themselves back into the order in which they appear in the file for the active game.

   Note that any bonus number, power ball or wild card will always be the last number in the drawing (assuming that you saved it that way, as you should), even if the drawing is shown in sorted numerical order.

»  One-Number Drawing-List Options

Numerical Sort:   Select this button to sort the numbers drawn into numerical order, i.e. with the smallest number drawn listed first and the largest listed last.  The number of each drawing (its position in the drawings file) in the list will remain with the drawing when the list is sorted numerically.

[X] Unique #s Only:  If you want to sort the numbers numerically but only want to see the unique numbers drawn (i.e. eliminate any duplicate drawings from the numerically sorted list), check this box before selecting Numerical Sort.

Chronological Sort:   After using the Numerical Sort or the "Drawn X to Y Times" options, the Numerical Sort button's caption changes to Chronological Sort.  Select it to view the original, unsorted list of drawings in the order in which they appear in the file (which, assuming you entered the drawings in the order in which they occurred, should be chronological order), i.e. the order they were in when the window was first opened.  The chronological list also identifies with an asterisk ( * ) any numbers that have been drawn more than once.

Drawn X to Y Times:  To see a list of the numbers drawn from X to Y times, enter the desired values for X and Y in their respective boxes and select the OK button.  In parentheses after each drawing, if any, in the list will be the amount of times that the number was drawn.  Note that, when this window first appears, X is set to 1, Y is set to the number of drawings on file and all filed drawings are listed.

Not Drawn:  Select this button to see a list of all numbers that have not appeared in any drawing on file.  For 4- to 6-digit games, the list will be shown in a separate window with its own "Continue" and "Cancel" buttons.  Use the "Continue" button to see more numbers listed.  Use the "Cancel" button to close the window when the list is completed or when you don't wish to see more numbers listed.  As mentioned on-screen before this window opens, you cannot change the active game while the window is open.  It is possible to use other functions while the window is open or reduced to an icon, but not all of the many function combinations have been tested with this window open and the results are unpredictable.

 Note:  You may notice a slight difference in the way the program functions for one-number games that use 5 or 6 digits, and you will notice that some functions take significantly longer to complete because 5-digit games use 100,000 numbers and 6-digit games use 1,000,000 numbers.


Listing Selected Drawings

(#) Draws Window (One-Number Games)

(#) Selected Draws Window (Lotto Games)

»  Access and Purpose

Press F4, or select the Draws option on the Main Menu then the "List Selected Drawings" sub-option.  The window that is called is titled "(#) Draws Window" for one-number games or "(#) Selected Draws" for lotto games, where # is the number of drawings listed in the window.

This window provides a convenient place to list selected drawings that you want to isolate for review.  Each drawing is numbered ("Num.") according to its position in the drawings file. Individual drawings can be automatically copied to this list from the full drawing list in the list-drawings window or from the Results Chart in the Analysis Window.  See Listing All Drawings -- Copy to Draw List, or Analysis Window for One-Number Games -- Results-Chart, or Analysis Window for Lotto Games -- Results-Chart.  Also, the numbers in any selected lotto drawing can be transferred to the Scratch Pad.

»  Selected Drawings List Options

Add:  If you want to see the content of a specific drawing, enter its numeric position in the drawings file after "Add Drawing No." and select the Add button to add that drawing to the list.

Erase All:  Select this button to remove all drawings from the list.

Get Drawings:  Select this button to call the window with the list of all drawings on file.

Get Selections:  Select this button to call the window with the list of  filed selections.

Nums to Scratch Pad (lotto games only):  Select this button to transfer the numbers in the selected (highlighted) drawing to the Numbers Pad in the Scratch Pad window.  The button is only available for lotto games.

Sort / Unsort:  For one-number games, the Sort button sorts the list of numbers into numerical order, with the smallest number Listed first and the largest last. For lotto games, the Sort button sorts the numbers in each drawing into numerical order.  (Note that any bonus number, power ball or wild card will always appear last in the drawing, even after numerical sorting.)  For either type of game, the button's caption then changes to Unsort and can be selected to return all numbers to the sorted condition they had when first added to the list, i.e. one-number game numbers will be in the order in which they were added to the list and the numbers in lotto drawings will be numerically sorted or not, depending on the state they were in when added to the list (i. e. the order in which you entered them when you saved the drawing).   For lotto games, after the above-described sort is finished, you will be given the opportunity to sort the entire list of selected drawings.  See "Lotto Drawing-List Options -- Sort/Unsort" in the Listing All Drawings topic for details about this additional sorting option.

Cancel closes this window.  If there are drawings in the list when you select the Cancel button, you will be warned that closing the window will result in loss of the list and you will be given the options of either closing the window, reducing the window to an icon (which retains the list), or keeping the window open (aborting the closing).


Print-File Options

Print Options Window

»  Access and Purpose

To access the "Print Options" window, press Ctrl+P.  Or, select the File option on the Main Menu and then "Print-File Options".  The window also may be accessed via the Print Options button in the Scratch Pads Window.

The Print Options Window provides seven option buttons for copying to your printer all the drawings on file, all the selections on file, the Auto-Match Report on file, all  Scratch Pad numbers or groups on file, or all numbers or groups that are currently on the Scratch Pad for the active game, as described in the window's option-button captions.  Any option button for which no data exists to be printed will be disabled.  For example, if the Scratch Pad window is not open, the option buttons for Scratch Pad numbers and groups will be disabled.

»  Print Options

[X] Add form feed after last page:    Check this box before selecting the Print button if you want to have the printer advance the paper to the top of the next page after the last page is printed (or to eject the last page).

Print:  Select this button to begin printing.  The program will print as many separate 60-line pages as necessary to complete printing of the item you selected and will advise you of the number of pages when printing is complete.

Cancel closes this window.

Note:  Prior to selecting the Print button, be sure that the printer is turned on, that it is on-line, and that the paper is in place and positioned for printing.  If there is a problem in connection with the printing, you will be so advised.  How and when that advice is presented will depend on whether you have checked the "Use Print Manager" option box in the Program Manager--Control Panel--Printers section of Windows.


Setting Alternate File Paths

File Path Window

»  Access and Purpose

To access the "File Path" window, select File on the Main Menu, then one of the three sub-options under "Set Alternate File Path for".  The three sub-options listed are:  "Drawing Data Only", "Selection/Match/Scratch Data Only", and "Draw/Selection/Match/Scratch Data".  This window also appears if the program cannot find the configuration file, WIN$EZ.CFG, or the documentation file, WIN$EASY.HLP (see the first Note below).

The File Path Window will contain Drive, Directory and File(s) list boxes.  The three list boxes are used to set the path for the files that are identified when you select one of the three sub-options for accessing this window or when the program needs the location of either the configuration or documentation file.

The primary purpose of the alternate path function, in addition to locating essential files, is to enable you to maintain separate data bases for different players.  For example, if you and your spouse play the same lottery but use different analysis or number-selection methods, or if you each play different numbers, then you can set a different path for one of you for the selection, Auto-Match and Scratch-Pad files (the "Selection/Match/Scratch Data Only" option).  Note that it would not be necessary (nor advisable) to change the path for the drawings in this case.  The other two options to change the path for drawings-only or for all-data are included only as a convenience in the event you have a use for them.

Note:  If you are setting the path for the configuration file, WIN$EZ.CFG, or the documentation file, WIN$EASY.HLP, both are normally located in the same directory as the program file, WIN$EASY.EXE.  Make sure that you installed the program correctly and that those files were copied from the distribution disk.  See also Configuring More than 99 Games.

»  File Path Options

First set the desired destination drive in the Drive drop-down list box.  To drop or raise the list, select the arrow button or press Alt+DownArrow and use the arrow keys to move the highlight.  To select a drive, double-click on it, or use the cursor control keys to highlight it and then press Enter.  The focus will then shift to the Directory list box.

Select the desired destination directory in the Directory list box by either double-clicking on it or by moving the highlight to it and pressing Enter.  Use the same procedure, if necessary, to then set a subdirectory under the selected directory. Whenever you change either the drive or directory setting, the Path entry in the window will change to show the currently selected path.

When the Path entry shows the desired destination drive and directory (and any subdirectory chain) for the identified files, select OK to activate the change and close the window.

Note: Any change in the path setting remains effective until you exit the program or change the path again.  Also, any change in the path setting will apply to any active game, not just the game that is active when you make the path change.  If you change the path for one game and later select another active game, the same changed path also will apply to the new active game unless you change the path again.

If you are setting the path for the configuration file, WIN$EZ.CFG, you will have the opportunity to make the setting permanent by checking the Check here to make the path permanent box (which only appears when appropriate).  See Setting the WINEZ Environment Variable for details about this procedure and when it is available.

The File(s) list box is included only as a guide and does not affect the path setting.  For example, if you're not sure which directory you want to use, the content of the File(s) list will help you identify the correct one.  Also, when you are using any other function and the program needs a file that cannot be found, it so advises you and suggests that, if you're sure it exists, you use the File Path window to find it.

You can select the Cancel button at any time to abort the change-path procedure and close the window.

»  See also:

Viewing Current File Paths

Backup Data Files


Viewing Current File Paths

Current Paths Window

»  Access and Purpose

To access the "Current Paths" window, select the File option on the Main Menu, then the "View Current File Paths" sub-option.  The window will be displayed with the list of files shown below and will show the path and file name for each type of file.  This option is useful for determining the current path settings for data for the active game, especially if  you have changed the path for data for another game.

Configuration File:  the WIN$EZ.CFG file with the game names and configuration data.

Help File:  the WIN$EASY.HLP file containing this on-line help.

Numerology Data File:  the NUMER.DAT file containing name and birth-date data for the "Name and Birth Date List" in the Numerology Selections Window.

Drawing Data Files:  the DRAWn.DAT files containing the drawings for each game, where n is the number in parentheses after the game's name in the game list in the Game Selection and Configuration Window.

Selections Data, Auto-Match Report, Scratch Pad Numbers and Scratch Pad Groups Files:  the files SELECTn.DAT, MATCHn.DAT, SCTCHNn.DAT and SCTCHGn.DAT containing, respectively, the saved selections, Auto-Match Report, Scratch-Pad numbers and Scratch-Pad groups for each game, where n is the number in parentheses after the game's name in the game list in the Game Selection and Configuration Window.

»  See Also:

Setting Alternate File Paths

Configuring More than 99 Games

Setting the WINEZ Environment Variable


Using the Scratch Pads

Scratch Pads Window

(Lotto Games Only)

»  Access and Purpose

Select Scratch Pad on the Main Menu to access the "Scratch Pads" window.  Its purpose is to eliminate the need for keeping separate notes with pencil and paper when you experiment with lotto numbers and groups.  Note that "group" for this window has the same meaning as selection and the two terms are used interchangeably.

Two scratch pads are provided in the window, the Numbers Pad and the Groups Pad.  You can select either pad and then enter your own numbers or groups to the pad, or the pads can be used interactively to form groups on the Groups Pad from the numbers listed on the Numbers Pad, or to list on the Numbers Pad the unique numbers in the groups on the Groups Pad.  Also, the  numbers or groups on either pad can be saved in separate scratch pad files and later retrieved.  Groups also can be saved directly to the selections file for the active game.

The numbers on the Numbers Pad can be used as a source of numbers by the Freezer Jar number-selection method.  Plus, anytime a save option is selected for a lotto selection in any other window, you are also given the option of transferring the selection to the Scratch Pad (Groups Pad), either in addition to or instead of saving the selection (See Saving Selections).  Numbers also can be transferred to the Scratch Pad (Numbers Pad) from the Numerology Selections and Zodiac Selections windows.  Finally, any single group on the Groups Pad can be transferred to the  Playing-Card Conversion Window, provided that the game does not use numbers larger than 52.

»  Scratch Pad Options

Select the Numbers Pad or Groups Pad button to make one of the pads active.  (The active pad is the one with the white background.)  Up to 80 numbers can be entered on the Numbers Pad and up to 200 groups can be added to the Groups Pad.  Above each pad are verification notes indicating how many, if any, numbers or groups are on each pad and how many, if any, numbers or groups are saved in their respective scratch pad files.  Note that,  whenever the Numbers Pad has the focus and the focus shifts to another part of the window (e.g. when you select the Groups Pad or a command button), any duplicate numbers or non-digit characters will be deleted from the pad and all remaining numbers on the pad will be sorted into ascending numerical order.

Ten command buttons provide the primary scratch pad options. Their captions and availability depend on which pad is active.  For example, if the Numbers Pad is active, the first button reads "Numbers --> Groups" (instead of "Groups --> Numbers").  The command buttons have the following purposes.

Groups --> Numbers or Numbers --> Groups:  If the Groups Pad is active, this option refers to adding to the Numbers Pad all unique numbers in the groups listed.  If the Numbers Pad is active, the option refers to adding to the Groups Pad all possible unique groups that can be formed from the listed numbers.  If the number of possible groups exceeds 200, a "How many groups?" frame will appear with the following options.

Use any numbers on Numbers Pad for each group:  If you select this option, enter in the white box at the top of the frame the number of groups you want formed, or use the scroll bar below the box to set the number, then select OK. The program will then select numbers at random from all numbers on the pad to form each group.  Or, select Cancel to abort the "How many groups?" procedure.

Use (n) numbers from Numbers Pad for all possible groups:  If you select this option, n will always be the amount of numbers in a selection for the active game, plus 2. The number in the white box at the top of the frame will be the maximum number of different possible groups able to be formed from n numbers (and this number cannot be changed). The program will select n numbers at random from all numbers on the Numbers Pad and show you which numbers were selected.  If you select OK, the program will then form all possible groups from those numbers.  Select Cancel if you want the program to select different numbers, or select Cancel twice to abort the "How many groups?"  procedure.

Groups ---------> File or Numbers -------> File:  Select this button to save all numbers or one or all groups on the appropriate pad, according to the button's caption and the active pad.

Group File Options:  If the Groups Pad is active, the "Group File Options" frame will appear with the options described below.  Select one option button in response to each of the two questions.

File which?  Select the option button for saving either All groups or only the Highlighted group.

File where? Select the option button for saving the group(s) in either the scratch pad Groups File or the regular Selections File.

After responding to both questions, select OK to perform the save.  Cancel may be selected at any time to abort the save procedure.

Note:  Numbers are saved in the SCTCHNn.DAT file and groups are saved in either the SCTCHGn.DAT file (the file for groups saved only for the Scratch Pad) or the SELECTn.DAT file (the file with all saved selections from this or other functions), where n is the number of the active game.

Groups <--------- File or Numbers <------- File:  Select this button to retrieve from the appropriate scratch pad file either the saved groups or saved numbers and add them to the appropriate pad, according to the button's caption.  (Note that the groups are retrieved from the Scratch Pad file, not the regular selections file.)

Group --> Card Conv.:  Select this button to transfer the currently highlighted group on the Groups Pad to the Playing-Card Conversion window.  This button will only be enabled when the groups pad is active and if the active game does not use numbers larger than 52.

Add Group:  This button is only enabled when the Groups Pad is active.  Select the button to add one or more personal selections to the Groups Pad.  A separate Add/Change/Delete/Insert Window will appear for this purpose.

Delete Group:  This button is only enabled when the Groups Pad is active.  Select the button to delete the highlighted group on the Groups Pad.  You will be asked to confirm the deletion before it is performed.

Erase Groups/Numbers Pad:  Select this button to remove all numbers or all groups from their respective pad, according to the button's caption, which will depend on which pad is active.  You will be asked to confirm the removal before it is performed.

Delete Groups/Numbers File:  Select this button to delete the scratch pad file for saved groups or numbers, according to the button's caption.  You will be asked to confirm the deletion before it is performed.

Print Options:  Select this button to call the Print Options Window, which includes options for copying to a printer the scratch pad file for numbers or groups or the numbers or groups on either pad.

Cancel closes the Scratch Pads window.  If numbers or groups are on either pad when you select this button, you will be advised that they will be lost if you close the window, and you will be given the choice of either closing the window, reducing it to an icon (numbers and groups will be retained on their pads), or keeping the window open.  To keep the numbers or groups and still close the window, use one of the save options described above and then select Cancel.


Selections

»  Access and Purpose

Select Selections on the Main Menu.  The Selections option provides access to the sub-options listed below, each of which is described separately in this documentation.  (This list is in alphabetical order.  The list of sub-options on the Main Menu is not.)

Add Personal Selection(s) to File

Begoña's Lotto Selection Method (Lotto games only)

Compare Selections to All Drawings

Delete Entire Selections File

Dice Roll Selections

Drawing Permutation Selections (One-number games only)

Edit (Change-Delete-Insert) Selections

Freezer Jar (Box/Wheel) Selections

Frequency Chart Selections

List Filed Selections

Play-Slip Pattern Selections

Number Permutation Selections

Numerology Selections

Purge Duplicate Selections

Randomly Delete Selections

Recent Hot/Cold Selections

Simulated Lottery Machines

Sum Selections

Zodiac Selections

»  See also:

Draws


Begoña's Lotto Selection Method

Begoña's Selection Method Window

(Lotto Games Only)

»  Access and Purpose

To access the "Begoña's Selection Method" window, select the Selections option on the Main Menu, then the "Begoña's Lotto Selection Method" sub-option.  The  window presents a number-selection method for lotto games that was developed by the author's wife and is based on an index designed by her.

»  Procedure

You choose the method, from the four "Index Basis" options and three "Index Numbers" options, that will determine the index line that is to be used for each of the numbers in the selection.  Then the program will select at random one of the numbers (elements) in that index line.  The total number of index lines and elements per index line in the index will vary, according to the range of the numbers that are able to be drawn in the currently active game and the inherent design of the index, up to a maximum of sixteen lines in a game that uses 80 numbers.  Note that, for power ball games, the last basis and index numbers are used to select the last selection number, which is considered to be the power ball number.

»  Begoña's Selection Method Options

Index Basis:  First select one of the 4 option buttons in the Index Basis frame to identify the basis for determining which index line-numbers will be used.  For each of the first 3 options, the digits in each basis number will be added together to determine the index line-number for that basis number, as explained below.

Draw # (n):  This option will base the index line-numbers on the numbers in drawing number n for the active game, where n is the drawing's position in the drawings file.  The window opens with n set at the number of the last drawing in the file.  If the drawing contains more numbers than are in a selection for the active game (e.g. a bonus number is included in the drawing), only the first x numbers in the drawing will be used, where x is the amount of numbers in a selection for the active game.

User Numbers: This option allows you to enter your own Basis Numbers in the white space after "Basis Numbers" at the bottom of the window.  Enter exactly x numbers, where x is the amount of numbers in a selection for the active game, and insure that all numbers are between 1 and the highest number able to be drawn in the game.

Random:   Select this option if you want the program to select the Basis Numbers at random.

No Basis:  Select this option if you don't want to use a basis.  In this case, the index line-numbers either will be entered by you or will be selected at random by the program, as described below, instead of being based on basis numbers from one of the above sources.

Index (Line) Numbers: Unless the "No Basis" option is selected in the Index Basis frame, each Basis Number is used to determine one index line-number by adding together the digits in the Basis Number.  For example, if one Basis Number is 43, then the index line for that number is 7 (4+3) and the program will select at random one number (element) from line 7 in the index and include it in the selection being formed.

From Basis:  This option means that the Basis Numbers from the "Index Basis" option that you chose will be used to determine the index line-numbers, as described above.

From User:  If you selected the "No Basis" option in the "Index Basis" frame, you can select this option to enter your own index line-numbers.  Enter the numbers in the white space after "Index Numbers" at the bottom of the window.  Enter exactly x numbers, where x is the amount of numbers in a selection for the active game, and insure that all numbers are between 1 and the number of the last line in the index.

Random:   If you selected the "No Basis" option in the "Index Basis" frame, you can select this option to have the program select the index line-numbers at random.

Select:  Select this button to begin the number selection procedure according to the options you chose.

Save:  Select this button, after all other procedures are completed, to save the selection shown at the bottom of the window.  See Saving Selections.

Clear:  Select this button to reset everything in the window to the condition it was in when the window first opened.

Cancel:  Select this button to close the window.


Deleting the Entire Selections File

»  Access and Purpose

Select Selections on the Main Menu, then "Delete Entire Selections File".  This option provides a quick and easy method of deleting all saved selections.

»  OK and Cancel Options

You will be asked to confirm the file deletion.  Select OK to delete the file or Cancel to abort the deletion.

Note: If you have played the selections in the game for which they were intended, be sure that you don't delete the selections file until after you have used the Auto-Match function to check for winners.


Dice Roll Selections

Dice Rolls Window

»  Access and Purpose

Select Selections on the Main Menu, then the "Dice Roll Selection" sub-option.  The "Dice Rolls" window uses simulated rolls of a pair of dice to obtain numbers for a selection for the active game.

»  Procedure

First select one of the option buttons at the top of the window to indicate how the digits or numbers will be selected, i.e. by the computer or by you (see below).  Each time the dice are rolled, the top faces of the dice are used to add as many digits or numbers as possible to the list under "Numbers" in the middle of the window, as follows:

One-Number Games:  Only single digits are used.  Up to 4 digits are listed, representing the digit on the top of the left die, the digit on the top of the right die, the sum of those two digits, and a digit arrived at by subtracting the smaller of the two from the larger of them.  If the sum of the two digits equals 10, a zero (0) is listed.  A zero is also listed if the difference between the two is zero (i.e. the two digits are the same).

Lotto Games:  Up to 6 numbers are listed, representing the digit on the left die, the digit on the right die, a 2-digit number in which the first digit is from the left die and the second is from the right die, a 2-digit number in which the first digit is from the right die and the second is from the left die, the sum of those two digits, and a number arrived at by multiplying those two digits by each other.

Ineligible Numbers:  If any of the digit or number selection methods described above results in a number that is ineligible for the selection, it will be ignored.  For example, if the dice total 11 or 12 for a one-number game, that total will be ignored.  Or, for a lotto game that uses 49 numbers, for example, if the dice were 5 and 6, the numbers 56 and 65 would be ignored.  Also, for lotto games, any number that has already been used in the selection will be ignored.  For power ball games, the last or power ball number can duplicate one of the other numbers in the selection.

Note: For lotto games, certain numbers cannot be arrived at by any of the methods described above, including all numbers larger than 66 and numbers not evenly divisable by the digits 2 to 6 (e.g. 17).

»  Dice Roll Options

Number Selection Options:  After each roll of the dice, the digits or numbers in the "Numbers" list are used to form one selection for the active game, as follows:

Computer Selects Numbers:  If you select this option, the program will select at random from the digits or numbers in the "Numbers" list as many as possible of them from each roll to form a selection for the active game at the bottom of the window.

User Selects Numbers:  If you select this option, you can choose, after each roll, the digits or numbers from the "Numbers" list that you want to include in the selection at the bottom of the window.  Choose a digit or number by double-clicking on it or by moving the highlight to it and pressing Enter.  In either case, it will become part of the selection being formed at the bottom of the window.  If you do not want to choose any digit or number from that roll, simply roll again (see below) to have other choices.

Roll:  starts a dice roll.  Select this button after selecting one of the number selection options and each time "roll again ..." appears over the dice, or whenever you want to see a new roll.  If you are choosing the digits or numbers for the selection, instead of having the program do it, be sure to make your choices before you roll again.  The digits or numbers from each roll will replace any digits or numbers in the "Numbers" list from the previous roll.

"Roll Again...":  If the program is selecting the digits or numbers from each roll, whenever a single roll produces too few eligible digits or numbers to complete the selection at the bottom of the window, "Roll Again ..." will appear over the dice.  It also will appear when you are selecting the numbers or digits, until a sufficient amount have been selected by you to form a complete selection.

Clear:  resets the window's contents to their condition when the window was first opened.

Save:  Select this button to save the selection shown at the bottom of the window.  See Saving Selections.

Cancel:  Closes the window.


Freezer Jar Selections

Freezer Jar Window

»  Access and Purpose

To access the "Freezer Jar" window, press F4, or select Selections on the Main Menu then "Freezer Jar Selections".

The Freezer Jar Window provides boxing and wheeling number-selection techniques.  The name originated from a Florida lotto game in which, according to newspaper reports at the time, the winner (who won not only the top prize but also several thousand dollars in lesser prizes) drew 20 numbers from a "freezer jar" and then used a computer to generate 100 selections from the 20 numbers.  The Freezer Jar window for one-number games is basically the same as the window for lotto games, except that the former window does not have a separate wheeling option frame and the latter refers to numbers instead of digits and is expanded to include the wheeling option described below.

»  Freezer Jar Options

Source of Digits / Numbers:  Select one of the three option buttons in this frame, "Computer", "User" or "Scratch Pad", to identify the source of the digits or numbers that will comprise the universe of numbers from which each selection will be formed.

Computer:  Select this option if you want the program to select at random the digits or numbers for the universe.

User:  Select this option if you want to select the digits or numbers for the universe.  A drop-down list box will appear that you can use to select as many numbers or digits as you want to have in the universe.  Select each digit or number from the list by clicking on it or by moving the highlight to it, and then press Enter to confirm the choice.

Scratch Pad:  Select this option to use the numbers currently on the Numbers Pad in the Scratch Pad Window for the universe.  This option is only enabled for lotto games and only when the Scratch Pad Window is open (even if reduced to an icon) and has numbers available on the Numbers Pad.

Note: To reset the window's original status for any of the 3 source options, select one of the other options and then re-select the original option to reset the window.  This may be necessary, for example, if you choose the Scratch Pad option and then change the numbers or the amount of numbers on the Numbers Pad in the Scratch Pad Window.

Use How Many Digits / Numbers?  If you choose Computer as the source of the digits or numbers, enter in the white space after this question the amount of digits or numbers that you want to have in the universe from which each selection will be formed.  For lotto games, the amount entered must be at least the amount of numbers necessary to form one selection (see the Note under "Wheeling" below for a way to box an amount of numbers that is smaller than the amount of numbers in a selection) and cannot exceed the largest number eligible for drawing in the active game (for example, 49 in a lotto game that uses the numbers 1 to 49).  For one-number games, the amount you enter must be at least 2 and cannot exceed the amount of digits able to be drawn in the active game (for example, 10 in a game that uses the zero digit).  The digits or numbers will be selected at random by the program as soon as you enter the amount and they will be listed in the window after "Selected Digits" or "Numbers".

If you choose User as the source of the digits or numbers, the Use How Many Digits / Numbers question will not be available, since you will determine the amount of digits or numbers as you select them, but the amount of numbers or digits selected by you must follow the same rules as described above for Computer selection.

If you choose Scratch Pad, the number in the white space will be the amount of numbers on the Numbers Pad and cannot be changed (unless you change the amount of numbers on the pad and use the reset procedure described in the Note above).

In either case, the digits or numbers will be listed in the window after "Selected Digits" or "Numbers" as soon as you select them or when you select the Scratch Pad option.

Change:  If you choose the Computer option as the source of the digits or numbers, you can select this button to change the digits or numbers selected by the program.  New, randomly-selected numbers will be selected each time you use this button.  This button is not available when either the User or Scratch Pad option is selected.

Number of Selections

One-Number Games:  The number of selections that will be formed from the universe of digits shown after "Selected Digits" is controlled by the program for one-number games and will depend on the amount of digits in the universe, the number of digits drawn in the active game, and your response to questions asked when you select the Select button.

When the number of digits in the universe is less than the number required for a selection, you will be given a choice as to how the selections are generated.  To make the choice, you answer the question "Do you want to wheel all possible combinations?"

If you select Yes, the program will form all possible combinations that have all of the digits in the universe of selected digits plus as many additional digits as are necessary to make a selection for the active game.  For example, if the universe for a 3-digit game that uses the zero digit had only the digits 4 and 7 in the universe, and you selected Yes, the program would generate the 54 numbers able to be formed by using those two digits and any other digit, to wit:   047, 074 , 147, 174, 247, 274, 347, 374, 407, 417, 427, 437, 447, 457, 467, 470, 471, 472, 473, 474, 475, 476, 477, 478, 479, 487, 497,  547, 574, 647, 674, 704, 714, 724, 734, 740, 741, 742, 743, 744, 745, 746, 747, 748, 749, 754, 764, 774, 784, 794, 847, 874, 947 and 974.

If you select No, the program will form all possible combinations that have one or more of the digits in the universe but no other digits.  For example, if the universe for a 3-digit game had only the digits 4 and 7, and you selected No, the program would generate the 8 numbers able to be formed using only those digits, to wit:  444, 447, 474, 477, 744, 747, 774, and 777.

The following breakdown shows the number of selections that will be generated  in any 3-digit to 6-digit game that uses the zero digit, when the amount of digits in the universe is less than the amount of digits in a selection, depending on your response to the wheeling question.

Game           Digits in          Wheeling

Type           Universe         Response           Selections

3-digit                 2                        Yes                          54

3-digit                 2                        No                               8

4-digit                 2                        Yes                        974

4-digit                 2                        No                             16

4-digit                 3                        Yes                        204

4-digit                 3                        No                             81

5-digit                 2                        Yes                  14,670

5-digit                 2                        No                            32

5-digit                 3                        Yes                     4,350

5-digit                 3                        No                          243

5-digit                 4                        Yes                        960

5-digit                 4                        No                       1,024

6-digit                 2                        Yes                 199,262

6-digit                 2                        No                             64

6-digit                 3                        Yes                   74,460

6-digit                 3                        No                           729

6-digit                 4                        Yes                    23,160

6-digit                 4                         No                       4,096

6-digit                 5                        Yes                      5,400

6-digit                 5                         No                     21,025

Note:  For 5-digit and 6-digit games, if you respond Yes, generating the numbers is a lengthy procedure, and  you may note significant delays between the appearances of some numbers, including possibly the first ones.

When the number of digits in the universe is equal to the number required for a selection, you will be asked if a digit can be used more than once in generating each selection.  Responding Yes to this question permits a wider range of possible selections but the selections always will be limited to 20 in this case.  If you answer No to the question, all possible combinations of the digits will be generated and the number of selections will depend on the amount of digits in a selection for the active game, as follows:   3 digits = 6 selections, 4 digits = 24 selections, 5 digits = 120 selections, and 6 digits = 720 selections.

When the number of digits in the universe is larger than the number required for a selection, you also will be asked if a digit can be used more than once in generating each selection.  Responding Yes to the question permits a wider range of possible selections but the selections always will be limited to 20, regardless of how you answer the question.

Note:  For one-number games, the number of selections shown in the white space after "Number of Selections" cannot be changed except by changing the number of digits in the universe or changing your answer to the questions, as explained above.   In some cases, obviously, the number of selections generated will be more than you would want to play.  If less than 500 selections are generated, you can select and save individual selections from the list box.  If you prefer to have several of them selected at random from the list box -- or from the list in the separate window when more than 500 are generated -- the easiest procedure would be to check the "Save All Selections" box before using the Select button and then, after all selections have been generated and saved, use the Randomly Delete Selections function to delete from the saved-selections file all but the number of selections that you want to play.

Lotto Games:  After the numbers for the universe have been selected, the program will show, in the white space after "Number of Selections", the boxing total, i.e. total amount of possible different selections that can be formed from the numbers in the universe.  If that amount is more than 1, you can then change it, if you wish, to any lesser amount of selections that you wish to have generated.

Power Ball Games:  For power ball games, when the numbers for the universe have been selected, the "Number of Selections" box will reflect the maximum number of groups able to be formed if the Power Ball number is selected from the full range of eligible numbers (e.g. 49 in a 6/49 game).  However, when you activate the Select button (see below), you will be given the option of having the power ball selected either from those numbers or only from the selected universe of numbers, and you will be advised of the maximum number of unique groups that can be formed with either option.  The options will not be offered if you change the number of selections to an amount larger than the maximum number of groups able to be formed using only the selected universe of numbers.

Wheeling:  After the numbers for the universe have been selected for a lotto game, the 'Wheel and Box Options" frame is enabled with the Box option selected.  You then can select the Wheel On option, if you wish, and then select one or more numbers from the universe for wheeling, i.e. you can select a number or numbers that must appear in each selection generated.  If you select this option, select each wheel number from the drop-down list box after Wheel On by clicking on the desired number in the list, or by moving the highlight to the number, and then press Enter to confirm the selection.  Each selected wheel number will appear in the "Wheel Numbers" frame and, unless you re-activate the boxing option, each wheel number will be included in each selection generated.  When you select wheel numbers, the total amount of possible selections shown after "Number of Selections" will change to reflect a new (lesser) amount of possible selections based on the amount of wheel numbers you have selected.  (See also Power Ball Games above.)

Note:  If you want to box all possible combinations that include specific numbers and the amount of those specific numbers is less than the amount of numbers in a selection for the active game, select Computer as the source of the numbers, enter in the "Use How Many Numbers?" box a number equal to the amount of numbers able to be drawn in the active game, select "Wheel On" and then select the specific numbers from the drop-down list box as described above.  For example, if you wanted to see all possible combinations with the numbers 4, 7 and 17 in a pick-6 lotto game that uses 49 numbers, you would enter 49 in the "Use How Many Numbers?" box and would select 4, 7 and 17 in the Wheel option's drop-down list box.

Erase:  Select this command button to unselect all selected wheel numbers.

Box:  Select this option button to re-activate the boxing option (in which case wheel numbers will not be required to appear in the selections).

Select:  Select this button to start the process of forming selections from the selected universe of digits or numbers.  Before selecting this button, be sure that the "Number of Selections" shown is what you want, since it may change in response to your choices for the other options.  (See also Power Ball Games above.)

"Selections" List Box:  If less than 500 selections will be generated, the selections formed from the universe will be listed in the "Selections" list box.

Separate Selections-List Window:  The Selections list box is limited to 500 selections.  If more than 500 are to be formed, they will be listed in a separate window with its own Continue and Cancel buttons.  Each time you select Continue in that window, the next group of selections will be listed.  If you select Cancel in that window before the list is complete, the selection process will be aborted.

Note:   When the separate window is being used to list selections for lotto games and the save option has not been selected, you will not be able to change the active game or use any of the Freezer Jar window's options until that separate window is closed.  When the save option has been selected when using the separate window for lotto game selections, and in all instances of using the separate window for one-number games, you will not be able to take any other actions until the separate window is closed.

Save All Selections:  Check this box if you want to save all selections formed.  (See Saving Selections.)  If you check this box after selections have been formed in the "Selections" list box, you will be asked if you want to save the selections already listed.  Hence, you can save all the selections by checking this box either before or after the selections are formed -- except when more than 500 selections are being formed, in which case they will be saved only if you check the box before selecting the Select button.

Save Highlighted:  Select this button to save only the single selection currently highlighted in the "Selections" list box. (See "Saving Selections".)  This option is not available if more than 500 selections have been formed.

Note:  If you want to transfer one or more lotto selections to the Scratch-Pad, select either the Save All Selections option or the Save Highlighted option, and the Transfer option will  be presented in the Save Selections window.  Note also that you can select the Transfer option or the Save option, or both, in that window.  Note further that the Scratch Pad is limited to 200 lotto groups.  If more than that are being generated for transfer, only the first 200 will be transferred and you will be so advised, but the remaining selections will still be generated (and saved if you selected that option).  Note finally that, if more than 500 selections are being generated and listed in the separate window, you must select the Save All Selections option before selecting the Select button or none will be saved.

Clear:  Select this button to reset the window to its condition when it was first opened.

Cancel:  Select this button to close the window.  Any selections not previously saved will be lost when the window is closed.


Number Permutation Selections

Permutations Window

»  Access and Purpose

To access the "Permutations" window, select the Selections option on the Main Menu, then the "Number Permutation Selections" sub-option.

The Permutations Window provides a number-selection method in which either you select or the program selects a number with 3 to 40 digits (one-number game using 3 digits) or 4 to 40 digits (all other games).  The digits in that number then are rearranged at random to form a permutation of that number, and then a selection is formed by selecting at random from the digits in the permutation.  For one-number games, the digits in the selection must appear adjacent to each other in the permutation and in the same order as in the permutation.  For lotto games, before choosing each number from the permutation, the program makes a random decision as to whether the number will have 1 or 2 digits, and the 2-digit numbers formed must be from digits that appear adjacent to each other in the permutation and in the same order as in the permutation.  To select the digits or numbers, the program reads the permutation from left to right and applies the rules mentioned above.  If not enough numbers or digits are selected on the first pass, a new permutation of the number is generated, and this procedure continues until enough digits or numbers have been found to form a selection for the active game.  (Note that, for lotto games, because the selection is always shown in sorted numerical order, it may not be immediately obvious that the program followed its rules.)

»  Number Permutation Options

Computer Selects Number:  Select this option button if you want the program to select at random the number from which the permutation will be formed.

User Selects Number:  Select this option button if you want to select the number to be permutated.  If you do, additional instructions will be displayed, describing the limits that the number must have.  The specific limits will vary according to the type of game and the range of digits or numbers able to be drawn in the game.  Enter the number in the space after "Number:", being sure to follow the instructions displayed in the window.

New Selection:  Select this button to have the program permutate the digits in the number and then form a selection from the digits in the permutation, as explained above.

Same Number:  This check box governs whether the new selection will be based on a new number (i.e. the number to be permutated) or not.  Check this box before selecting the New Selection button if you want the new selection to be based on the same number.  If the box is not checked when you select the New Selection button, a new number must be selected, either by you or by the program, depending on which option button is selected.

Save Selection:  Select this button to save the selection.  See Saving Selections.

Cancel:  Select this button to close the Permutations window.


Numerology Selections

Numerology Selections Window

»  Access and Purpose

To access the "Numerology Selections" window, press Ctrl+N, or select the Selections option on the Main Menu, then the "Numerology Selections" sub-option.  The window also can be accessed by selecting the Numerology button in the Zodiac Selections Window.

The Numerology Selections Window provides a number-selection method based on standard numerology techniques.  You enter a name and select a birth date, or select both from the Name and Birth Date List provided in the window, and the program calculates 7 numbers based on:

1.  the number of characters in the name,

2.  the total of values assigned to the consonants in the name,

3.  the total of values assigned to the vowels in the name,

4.  a number arrived at by adding the number of the birth date, the number of the birth month and the number of the birth year,

5.  a number arrived at in the same manner for the date, month and year of the last birthday,

6.  a number arrived at in the same manner for the date, month and year of the last birthday plus the number of the current month, and

7.  a number arrived at in the same manner for the last birthday plus the current date and month.

For one-number games, the 7 numbers are then reduced to 7 single digits by adding together the digits in each number and then adding the digits in the resulting number, if necessary, and so on, until a single digit is reached.  For example, the number 186 can be reduced to 15 (1+8+6) and then to 6 (1+5).

For lotto games, any numbers outside of the range of numbers able to be drawn in the active game are reduced in the same manner as for one-number games, but only to the point that they become numbers that are within that range.  After those 7 numbers are calculated, additional single-digit numbers are also calculated by reducing in the same manner any 2-digit numbers among the first 7 numbers.  Hence, the calculation for lotto games will usually result in more than 7 numbers.

For items 2 and 3 above, the values are assigned according to the following chart:     Value:  1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9

                                                                                                                                                                                    A   B   C    D   E   F   G    H    I

                                                                                                                                                                                    J    K    L    M  N   O   P    Q   R

                                                                                                                                                                                    S   T    U   V  W   X   Y     Z

In other words, A, J and S are assigned 1 point, B, K and T are assigned 2 points, etc., the value being the same for either upper or lower case letters.  All characters in the name, including punctuation but not spaces, are counted for the first of the 7 numbers, but only the 26 English alphabetic characters (A - Z) are considered for the consonant and vowel value numbers.  For example, the ñ in Begoña would be counted as a character in the name but would be ignored for the other calculations.

»  Numerology Options

Full Name:  Enter a name of any length that fits in the space provided, or select a name (and birth date) from the Name and Birth Date List provided in the window (see below).

Birth Date:  Enter a birth date in the box.  Or, select a name and birth date from the Name and Birth Date List (see below).  The date can be entered in any format that complies with the requirements of your Windows system settings.  For Windows 3.1, the format is set in the International section of the Windows Control Panel.  When you later select the Get Selection button (see below), the birth date will be changed to the format dd mmm yyyy (e.g. 02 Mar 1937), regardless of the format used when you entered the date.

Note: The Last Birthday date is calculated by the program based on the Birth Date you select and the current date, and the current date is read from your system's current date setting, which you should check for accuracy.

Name and Birth Date List:  This frame contains the 4 command buttons described below, plus a list box that lists any names and birth dates saved in the NUMER.DAT file.

Choose:  Select this button to place the list's highlighted name and birth date in the Full Name and Birth Date spaces at the top of the window.

Change:  Select this button to change the content of the highlighted name and birth date.  The highlighted entry will be moved to the Full Name and Birth Date spaces at the top of the window, replacing the entries in those spaces, and the list entry will be replaced with an asterisk (*).  Make any name or date changes in the Full Name and Birth Date spaces, then select the Get Selection button to place the changed name and birth date in the list, and then select the Save List button to save the list changes to the NUMER.DAT file.

Note:  If, after selecting the Change button, you don't take all of the steps described above, neither the old nor the changed name and birth date will be in the displayed list (but the old entry will still be in the NUMER.DAT file and could be retrieved by closing and re-opening the window).

Delete:  Select this button to delete the highlighted name and birth date from the list.  The deleted name and birth date will be replaced with an asterisk (*) in the list.  At this point, the deleted name and date will still be in the Numer.Dat file -- see "Save List" below and the Note below that.

Save List:  Select this button to save the current contents of the Name and Birth Date list box to the NUMER.DAT file.  The new data will replace (overwrite) all data previously in the file.

Note: Any name and birth date marked with an asterisk (*) in the Name and Birth Date List has not been saved in the NUMER.DAT file.  An asterisk appearing alone on a line in the list indicates that an item was deleted from that line but is still in the NUMER.DAT file.  (The deletion may have been the result of a Change -- see above.)

Get Selection:  Select this button to begin the selection procedure based on the Full Name, Birth Date and Last Birthday data shown at the top of the window.  (The Last Birthday is calculated when this button is selected.)  The program will first calculate and display the numbers and will then select at random a proper amount of them to build and display the selection, both at the bottom of the window.

Numbers to Scratch Pad:  Select this button to transfer the numbers listed to the Numbers Pad in the Scratch Pads Window.  This button only appears for lotto games and only after numbers have been displayed.  If the Scratch Pads Window is not open, it will be opened if you select this button.

Note: After the Numbers and Selection are displayed, if the Full Name and Birth Date entries are not already listed in the Name and Birth Date List, they will be added to that list and marked with an asterisk (*) to indicate that they have not been saved.

Save Selection:  Select this button to save the displayed selection.  See Saving Selections.

Clear:  Select this button to erase the contents of the Full Name, Birth Date, Last Birthday, Numbers and Selection spaces and to remove the Numbers to Scratch Pad button if it is visible.  The Clear button has no effect on the current status of the Name and Birth Date List.

Cancel:  Select this button to close the Numerology window.  Be sure to save any changes (items marked with an asterisk) in the Name and Birth Date List before closing the window or the changes will be lost.


Purging Duplicate Selections

Purge Duplicate Selections Window

»  Access and Purpose

To access the "Purge Duplicate Selections" window, press F9, or select the Selections option on the Main Menu then the "Purge Duplicate Selections" sub-option.

If you have saved many selections using different functions, the same selection may have been saved more than once or, for one-number games, you may have saved permutations of other saved numbers.  The Purge Duplicate Selections Window provides a quick and easy method for eliminating duplicate selections from the selections file and, optionally, for eliminating permutated duplicates for one-number games.  The windows for one-number games and for lotto games are the same, except that the Permutation Options (see below) do not appear for lotto games.

»  Purge Options

Permutation Options:  This frame is only visible for one-number games and includes the 3 options described below.  Select one of the options before selecting the Begin Purge button.  A "permutated duplicate" is the same as a permutation, i.e. if you have saved 237 and 723, then 723 is a permutated duplicate of 237.

Ignore permutated duplicates: Select this option if you do not want to delete permutated duplicates from the selections file.

Show permutated duplicates and inquire about deletions:  Select this option if you want to be shown all permutated duplicates in the selections file and to be able to decide in each case whether to delete or keep it.  If a permutated duplicate is found, an advisory window will appear and will show you the number being checked (which is in the file) and the permutated duplicate that  also was found in the file, and you will be asked if you want to delete the permutated duplicate.  Select the Yes button to delete the permutated duplicate, the No button to keep the permutated duplicate or the Cancel button to abort this option, i.e. to stop checking for permutated duplicates.  The number being checked will not be deleted in any case.  (See the Note below.)

Delete permutated duplicates:  Select this option if you want the program to delete all permutated duplicates (but not the number being checked) without showing them to you or checking with you first.  The number being checked will not be deleted.  For example, if the program is checking 723 under this option and finds 237 and 273 also in the file, then 237 and 273 will be deleted but 723 will not.

Note: The Permutation Options described above will not be executed until after all exact duplicates have been deleted from the file.

Begin Purge:  Select this button to begin the procedure of deleting all duplicate selections from the selections file.  The window shows you how many selections are on file and shows constantly updated totals of the number of selections checked and deleted.  When all deletions are completed (including, for one-number games, any permutated duplicates deleted), the "Selections in File" total will show how many selections remain in the file.

Cancel:  Select this button to close the window.


Deleting Selections at Random

Randomly Delete Selections Window

»  Access and Purpose

To access the "Randomly Delete Selections" window, select the Selections option on the Main Menu, then the "Randomly Delete Selections" sub-option.  The window provides a simple way to reduce the number of saved selections on file by deleting a given number of the selections on a random basis.

»  Deletion Options

Leave how many on file?

Delete how many from file?

These options are alternative ways of achieving the same end.  You can enter in the "Leave..." box the number of selections that you want left in the file after the deletions, or you can enter in the "Delete..." box the number of selections that you want to have deleted.

Begin:  Select this button to begin the deletion process.  The program will select at random the indicated number of selections and then will delete them from the selections file.

Note: The first item in the window, "Selections on file", shows you how many selections are on file.  After the deletions have been performed, that number will be adjusted to show you how many selections remain on file, and the last item, "Selections Deleted", will show you how many selections were deleted.

Cancel:  Select this button to close the window.

»  See also:

Editing Drawings or Selections -- Delete Options

Deleting the Entire Selections File


Using Simulated Lottery Machines

Simulated Lottery Machines Window

»  Access and Purpose

To access the "Simulated Lottery Machines" window, select the Selections option on the Main Menu, then the "Simulated Lottery Machines" sub-option.  The window provides a number-selection method that uses five representations of old lottery machines.  One of the machines is selected at random by the program and shown enlarged in the center of the window, and it begins turning, with one numbered ball dropping into the basket and rolling off to the left at each turn of the handle.

For lotto games, as each number is drawn, it appears after "Drawing" below the large machine and, when the drawing is completed, the selection appears at the bottom of the window after "Selection".  If a bonus number is drawn in the active game, it is drawn last from the same machine and identified separately below the large machine after "Bonus".  If a power ball number is drawn in the game, it is drawn last from another machine selected at random and is the last number in the selection.  If a  wild card number is drawn in the game, it is drawn from another machine and identified separately but is not included in the selection.  If a selection in the has fewer than the amount of numbers drawn, the selection will be composed of numbers selected by the program at random from all of the numbers drawn.

For one-number games, a different machine is selected at random to obtain each digit for the selection.  (Because the machine selection is random, the same machine may be used for more than one digit.)

»  Simulated Lottery Machine Options

Save:  Select the Save button to save the selection to the selections file.  See Saving Selections.

 Draw:  Select the Draw button to start a new drawing.  The numbers from the prior drawing and the prior selection will be erased from the window.

Reselect:  The Reselect button causes the program to make a new selection at random from the numbers/digits already drawn.  For lotto games, Reselect is only available when the amount of numbers drawn is more than the amount of numbers in a selection for the active game.  For one-number games, the digits already drawn are rearranged at random to make a new selection.

Cancel:  Select Cancel to close the window.


Sum Selections

Sum Selection Window

»  Access and Purpose

To access the "Sum Selection" window, press Ctrl+U, or select the Selections option on the Main Menu, then the "Sum Selections" sub-option.  This function may also be accessed from the Analysis Window's Sum Selections button (see Analysis Window for Lotto Games or Analysis Window for One-Number Games).

The Sum Selection Window provides a number-selection method based on selecting at random numbers or digits which, when added together, total a specific sum.

For one-number games, a sum is the total arrived at by adding together each of the digits in a 3-  to 6-digit number.  For example, the sum for the number 123 is 6 (1+2+3).  The smallest possible sum in a game that uses the zero digit is zero.  The largest possible sum is 9 times the number of digits in a selection.  For example, in a 3-digit game, the largest possible sum is 27 (9+9+9).

For lotto games, a sum is the total arrived at by adding together n of the numbers able to be drawn in the active game, where n is the amount of numbers in a selection for that game.  For example, for a 6/53 game that uses 6-number selections, the lowest possible sum is 21 (1+2+3+4+5+6) and the highest is 303 (48+49+50+51+52+53).  Note that in power ball games, the lowest and highest sums are calculated differently because the power ball can duplicate another number in the selection.  For example, in a 6/49 power ball game, the lowest sum would be 16 (1+2+3+4+5+1) and the highest would be 284 (45+46+47+48+49+49).

»  Sum Selection Options

Enter a sum from (n1) to (n2):  Enter in the white space after this option the desired sum.  The number must be at least equal to n1 and no larger than n2, where n1 is the smallest possible sum for the active game and n2 is the largest.

Select:  Select this button to have the program begin to find a selection with a sum equal to the one entered by you.  The selection will be shown after "Selection" in the middle of the window.  Forming selections for very small or very large sums can be time consuming.  (See Cancel / Stop below.)

Save:  Select Save to save the selection.  See Saving Selections.

Cancel / Stop:  Select this button while the selection is being formed to stop the selection process or at any other time to close the Sum Selection window.

»  See also:

There is additional discussion of sums in the sums-analysis sections of the topics Analysis Window for Lotto Games and Analysis Window for One-Number Games.


General Drawing Analysis

»  Access and Purpose

To access "General Drawing Analysis", press F8, or select the Analysis option on the Main Menu then the "General Drawing Analysis" sub-option.

General Drawing Analysis refers to analyzing the drawings for the active game to find patterns, trends or coincidences.  The function operates differently for both types of games but the window for both is titled "Analysis".  See Analysis Window for Lotto Games and Analysis Window for One-Number Games for details about the operation of this function for each type of game.


Zodiac Selections

Zodiac Selections Window

»  Access and Purpose

To access the "Zodiac Selections" window, press Ctrl+Z, or select the Selections option on the Main Menu then the "Zodiac Selections" sub-option.

Note:  Because of the size of the Zodiac Selections window, the Main Menu window will be maximized when the Zodiac Selections window is opened or when it is enlarged after being reduced to an icon.  You can then resize the Main Menu window if you wish (see Window -- Normalize/Maximize Main Menu Window).

The Zodiac Selections Window provides a number-selection method based on standard astrology principles.  The display includes a zodiac wheel, in the center of which are plotted the 8 fixed constellations in the form of eight colored lines which point to the numbers and signs around the wheel.  The positions of the colored constellation lines relative to each other are always the same and are based on the yellow "sun line".  The position of the sun line is based on the "sun number".  The sun number is selected by you or based on a birth date selected by you.  For more information about the constellations and the sun number, consult an astrologer.

Each zodiac sign on the wheel is divided into three sections to form the 36 numbers in the inner ring. The outer ring is divided into as many sections as there are numbers or digits able to be drawn in the active game.  The first and last numbers in the outer ring are shown in the two adjoining sections on the right of the wheel.  Note that the 36 numbers in the inner ring run counter-clockwise from Aries to Pisces and that the sections in the outer ring are numbered in a clockwise direction, starting from Pisces and ending in Aries (as indicated by the arrow running clockwise around the outer ring).  The outer-ring numbers, other than the first and last, are not shown but can be determined easily by counting the sections in ascending order in a clockwise direction from section 1 or counterclockwise in descending order from the last number shown.

»  Function

The program selects 8 "Primary Numbers" from the inner ring, which are the numbers pointed to by the 8 constellation lines, starting with the sun line and proceeding counterclockwise, and it then selects 12 "Related Numbers".  Those 20 numbers (8 primary and 12 related) are displayed in the 2 boxes with those titles.  The 12 Related Numbers include:  the two remaining numbers in the inner ring for the same sign as pointed to by the sun line, the two numbers in the outer ring that are closest to the two inner ring numbers just mentioned, and the eight numbers in the outer ring which are pointed to by the eight constellation lines.

For lotto games, the program then selects at random from the Primary and Related Numbers to form a selection for the active game, which appears in the "Selection" box.  No selection preference is given to either type of number.

Sometimes numbers selected from the outer ring will duplicate numbers selected from the inner ring.  Hence, for lotto games that use selections with many numbers (usually 19 to 22),  there may not be enough unique numbers to form a complete selection.  In this case, an appropriate amount of random numbers will be added to complete the selection and you will be so advised.

For a lotto game that uses 21 or 22 numbers in a selection, 13 or 14 Related Numbers are selected, instead of 12.  The 13th number and, if required, the 14th number will be from the inner ring and will depend on the position of the sun line within the sign to which it points.  If the sun line points to the smallest of the three inner-ring numbers for that sign, the 13th and 14th numbers will be the next two inner-ring numbers clockwise from the sun number.  If the sun line points to the middle of the three sign numbers, the 13th and 14th numbers will be the next number clockwise and the next number counter-clockwise, respectively, just outside of that sign section.  If the sun line points to the largest of the three sign numbers, the 13th and 14th numbers will be the next two numbers counter-clockwise from the sun number.  For example, if the sun number is 7, the 13th and 14th numbers will be 6 and 5.  If the sun  number is 8, the 13th and 14th numbers will be 6 and 10.  And, if the sun number is 9, the 13th and 14th numbers will be 10 and 11.

For one-number games that use the zero digit, if 10 is one of the Primary Numbers selected, it will be changed to 0. In all other cases for one-number games,  whenever a number selected as either Primary or Related is larger than 9, the number will be changed to a single-digit number by adding together the two digits in the number.  Also for one-number games, you will be asked if you want to use as many as possible of the Primary Numbers in the selection.  If you select Yes, as many as possible of those digits will be selected (without using duplicates), and any remaining digits will be taken from the Related Numbers.  If you select No, the digits will be selected without preference from both the Primary and Related Numbers.  The selected digits will then be randomly sorted to form the selection.

»  Zodiac Options

Birth Date:  If you want a birth date plotted, enter a birth date in the box.  Or, select a birth date from the Date List (see below).  The date can be entered in any format that complies with the requirements of your Windows system settings.  For Windows 3.1, the format is set in the International section of the Windows Control Panel.

Sun Number:  To have a sun number plotted, select the number using the scroll bar.  The sun number is limited to the numbers 1 to 36.

Note:  Changing the birth date will not immediately change the sun number.  The sun number is only changed, if appropriate, when the Plot Birth Date option is selected prior to selecting the Plot Zodiac Numbers button.  In that case, when you select the Plot Zodiac Numbers button, the sun number is changed to conform to the birth date you selected.  If the Plot Sun Number option is selected, the birth date will not change and may be unrelated to the sun number and the constellation lines plotted.

After selecting either a birth date or sun number, select either the Plot Birth Date or Plot Sun Number option button, as appropriate, and then select the Plot Zodiac Numbers button.

Date List:  The Date List list box contains birth dates from the NUMER.DAT file, which holds names and birth dates used also by the Numerology Selections Window.

Select Date:  To have one of the dates in the Date List plotted, double-click on it or move the highlight to the desired date and then press Enter, or select the Select Date button when the desired date is highlighted.  The selected date will be copied to the Birth Date space.  Then select the Plot Zodiac Numbers button (see below).

Numerology:  You can add, delete or change the birth dates in the Date List using the Name and Birth Date List in the Numerology Selections Window, which can be accessed by selecting the Numerology button in this window.

Plot Birth Date and Plot Sun Number:  Select one of these two option buttons to have either the Birth Date or the Sun Number plotted, then select the Plot Zodiac Numbers button.  Whenever you change the Birth Date or Sun Number, the appropriate one of these two buttons is selected automatically, but you can select the other option at any time.  (See also the Note under Birth Date and Sun Number above.)

Plot Zodiac Numbers:  Select this button to begin the plot based on the selected plot option (Birth Date or Sun Number).  The program will plot the eight constellation lines, select the Primary and Related numbers and form a selection for the active game, as described above.  (See also the Note under Birth Date and Sun Number above.)

#s to Scratch Pad:  Select this button to copy all of the Primary and Related Numbers to the Numbers Pad in the Scratch Pads Window.  If the Scratch Pads Window is not open, it will be opened and will be given the focus.  Duplicate numbers will be ignored.  This button will not appear for one-number games.

New Selection:  Forms a different selection from the same Primary and Related Numbers.  Note that a different selection is only possible when there are more unique Primary and Related Numbers than are necessary for a complete selection for the active game.

Save Selection:  Select this button to save the selection to the selections file.  See Saving Selections.

Cancel:  Select this button to close the window.


File

»  Access and Purpose

Select File on the Main Menu.  The File option provides the following sub-options, each of which is described separately in this documentation:

View Current File Paths

Set Alternate File Path for:

Draw/Selection/Match/Scratch Data

Drawing Data Only

Selection/Match/Scratch Data Only

Print-File Options

Backup Data Files

Retrieve Data

Exit WIN$EASY


Sub-Option

A sub-option is an option that appears in a drop-down list when you select one of the primary options on the Main Menu's menu bar.  For example, "Help Index (F1)" is one of the sub-options under the Help option.  (Some of the options on the menu bar do not have sub-options.)


Configuring More Than 99 Games

WIN$EASY will work with up to 99 games in one data base.  If you want to use it with more than 99 games, use one of the following alternative procedures for the additional games.  Alternative Procedure 1 is the preferred method because, although it is a little more complicated, it uses the least amount of additional disk space.  Alternative Procedure 3 is the easiest but also uses the most additional disk space.  It is recommended that you read all three alternatives in their entirety in order to be fully familiar with the procedures involved before using any one of them.

»  Alternative Procedure 1

1.  Create two new directories with appropriate names, such as WIN$EZ1 and WIN$EZ2.

2.  From the WIN$EASY directory (or whichever directory has your WIN$EASY files), copy the WIN$EZ.CFG file to both of the new directories that you created in step 1.

3.  Copy all files with the extension .DAT from their original WIN$EASY directory to the first  new directory that you created in step 1 (e.g. WIN$EZ1).  These are the data files for the original 99 games.

4.  Delete the WIN$EZ.CFG file from the original WIN$EASY directory.  You can also delete from that directory the .DAT files that you copied in step 3, but it is not necessary.  (Note that if you "move" the files instead of "copying" them, you won't have to delete them.)

5.  If your AUTOEXEC.BAT file contains a line that sets the WINEZ environment variable, remove that line (SET WINEZ ...) from the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.

6.  Run WIN$EASY.  You will be asked for the path to the location of the WIN$EZ.CFG file.  Set the path to the second new directory that you created in step 1 (e.g. WIN$EZ2).  You also will be asked to set the path for the documentation file, WIN$EASY.HLP.  Set this path to be the same as the path to the program file, WIN$EASY.EXE, unless you have moved the documentation file to another location, in which case you should set that path.  See Setting Alternate File Paths and Viewing Current File Paths.

7.  Select Games on the Main Menu.  The original 99 games will be listed.  Be sure that the data path is set for the second new directory, as described in step 6, and then delete all but one of the listed games, using the Delete Game button.  Then configure the 100th game using the Reconfigure Game button to replace the one game on the list.  Then add any additional games using the Add New Game button.  Note that, instead of deleting the 99 games, you could wait and use the Reconfigure Game button to replace each already-listed game with each additional game that you want to add, when you want to add it.  See Adding or Reconfiguring a Game.

8.  Each time you run WIN$EASY thereafter, you will be asked for the path to WIN$EZ.CFG.  If you want to work with the first 99 games, set the path to the first new directory.  If you want to work with games 100 to ..., set the path to the second new directory.  (Note that the games in the second directory will be numbered from 1 to ..., not from 100 to ....)  Do not select the option to make the path change permanent and do not include the WINEZ environment variable in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.  See Setting the WINEZ Environment Variable.  You may also be asked each time you run the program to set the path to the documentation file, which is explained in step 6.

»  Alternative Procedure 2

1.  Create a new directory with an appropriate name, such as WIN$EZ2.

2.  From your original WIN$EASY directory, copy the WIN$EASY.EXE file to the new directory and copy WIN$EZ.CFG to the new directory.

3.  Create a new program item in Windows for the second copy of WIN$EASY.  Be sure that the "Program Item Properties" window reflects the new directory for this copy of the program and shows the same directory as the Working Directory, and that you give this copy a new Description in that window (such as "Games 100 to ...").

4.  Run WIN$EASY from the new directory.  You will be asked to set the path for the documentation file, WIN$EASY.HLP.  Set the path to be the same as the path for your original copy of WIN$EASY unless you also want to copy WIN$EASY.HLP to the new directory, in which case you will not have to set this path each time you run the program from the new directory.

5.  Select Games on the Main Menu and configure the additional games.  (The games already listed can be deleted or reconfigured.)

»  Alternative Procedure 3

Install a new copy of the WIN$EASY system in a different directory.  See Installation -- Re-installation for details about this procedure.

»  See also:

Setting the WINEZ Environment Variable

Adding or Reconfiguring a Game

Setting Alternate File Paths

Viewing Current File Paths.

Installation


Setting the WINEZ Environment Variable

If the program is unable to find the configuration file, WIN$EZ.CFG,  you will be asked to set the path to it in the File Path Window. (This should not occur unless you moved the file after using the Setup program to install the system.  See the Note at the end of this section.)  When you enter the path, you will have the opportunity to make that path a permanent setting by checking the box, "[X] Check here to make the path permanent".    (Be sure to read the Note at the end of this topic.)

If you do not check the box before selecting OK in the File Path Window, you will have to set the path to the configuration file each time you run the program, unless you move the file to the same directory as the program file, WIN$EASY.EXE, which is where the configuration file was originally installed by the Setup program and where the program expects to find it (assuming that the Working Directory has been set to be the same directory in the "Properties" window for the system icon).

If you do check the box, the "Edit Autoexec.Bat File" window will appear, which contains detailed explanations as to how to proceed.  The purpose of the window is to give you the opportunity to have the program add an environment variable setting to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, which will enable the program to find the WIN$EZ.CFG file whenever the program is run.

If you want the program to make the path permanent, the only thing you have to do in the Edit Autoexec.Bat File window is use the drop-down list box to select your Boot Drive, i.e. to identify the drive from which your system boots itself (usually A: on a floppy system or C: for a system with a hard disk).  Use the arrow keys to change the boot drive shown in the list box and then, when the correct boot drive is shown in the box, select the OK button .  If you boot from a floppy disk, be sure to put your boot disk (the disk that you use when you first turn on or reboot the computer) in the proper drive before selecting OK.  If you don't have an Autoexec.Bat file, the program will create one and add the proper line to it.  If you do have an Autoexec.Bat file, the line will be added to the file and the old file (without the added line) will be saved and named AUTOEXEC.WEZ.

If you prefer to add the line to the Autoexec.Bat file yourself, the window shows you exactly how the line should read (SET WINEZ ...).

If you do not want to use this procedure, select the Cancel button.

Note: To avoid this procedure, and to insure that the program will always find the WIN$EZ.CFG file, move the file to the same directory as the program file, WIN$EASY.EXE. Then highlight the WIN$EASY icon and select File from the Program Manager menu bar.  Then select "Properties" and enter in the "Working Directory" box the path to the directory with the WIN$EASY.EXE and WIN$EZ.CFG files.  Note, however, that if you want to configure the program for more than 99 games, the procedure is different and you should not make the path setting permanent for WIN$EZ.CFG.  See Configuring More Than 99 Games.

»  See also:

Setting Alternate File Paths

Viewing Current File Paths


Lotto

A lotto game is a lottery in which the drawing consists of two or more numbers, one of which may be a bonus, wild card or power ball number.  WIN$EASY is limited to lotto games in which from 2 to 22 numbers are drawn, the smallest of which must be 1 and the largest of which may not exceed 80, and in which a selection always has the same amount of numbers for each play, which may not be more than 22.  If a selection can have a different amount of numbers for each play, it is considered a Keno game.  Except for the differences in configuration and unless otherwise noted, any reference to "lotto" in this documentation or in the program applies also to Keno, power ball and wild card games.  See also the topics "One-Number Game", "Keno", "Bonus Number", "Power Ball Games", "Wild Card Games", "Drawing" and "Selection".


Keno

A Keno game is a type of lotto game in which several (usually 20-22) numbers are drawn.  The significant difference from other lotto games is that there are several ways to play, i.e. a Keno selection can have a different amount of numbers for each play.  If a game is called "Keno" but does not allow selections with different amounts of numbers for each drawing, it should be considered a lotto game for purposes of this program.  WIN$EASY is limited to Keno games that draw no more than 22 numbers, the smallest of which must be 1 and the largest of which may not exceed 80, and in which a selection may have varying amounts of numbers, not to exceed 22 numbers.  Except for the differences in configuration and unless otherwise noted, Keno games are treated exactly the same as lotto games, and any reference to "lotto" in this documentation or in the program applies also to Keno.  See also the topics "One-Number Game", "Lotto", "Bonus Number", "Power Ball Games", "Wild Card Games", "Drawing" and "Selection".


One-Number Game

A one-number game, sometimes referred to as a daily game, is a lottery in which digits are drawn individually to form a single number.  This program is limited to one-number games that draw 3 to 6 digits and in which the digits can range from 0 to 9 or from 1 to 9.  See also the topics "Drawing", "Selection" and "Lotto".


Main Menu

The Main Menu is the window displayed on the screen at all times when WIN$EASY is running and is not reduced to an icon.  It is the parent window for the functions windows.  The top of the Main Menu window has three lines.  On the top line are a control box, the title bar, a minimize button (for reducing the window to an icon) and a resize button (for maximizing or normalizing the size of the window).  On the second line is the menu bar with the Main Menu options.  And on the third line is the name of the active game.  To access the menu bar items from the keyboard, press F10 or Alt.  See also the topics "Function Window", "Sub-Option" and "Window".


Drawing

The term "drawing" refers to the number or numbers that are drawn from a lottery machine periodically by the lottery agency for a given lottery game and against which the selections you played are compared to determine if you won anything.  The drawing for a one-number game consists of 3 to 6 digits that are combined to form a single number.  The drawing for a lotto game consists of two or more numbers and may include a bonus number.  See also the topics "One-Number Game", "Lotto", "Keno", "Power Ball Games", "Wild Card Games", "Bonus Number" and "Selection".


bonus number

A bonus number is an extra number drawn in some lotto games which, when matched with one of the numbers in your selection, may result in an additional prize, usually when one or more other numbers in the drawing also match numbers in your selection.   The use of the bonus number to determine if a prize is won varies widely among the different lotteries. For example, in some games the bonus number is only compared with an extra number added to your selection and, in such cases, the bonus number may duplicate another number in either the drawing or selection and the range of the bonus number may differ from that of the other numbers drawn.  Unless noted otherwise, "bonus" can also refer to a power ball or wild card.  See also the topics "Lotto", "Keno", "Power Ball Games', "Wild Card Games", "Selection" and "Drawing".


Configuration

Configuration refers to the procedure in which you enter and save data that describes the features of a specific lottery game and enables the program to work with that game.  Reconfiguration refers to changing the features of an already configured game or to replacing an already configured game with a different game.  The program and this documentation may refer to configuring a game or configuring the program, but the meaning is the same.  See also the topics "Games", "Configuring Lotto Games", "Configuring Keno Games", "Configuring One-Number Games", "Power Ball Games" and "Wild Card Games".


Shortcut Keys
Shortcuts

Several of the program's functions that appear as sub-options in drop-down lists on the Main Menu can be accessed by keyboard commands that are referred to as shortcuts.  The available shortcuts are shown after the function's name in the drop-down list of sub-options.  Shortcuts in this program are either function keys or Ctrl+key combinations.  For example, F1 is the shortcut for the Help Index and Ctrl+F1 is the shortcut for the Shortcuts Window that lists the available shortcuts.  A shortcut (except F1) will not work if one of the Main Menu's menu bar items is highlighted.  Press Esc to clear the highlight.  See also the topics "Main Menu", "Sub-Option", "Getting Help" and "Main Menu Options Index".


Path

Path refers to the drive and directory (and subdirectory, if applicable) description that specifies the location of a file.  For example, C:\LOTTERY\WIN$EASY\WIN$EASY.EXE indicates that the file WIN$EASY.EXE is on drive C: in the subdirectory WIN$EASY of the directory LOTTERY, and C:\LOTTERY\WIN$EASY\ is the path specification.  See also the topics "File Path Window", "Setting Alternate File Paths" and "Viewing Current File Paths".


Boxing and Wheeling

Boxing refers to the procedure of generating all possible selections from a selected universe of numbers or digits.  Wheeling is the same as boxing, except that one or more specified numbers (wheel numbers) or digits from the selected universe must appear in each selection generated.  See also the topics "Freezer Jar Selections" and "Selection".


Active Game

The active game is the currently selected game, the name of which appears on the third line of the Main Menu after "Active Game".  It is the game to which all program functions will apply.  To select a different active game, select the Games option on the Main Menu.  See also the topics "Games" and "Main Menu".


What To Do First
Getting Started

What to do First

Converting WIN$EASY DOS Version Drawing Data Files

Hints For Using the Program

»  What To Do First

The first thing you should do is familiarize yourself with some general concepts by reviewing the content of the topics listed under "See Also" below.  You don't have to read all of the other topics referred to in those topics, but you should read the content of the primary topics listed.  Also, although most functions in the program are self-explanatory, it is highly recommended that , before using a function for the first time, you access on-line help to read about the function (see Getting Help).  See the Main Menu Options Index to find the topics related to the function you want to read about.

The next thing you must do before you can effectively use the WIN$EASY program is configure it for the lottery games you intend to play.  The program may already be configured for one or more lotteries.  If so, and if you only intend to use it for those games, then you can skip this step.  (You can always add other games later.)  Otherwise, if you intend to use the program now for games that are not already on the game list, read the topic Adding or Reconfiguring a Game and the topics referred to in that topic, and then configure the program for the games you intend to play.  Note that you can either add games to those already on the game list or replace (reconfigure) games on the list with other games at any time.  Select Games on the Main Menu's menu bar to see the list of any games for which the program may already be configured..

The last step in getting started is to enter all past drawings into the data base for the games that you have configured.  Read the topic Add New Drawing(s) to File and the topics referred to in that topic, and then add the drawings for each configured game.  If you have been using the DOS version of WIN$EASY, see below for instructions for converting your DOS version drawing data files instead of having to enter the drawings again for the Windows version.

Note:  If the program is already configured for the Florida lotteries, it may also include the drawing data for those games.  If so, and if you will only be using the program for those games, you do NOT have to configure the program and do NOT have to convert your DOS version drawing data files for use with the Windows version.  The only thing you need to do is add any drawings for the Windows version that have taken place since the last drawing currently in the data base for the Windows version.  To see the list of all drawings on file for each game, activate each game in turn on the game list and then select "Drawings" on the Main Menu and either "List All Drawings" (lotto games) or "List Numbers Drawn/Not Drawn" (one-number games) on the drop-down menu.

»  Converting WIN$EASY For DOS Drawing-Data Files (DOS Version 20 or higher only)

If your WIN$EASY for DOS is version 20 or higher, follow the guidance below to copy and rename the DOS version drawing data files for use with the Windows version.   Do not use this procedure until after WIN$EASY for Windows has been configured for the games that you intend to play.  See also the Note above and the one below.  (If you have been using  WIN$EASY for DOS version 19 or less, you cannot use the data files from that version with the Windows version.)

NOTE:  DOS versions later than 25 may use a method for accessing the games list or a file-naming technique that is different from those described below.  If so, see the instructions for your version and modify the instructions below accordingly.

Identify the drawing files from the DOS version:  Run your DOS version of WIN$EASY and, at the Main Menu, press A to access the games list and make a note of the name and game-pair number for each game in the DOS version that also is configured in your Windows version.  Exit the DOS version and use the DIR command at the DOS prompt to see a list of the data files with the DOS version.  The DOS version's drawing files are named WIN$EZxn.DAT, where x is the letter D or L and n is a number.  If the file name has the letter D, it is a one-number game's drawing file.  If it has the letter L, it is a lotto game's drawing file.  The number in the file name is the number of the game-pair which has the game in question.  (The first game in each game pair, on the left in the game list of the DOS version, is a one-number game, and the second, right-hand game is a lotto game.)  Hence, for example, WIN$EZL2.DAT would have the drawings for the lotto game in game-pair 2.

Identify the game numbers in the Windows version:  Run the Windows version of the program, select Games on the Main Menu, and make a note of the number in parentheses after the game name on the game list for each game for which you have drawing data from the DOS version.  The drawing data files for the Windows version are named DRAWn.DAT, where n is the number in parentheses after the game's name on the game list.  (Note that the Windows version does not maintain the games in pairs as in the DOS version.)  Hence, DRAW3.DAT is the drawing data file for the game with "(3)" after its name in the game list.  After you have made the notes you will need, exit the program, exit Windows and return to the DOS command line for the next step.

Copy and rename the DOS version's drawing data files from their directory to the directory with the data files for the Windows version:  For each game for which you have DOS version drawing data, you should copy the WIN$EZxy.Dat file to the directory of the Windows version and rename it to be DRAWn.DAT, where x is either "D" or "L", y is the game-pair number from the DOS version, and n is the game number for the Windows version, as explained above.

Note:  In order to rename the data files as described above and below, you must first delete any data files with the same (new) names in the destination directory.

This is easier to explain by example.  Suppose that you want to use the drawing data for the XYZ Lotto game, which is in game-pair 1 in the DOS version in the "Lottery" directory, and suppose that XYZ Lotto is game 3 in the Windows version in the "Lottery2" directory, i.e. it appears in the Windows version's game list as "XYZ Lotto (3)", and suppose that both directories are on drive C.  In this case, you would copy and rename the DOS version's file with the following command at the DOS prompt:

COPY C:\LOTTERY\WIN$EZL1.DAT C:\LOTTERY2\DRAW3.DAT

Note the positions of the two spaces in the above command line, one after "Copy" and one before the second "C:\".  After this command executes, the drawing data for XYZ Lotto would then be in the DRAW3.DAT file in the C:\LOTTERY2\ directory and ready for use by WIN$EASY for Windows.

That's all there is to it.  Use the same command, with appropriate changes to the paths and file names, to copy and rename any drawing files from the directory of the DOS version to the directory of the Window's version.

»  Hints For Using The Program

There are three basic steps in using the program:  generate and save selections for a given game (and presumably play those selections for the next drawing), enter and save the next drawing in that game, and finally compare your selections to that drawing to see if you won anything (Auto-Match).

Identifying and Saving selections:  There are many ways you can make your selections with WIN$EASY, but here are some sample methods for a lotto game.

First use the Drawing Frequency Chart and save several of the regular and/or custom selections, including the "Drawn the Average Times" custom selection but not the last custom selection.  Then use the Hot/Cold Numbers Drawn function and save the Hot, Cold and Mixed selections.  Then go back to the Drawing Frequency Chart, select Custom Selections and see if there are any eligible numbers for the  last custom selection (numbers not included in the selections already saved).  If there are, continue to save selections from any function (including that one) until all numbers have been used (checking this periodically with the last custom selection for lotto games).  Now use the Compare Selections/Draws function and get rid of any selections that have had more than 3 numbers drawn before in one drawing.  Use the Edit (Change-Delete-Insert) Selections function to delete the selections you don't want.  Then use the Purge Duplicate Selections function.  Finally, if you have saved too many selections, use the Randomly Delete Selections function to delete all but the number of selections that you want to play.

Another method would be to enter your favorite numbers on the Numbers Pad of the Scratch Pad function and generate some selections (groups) in that function or in the Freezer Jar (Box/Wheel) Selections function.  Then use some of the steps mentioned above for checking to see if you have covered all the numbers, for eliminating duplicates or groups that have been drawn together before, and for randomly deleting all but the amount of selections that you want to play.

If you want to get technical, try the General Drawing Analysis function and find some trends, patterns or coincidences that you think might repeat.  For example, look for certain patterns of 2 to 4 numbers that frequently are drawn together or appear in two or more consecutive drawings, or look at the last several drawings for any trend that may be occurring, or look for your favorite pattern of 2 to 4 numbers (e.g. birth dates) to see if it has been drawn frequently or recently.  Then use the Scratch Pad or Freezer Jar function to generate some selections (groups) from those numbers, or enter and save your own personal selections from numbers you've found in the analysis.

Good luck!

»  See Also:

Getting Help

Installation

Program Overview

General Program Usage

Main Menu Options Index

Errors, Problems and Suggestions

Help Contents -- the "See also" list of related miscellaneous topics and definitions at the end of the Help Index topic


Installation

The sections in this topic describe the files that were copied to your system during WIN$EASY installation, the files that may be deleted, the procedure for re-installing WIN$EASY, and the procedure for removing WIN$EASY from your system.

»  Files Installed

When you installed WIN$EASY,  the following files were copied from the Setup Disk to your Windows directory (which may or may not be named \WINDOWS) or your Windows System subdirectory (which may or may not be named \WINDOWS\SYSTEM), where they were renamed as shown, for the purposes shown:

Name on

Distribution Disk ... ..Name on Your Disk ....Location ............Purpose

WN$EZSET.EX_ .....WN$EZSET.EXE ........\WINDOWS .....Required only for setup

VER.DL_ .....................VER.DLL .......................\WINDOWS\SYSTEM .....Required for setup

SETUPKIT.DL_ ........SETUPKIT.DLL ...........\WINDOWS\SYSTEM .....Required for setup

VBRUN300.DL_ .......VBRUN300.DLL ..........\WINDOWS\SYSTEM .....Required to run WIN$EASY

GRID.VB_ ...................GRID.VBX .....................\WINDOWS\SYSTEM .....Required to run WIN$EASY

Any other required .VBX files ..........................\WINDOWS\SYSTEM .....Required to run WIN$EASY

The following files were copied to the directory that you specified during setup for the WIN$EASY system files:

File ..............................Purpose

WIN$EASY.EXE .....program file

WIN$EASY.HLP .....on-line documentation file

WIN$EZ.CFG ...........game configuration data file

NUMER.DAT ...........names and birth dates for Numerology and Zodiac windows

DRAW1.DAT ...........drawing data for Florida lotto, unless changed or omitted

DRAW2.DAT ...........drawing data for Florida Fantasy 5, unless changed or omitted

DRAW3.DAT ...........drawing data for Florida Cash 3, unless changed or omitted

DRAW4.DAT ...........drawing data for Florida Play 4, unless changed or omitted

»  Files That May Be Deleted

This section refers only to deleting individual files when you need additional disk space or for whatever reason.  (See below for information about removing WIN$EASY from your system.)

You can delete the WN$EZSET.EXE, VER.DLL and SETUPKIT.DLL files from the directory to which they were copied (see above).  They are only used for installation and, if you want to re-install the system (see below), you can use the distribution disk procedure (see the WIN$EASY Setup Disk label).  However, see the Note at the end of this topic before deciding to delete VER.DLL or SETUPKIT.DLL.

When you become familiar with the program's operation, you could also delete the WIN$EASY.HLP file from the directory to which it was installed.  Before doing so, however, you should save a backup copy that you can use later if necessary.  If you do delete it, the program will ask for the file's location each time you run the program, but you can use the Cancel button in that File Path Window to ignore the request.  If you don't set a path for the file, the "Help Index" sub-option will be disabled (but the other sub-options under "Help" will still be available).

Any file with the ".DAT" extension can be deleted at any time.  However, don't forget that the DRAWn.DAT files have the drawing data for each game, where n is the game's number, and you probably will not want to delete those files.  Also, don't delete a SELECTn.DAT file until after you have used the Auto-Match function for game n to see if you had any winners.  Any MATCHn.DAT file has the Auto-Match report for game n.  Any SCTCHNn.DAT or SCTCHGn.DAT file has the numbers saved from the Scratch Pad Numbers Pad (...Nn) or Groups Pad (...Gn) for game n.  The NUMER.DAT file has names and birth dates for the Numerology and Zodiac functions, and any SUITn.DAT file has the suit arrangement and card back design for game n.

The files VBRUN300.DLL, GRID.VBX (and any other .VBX files), WIN$EASY.EXE and WIN$EZ.CFG are all required for program operation and cannot be deleted.  Also, you should not move any .DLL or .VBX files to a directory other than the one in which they were installed.

»  Re-Installation

NOTE:  Before reinstalling the system, copy or move to another directory any .DAT files that you wish to keep (drawing, scratch pad or selection data files), since the installation procedure will overwrite any .DAT files in the destination directory.  After reinstalling, you can copy or move the old .DAT files back to their original directory.

If you ever have a reason for re-installing the system (see, for example, Configuring More Than 99 Games -- Alternative Procedure 3), you can do so in either of two ways.  In both cases, start by selecting FILE from the Windows Program Manager's menu bar, then select RUN on the drop-down list of options.  If you have not deleted it, you can run the WN$EZSET.EXE program by typing WN$EZSET.  Or, put the WIN$EASY Setup Disk in drive A: or B: and type A:SETUP or B:SETUP.  In any case, then select OK or press Enter.  In all cases, you will have to have the WIN$EASY distribution disk(s) at hand in order to complete the re-installation.

»  Removing WIN$EASY From Your System

If you want to remove WIN$EASY from your system for any reason, simply delete all of the files described in the "Files Installed" section above and any other WIN$EASY files with the .DAT extension that may be in the directory with the program file or some other directory that you may have specified (see the files mentioned in "Files that may be deleted" above).

Note:  The VBRUN300.DLL, VER.DLL, SETUPKIT.DLL and GRID.VBX files (and any other .VBX files), or any one of them, may have already existed on your system for use by some other program that you installed for use in Windows.  If you suspect that to be the case, or if you want to be on the safe side and avoid the possiblity of having to reinstall them later for some other application, do not delete those files.  (Prior versions of WIN$EASY for Windows installed VBRUN100.DLL or VBRUN200.DLL.  If neither of those files is required by another Windows program, they may be deleted, since they are not needed for the current version of WIN$EASY for Windows.)


Other Available Lottery Programs
Other Available Programs

»  Palace Lotto

The "Palace  Lotto" program provides a very realistic simulation of the electronic lotto slot machines found in some casinos, usually using touch-screen technology.  In this program, you use a mouse instead of touching the screen.  A mouse is required to select individual numbers in a play panel, but if you are satisfied with "QuikPic" selections, you don't need a mouse for any other function.

The program presents a screen with 4 play panels, each of which has the numbers 1 to 25.  You start with a credit of $20.  You activate from 1 to 4 of the panels by using the "On/Off" button on each panel,  pick 6 numbers on one or more panels, or use the "QuikPic" button on each panel for a random selection, select your bet of either 25 or 50 cents per active panel (in the casinos, there are usually separate machines for 25-cent or 50-cent bets), and then select "Draw" to begin the drawing of 6 numbers.  An "Erase" button is also provided on each panel to facilitate changing your selections, and you can make selections on inactive panels, even though matches of them won't count as wins.

As each number drawn glides across the screen, if you have selected that number on one of the panels, it is highlighted on that panel (even on inactive panels).  When the drawing is finished, any active panel with a winning match flashes and you get paid in the form of credits for any matches of 2 or more numbers on any active panel.  The payoff varies with the number of matches and is twice as much for 50-cent bets.  If you match all 6 on any panel, you win one of the 2 available jackpots, depending on which bet amount you chose.  If you want to play the same numbers in the same panels again for the same bet amount, just select "Draw" again.

Depending on which bet you choose, one of the two jackpots increases each time you play -- and the current amount of the jackpots is maintained from one program run to another.

If you run out of credits, you are offered another $20.  When you quit, a cashier's report shows you how much credit you were given, how much credit you currently have, and the balance owed to or by you.  There's even an option to copy the report to your printer. (The casino machines provide a printout when you quit and require you to insert money to obtain more credit).

Everything you need to know is shown on the screen -- the current jackpots, how much you are betting (25 or 50 cents times the number of active panels), how much you are paid for each type of bet for each type of match, how much you won on the last drawing, and your current credits.  But, if you need more information, just select the "Help" button for detailed on-line help.

 It's fun; it's fast; and -- watch out -- it's addicting.  Also, if you have access to the casino machines, it's a great way to try out your favorite combinations without losing any real money.

This program requires Windows 3.0 or later.  See "Ordering" below.

»  Eagle Slot Machine

This program is a simulation of the electronic touch-screen slot machines found in some casinos.  Like many slot machines, this one displays three rows of three pictures each and pays off when certain combinations of pictures line up horizontally or diagonally.  Unlike other machines, however, this one also pays when certain combinations line up vertically.  Also, instead of spinning the pictures when you play, this one covers each of the three rows of pictures and allows you to open one cover at a time, or all at once, to reveal the new group of pictures.  And, if any picture is part of one or more winning combinations, the picture will have one or more arrows indicating the direction of the winning combination, which lends some suspense to the play if you remove one cover at a time.  Or, if you just like to watch it work, there's even an "Auto" button that repeatedly cycles each play automatically until you either select the "Stop" button or run out of credit.  You can play $1 or $2 each time and there are separate jackpots for each type of bet -- and the jackpots are progressive and maintained from one program run to another.

This program requires Windows 3.0 or later.  See "Ordering" below.

»  Ordering

Any of these programs can be ordered by sending the amount shown below, together with your name and address, to:

Charles F. Mowery, Jr.

406 Van Reed Manor Drive

Brandon FL 33511

The DOS version of WIN$EASY is provided on a 5.25" 360K disk unless another type of disk is requested.  The other programs will be provided on 3.5" DSDD (720K) or high density (1.44 MB) disks unless you specify otherwise.

Prices:

WIN$EASY For DOS -- $35  ($10 for upgrades from a registered prior version)  This version does not have some of the features and functions of the Windows version.

WIN$EASY For Windows -- $35  ($10 for upgrades from a registered prior Windows version or $15 for upgrades from a registered DOS version).  Both the DOS and Windows versions may be ordered for a combined price of $50.

Palace Lotto -- $10 ($5 for registered users of any WIN$EASY or Eagle Slot Machine program).

Eagle Slot Machine -- $10 ($5 for registered users of any WIN$EASY or Palace Lotto program).


Changes

As a guide for users of prior versions, this topic describes the changes made in each version of WIN$EASY for Windows.

»  Version 1

The first version for Windows, 1.0,  was released in August 1992.  In version 1.1, the  license terms were modified to remove the limitation that a registered user could only use the system on one computer.  Note that the system or its output still cannot be used by or for persons outside of the registered user's household without a separate group license.  Also in 1.1, the Dice Rolls Window and the Playing-Card Conversion Window were revised to improve their display and reduce the amount of disk space required for the system, and the Getting Started topic was revised to correct typographical errors in the example file names in the section about converting DOS version data files for use with the Windows version.  In version 1.2, the program was changed to accomodate Michigan's "Keno" (sic) game.  The procedure for Adding or Reconfiguring a Game and other functions that pertain to lotto games were revised to handle games that draw up to 22 numbers.  The  Auto-Match Window was changed to add an option to list selections in which no matches were found.  The Play-Slip Patterns Window was revised to accomodate more types of play slips.  And, the definitions of Lotto and Keno were changed appropriately.  See Configuring Lotto Games and the other underlined topics in this paragraph for details.

»  Version 2

In version 2.0, the Playing-Card Conversion Window, previously only available in a separate version of the program, was included as a regular part of the program, and some anomalies in the add-game window were corrected.  In version 2.01, the Playing-Card Conversion utility was modified to permit cancelling changes to the suit arrangement without having to exit the utility, and to permit saving a different suit arrangement and/or card-back design for each game.  Finally, several code changes were made in version 2.02 to enhance the program's operation and correct minor anomalies in the functions for transferring selections to the Scratch-Pad or Playing-Card-Conversion utilities (see Saving Selections).

»  Version 3

Version 3.0 included several significant changes.  First, the overall design of the program was revised so that the Main Menu became a parent window and all the function windows became child windows that appear in the Main Menu window.  One of the primary benefits of this change is that it is no longer necessary to use Alt+M to activate the Main Menu in order to access its options or use shortcuts.  (However, for keyboard users, it is necessary to press F10 or Alt to access the Main Menu and, for all users, if a Main Menu item is highlighted, the highlight must be cleared, e.g. by pressing Esc, before trying to use any shortcut other than F1.)

Also in 3.0, a Window option was added to the Main Menu to enable arranging the function windows in cascade or tile fashion and/or to arrange any icons in the Main Menu window.  Additional sub-options added under the Window option include options to close all function windows, to maximize or normalize the Main Menu window and to minimize or restore the active function window.  Also included under the Window option is a list of all open function windows, with the active window checked, which can be used to identify the active window and to select or restore any open function window, even if reduced to an icon.

Also in 3.0, the separate window that is used to list numbers not drawn for one-number games, and to list more than 500 selections in the Freezer Jar utility for lotto games, now has a "Continue" button instead of the inconvenient dialogue box previously used for continuing the list when the window was full.  Also, for one-number games, the use of that window was limited to listing the numbers not drawn in 4-digit games (but see Version 3.03 changes).  For 3-digit one-number games, the numbers not drawn now can be listed in the list box in the List Drawings function window.

In Version 3.01, the Freezer Jar utility was revised to expand the boxing and wheeling options for one-number games.  Previously, that utility had no wheeling options for one-number games.  See  Freezer Jar Selections  -- Freezer Jar Options -- Number of Selections -- One-Number Games for details.

In Version 3.02, the one-number game analysis function was modified to expand the operation of the "Digits D1, D2 and D3 drawn in the same drawing" criterion so that, for games that use more than 3 digits (see Version 3.03 changes), the three digits now do not have to appear adjacent to each other in order for the drawing to be identified as a find.

In Version 3.03, significant changes were made throughout the program to accomodate one-number games that use 5 or  6 digits and to further enhance the program's one-number game functions generally.  Some of those changes also affected the procedures for one-number games that use 3 or 4 digits and also, indirectly, some procedures and displays for lotto games.  Changes were also made in the way function windows position themselves, especially when more than one window is open.

In Version 3.04, additional sorting features were added.  You now can re-file a lotto game's saved drawings so that the numbers within each drawing appear in ascending numerical order (see Sort Each Filed Drawing Numerically), and you can use the new Sort button in the List All Drawings window to view the entire lotto drawings in sorted numerical order without changing their chronological order in the file.  For all types of games, you now can re-file the game's saved selections so that the entire selections are in ascending  numerical order instead of the chronological order in which they were saved (see Sort Saved-Selections File), or you can use the new Sort button in the List Filed Selections window to view the selections in sorted numerical order without changing their order in the file.

In Version 3.05, a new Transfer... button was added to the List Filed Selections window for lotto games.  Selecting that button provides access to options for transfering one or all of the listed selections to the Scratch Pad or transferring a single selection to the Playing-Card Conversion window.  Also, when listing all drawings for a one-number game, when the chronological list is displayed (e.g. when the window first opens), numbers that have been drawn more than once are now identified with an asterisk ( * ).  Also, when entering lotto numbers for any purpose, the numbers now may be separated by spaces or any non-digit characters.  Previously, only spaces were allowed.  Multiple spaces or any non-digit character(s) between two numbers are converted to a single space by the program when appropriate (e.g. prior to saving the numbers).

In Version 3.06, the procedures for configuring Keno games were modified for clarity and to eliminate potential anomalies.  Also, the command buttons in the Scratch Pad window were modified in appearance and arrangement and the "Group --> Card Conv." button was added.

In Versions 3.07 and 3.08, context-sensitive help was added.  Pressing F1 now provides help applicable to the active function window or to any highlighted Main Menu option or sub-option.  Also, the program was recompiled under Microsoft Visual Basic Version 3.0, and some procedural anomalies were corrected.

»  Version 4

In Version 4.0, the entire program was modified to handle two types of lotto games that use a bonus number in an unusual way.  See the new topics Power Ball Games and Wild Card Games for details.  Also, the operation of some functions was enhanced.  For example, a bonus-number frequency chart was added to the Frequency Chart and Selections window for lotto games, a "View Prior Report" option was added to the Auto-Match Window, and entering dates in the Numerology and Zodiac functions was made easier through the use of scroll bars (but see Version 5.1 below).  In addition, the size, format and colors of some windows were changed for asthetic reasons and to make them adaptable to a wider variety of system and Windows color and resolution configurations, and a bug which prevented reconfiguring some games was fixed.  Finally, the setup program was modified to give you the option, when upgrading from a prior shareware or registered version, of protecting your existing configuration and data files from being overwritten by the new installation.

In Version 4.1, the 'All sums' analysis option in the Analysis Window for Lotto Games was modified to include two additional options that permit you to search just for even sums or just for odd sums, or both; plus, the analysis results now include a running total of the even and odd sums found during sums analysis.  Also, coding changes were made for some function windows to avoid an error that could have occurred if they were reduced to icons.

In Version 4.2, the code for the Analysis Window for Lotto Games was further modified to enhance the speed of analysis of patterns of 2 or more numbers when the "All Patterns" option is selected.  Also, error traps were included to prevent the "Invalid row value" and other errors that could occur when performing analyses involving thousands of unique patterns.  The error traps advise you what to do if and when the limits of the analysis (32,767 unique patterns) or the display limits of the analysis grid (which depends on available memory) are exceeded.  In Versions 4.21 and later in 4.23, anomalies introduced in version 4.2 were corrected, to wit: the program was not disabling some Main Menu options that were inapplicable to the active game, and a "File Already Open" error was occurring under certain circumstances.  In Version 4.22, the code related to adding and reconfiguring games was modified to prevent potential errors and, when adding a game at the end of the game list, to show that game as the active game after its addition is confirmed.  In Version 4.23, an option to transfer the numbers in the selected drawing to the Scratch Pad was added to the List Selected Drawings window for lotto games.  In Version 4.24, an error was corrected that sometimes caused groups to be saved incorrectly from the Scratch Pad to the selections file.

»  Version 5

In Version 5.0, two new features were added.  First, the Play-Slip Patterns Window, previously available only for lotto games, was made available for one-number games.  Second, a new window, With/Without Analysis, was added to enable you to check to see which numbers or digits appear or don't appear with any given number or digit drawn in any selected range of drawings.

In Version 5.1, the option to sort the entire list (not just the numbers within each drawing) was added to the List Selected Drawings window for lotto games, and the method for entering dates in the Zodiac and Numerology windows was changed again (see 4.0 above) in response to users' comments.

In Version 5.2, options to transfer numbers to the Scratch Pad were added to the With/Without Analysis window for lotto games.  (See 5.0 above.)  Version 5.21 included a minor change related to the handling of dates in the Numerology and Zodiac windows.

In Version 5.3, an option to Reduce the Number of Drawings on File was added as a sub-option under "Draws" on the Main Menu's menu bar.  In version 5.31, a minor error connected with personal selections for one-number games was corrected.

In Version 5.4, options to backup the data files and to retrieve the backup data were added under "File" on the Main Menu.

In Version 5.5, the number of drawings or selections listed was added to the window caption for the Edit (Change-Delete-Insert) Drawings and Edit (Change-Delete-Insert) Selections windows, and a reminder about backing up data files was added to all exit procedures (previously only shown for one of the exit procedures).

»  Other Changes

At some point for a brief period somewhere in version 4 or 5, a procedure was included which would change the date format settings of the user's system to conform to the format used by the program and then return them to their original settings just prior to exiting the program.  That procedure has been eliminated.

Finally, all new versions also usually include minor asthetic or procedural changes to enhance the operation of the program, or changes to resolve errors or other anomalies discovered in prior versions, and such changes may not be specifically mentioned in this topic.  Also, each new version usually will include revisions in Help topics other than this one, either to reflect significant procedural or other changes or to clarify the topics.


Playing Card Conversion
Playing-Card Conversion Window

(Lotto Games Only)

»  Access and Purpose

The Playing-Card Conversion Window is designed for lotto games that use the 52 cards in a normal deck instead of numbers, but it can be used at any time that the active game is a lotto game if the numbers used in the game are within the range 1 to 52.  If the game is not a lotto game or uses numbers larger than 52, the access options described below will be disabled.  For any playing-card game, all functions in the program, except the conversion and display options in this window, use the number equivalents of the cards instead of the cards themselves.  Hence, in order to save a playing-card game's drawing or to mark a playing-card game's play slip with a selection from the program, the conversion features of this window should be used.  See also the Note below "New Deal" below.

Drawings:  To enter and save a playing-card drawing, select the Draws option on the Main Menu, then the "Add Playing-Card Drawings" sub-option.

Selections:    To see the playing-card equivalents of selections generated by the program or entered by you in any number-selection function that has an option for saving a single selection, the selection can be transferred to the Playing-Card Conversion Window, where the playing-card equivalents of the numbers in the selection will be displayed automatically.  To do so, select the number-selection function's option for saving a single selection.  The option to transfer the selection to the Playing-Card Conversion Window then will be presented in the Save Selections Window.  To see the playing-card equivalents of any series of numbers entered by you or selected at random by the program, select the Analysis option on the Main Menu, then the "Playing-Card Conversion" sub-option.

»  Playing-Card Conversion Functions

Conversion Chart:  The card-to-number (and vice versa) conversion chart shows the numbers applicable to each of the cards in a normal deck and may be customized according to suits.  The default chart assigns the numbers according to the normal sequence of the cards in a new deck:  1 to 13 represent the ace, two, ... through king of clubs, 14 to 26 represent the ace through king of diamonds, 27 to 39 represent the ace through king of hearts, and 40 to 52 represent the ace through king of spades.

Suit Selection:  If you want to assign the conversion chart's numbers differently by suit, the window provides command buttons to switch the suits to your preference, and optionally to save the changes, as follows:

Suit:  Select this button to set the suit symbol for the first of the four rows of numbers.  When you have chosen a suit for that row by using the Set button (see below), select Suit again to move to the next row of numbers to choose the next suit, and so on until all four rows' suits have been set.  (The last row's suit will be set automatically when you press Suit after setting the suit for the third row.)

Set:  Select this button to change the suit symbol that is currently displayed next to a row of numbers.  This button only becomes active after you select Suit (see above).

Cancel:  When the Suit and Set buttons are being used, all other options in the window, except Cancel, are disabled.  If you select Cancel before completing suit selection for all four rows of numbers, all suit changes that were made after you accessed this window will be discarded and the suit arrangment will revert to its status at the time you accessed the window.

Save Suits:  Select this button to save the currently displayed suit arrangement for the active game.  Once saved, that suit arrangement will be used whenever this window is accessed for that game, unless and until you change the suit arrangement later and save the new arrangement for that game.

Note that the top row of the chart shows the cards applicable to each number in the chart, in the order Ace, two, three, ... Jack, Queen, King, and that order cannot be changed.

Cards and Number Boxes:  Twenty-two face-down cards are shown at the top of the screen, with a  box below each card for the card's number (as shown in the conversion chart).  The amount of boxes that will be enabled (white = enabled; grey = disabled) will vary and will be appropriate for the function being used (adding a drawing or working with selections) and the active game.

Adding Drawings:  Use the conversion chart as a guide and enter each card's number in a box, starting at the first box on the left.  That box's card is then shown face-up for verification.  Always enter the bonus number, if any, in the last box.  You then can use the Sort button if you wish (see below).  Finally, select the Save Drawing button (see below) to add the new drawing to the drawings file.

Transferring and/or Converting Selections:  You can transfer any single selection from any number-selection function to the playing-card conversion window and the cards represented by the numbers in the selection will be shown automatically.  (Multiple-selection transfers cannot be made.)  The procedure is the same as it is for transferring numbers to the  Scratch Pad and is presented as an additonal option in the Save Selections Window.  You can then change the selection by changing the numbers in the boxes below the cards and/or use the Save Selection button (see below) to save the selection in the normal selections file for the active game.  And, of course, you can enter your own selections in the number boxes at any time (unless the window is being used to add drawings).

New Deal:  Select this button to see a new selection of numbers and their respective cards chosen at random by the program.  This button is disabled when the window is being used to add drawings.

Note:  You will not be able to enter a number in one of the number boxes that is outside of the range of numbers used by the active game.  Nor will the New Deal button generate any number outside of that range.  For example, if the active game uses the numbers 1 to 49, those will be the only numbers able to be used in this window, and the numbers 50 to 52 will be ignored.

Design:  Select this button to change the card backs to any one of 7 different designs.

Save Design:  Select this button to save the currently displayed card-back design for the active game.  Once saved, that design will be used whenever this window is accessed for that game, unless and until you change the design later and save the new design.

Sort:  Select this button to put the displayed numbers in ascending numerical order and rearrange the cards accordingly.  You should not sort a drawing before saving it unless you always save drawing numbers in numerical order (as opposed to saving them in the order in which they were drawn within each drawing).

Save Selection / Drawing:  This button's caption will change pursuant to the purpose for which the window was opened, i.e. for playing-card conversion of either selections or drawings.  Select this button to save the currently displayed selection or drawing numbers displayed in the number boxes below the cards.  If it is a selection, it will be saved in the regular selections file for the active game or, if it is a drawing, it will be saved in the drawings file for the active game.

Clear:  Select this button to remove any numbers in the boxes and turn face down any cards displayed.

Cancel:  If you select this button, the playing-card conversion window will be closed, unless you select the button when the Set button is enabled, in which case it will abort the suit selection procedure (see Suit Selection above).  When the window is closed, any selection or drawing displayed will be lost, unless you saved it first, and any changes to the suit arrangement or card-back design will be ignored unless you saved the changes before selecting Cancel.

Note:  The Playing-Card Conversion window requires a substantial amount of memory.  If you observe display anomalies or experience "out of memory" or other errors while using this window, see the Errors, Problems and Suggestions topic for ways to avoid the problem.


Window

»  Access and Purpose

Select Window on the Main Menu by clicking on it or by pressing F10 then W.  This option serves three purposes:  to facilitate the arrangement and selection of the function windows within the Main Menu window, to provide a convenient method for closing all function windows, and to provide keyboard users a method for sizing the Main Menu and/or reducing a function window to an icon and restoring it.  The Window option provides the sub-options listed and described below.  Available keyboard shortcuts are shown in parentheses after the option's name.

»  Cascade (Shift+F5)

Select this option to arrange all open function windows in an overlapping format starting at the upper left corner of the Main Menu window and proceeding toward the lower right corner.  This option is basically the same as the option of the same name provided under the "Window" option on the Windows Program Manager's menu bar and uses the same shortcut, but the size of the windows does not change.

Note:  When a single function window is open, it positions itself at the top center of the Main Menu window.  When an additional function window is opened, the windows will usually position themselves in cascade format (exceptions include the Shortcuts and Keyboard Help windows).  The number of windows that can be opened in cascade format before a new cascade of windows starts again at the upper left is controlled by Windows and will depend on the size of the Main Menu window and whether any windows are reduced to icons.  Also controlled by Windows is the position of a window that is restored after being reduced to an icon.

»  Tile (Shift+F4)

Select this option to arrange all open function windows next to each other from left to right, in overlapping rows when necessary, within the Main Menu window. This option is basically the same as the option of the same name provided under the "Window" option on the Windows Program Manager's menu bar and uses the same shortcut, but the size of the windows does not change.

 Because of that, this option will be of little value except when using small function windows

»  Arrange Icons

Select this option to arrange the icons of any minimized function windows in an orderly fashion along the bottom of the Main Menu window.  This option functions identically to the Windows Program manager option of the same name.

»  Close All (Ctrl+C)

Select this option to close all open function windows, including any reduced to an icon.  This option does not close the Main Menu window.

»  Normalize/Maximize Main Menu Window

When the program is run, the Main Menu window begins in its maximized size.  Select this option to reduce it to its normal size and later enlarge it to its maximized size.  The wording of the option will change according to the current size of the Main Menu window.  The normalized size was designed (at 800x600 or higher resolution) to allow you to run WIN$EASY and still be able to see and access any  icons or other open windows on your desktop.  No menu option or keyboard equivalent is provided  for minimizing (reducing to an icon) the Main Menu window.  To do so, click on the Main Menu window's minimize button.

»  Minimize/Restore Active Window

Select this option to minimize (reduce to an icon) the active function window and later to restore it to its normal size.  (See "Select/Identify Active Window" below.)  As long as one function window is open and not reduced to an icon, this option will only be available for minimizing the active window.  If all open windows have been reduced to icons, this option's wording will change to "Restore Active Window" and can be used to restore to normal size the window whose icon is highlighted.  In other words, in order to restore a minimized window with this option, all open windows of normal size must be reduced to icons or closed, but see the next section for a way to restore a window that has been reduced to an icon but is not the active window.

»  Select/Identify Active Window

When you select the Window option on the Main Menu, a list of the sub-options described above drops down.  If there are any open function windows at that moment, including any reduced to icons, the bottom part of the drop-down list of options will include a numbered list of the open windows.  The active window will have a check mark in front of its number.  To select a new active window or to restore one of the windows reduced to an icon, press its number key.  If all open function windows are reduced to icons, you can restore the checked window to its normal size either by selecting the Restore Active Window option described above or by pressing the checked number key on the keyboard.

When a large number of windows are open, the "More Windows..." option will appear at the botton of the list of open windows.  If you select the More Windows option (e.g. by pressing the underlined letter, M), a separate window will appear with a scrollable list of all open windows.  Note that the active window will not be specifically identified on this separate, scrollable list.   The active window will always be on the list that drops down from the Window option and will have a check mark before its number.


Function Window

A function window (child) is any window that appears within the Main Menu window (parent) and is used for performing any of the many functions available in the program.  Dialogue boxes and any window that  cannot be reduced to an icon are not included in this term.


Sort Each Filed Drawing Numerically

(Lotto Games Only)

»  Access

To access this function, select the Draws option on the Main Menu then the "Sort Each Filed Drawing Numerically" sub-option.  This function is not available for one-number games.

»  Purpose and Function

This function will come in handy if you normally save the numbers within each lotto drawing in sorted numerical order and inadvertently enter one or more drawings in the order in which they were drawn instead of sorted order; or if, after saving drawings in drawn order, you decide to start saving them in sorted order.  The function re-files all drawings for the active game with each drawing's numbers in ascending numerical order.  For example, if a drawing on file is saved as "25  5 32  9 22 10", it would be re-filed as "5  9 10 22 25 32".  The position within the file of the drawings themselves, i.e. the order in which you entered them (which, presumably, is chronological order), is not changed.  If you always save drawings in sorted numerical order, this function has no purpose.

Warning:  This function makes permanent changes to the saved-drawings file for the active game.  Once the numbers in each drawing have been sorted, there is no way to re-sort them into their original order.  You will be warned of this on-screen and asked to confirm the action before any sorting takes place.

To see the numbers in each drawing in sorted order without changing the filed order, use the Sort button in the List All Drawings window.

This function has no effect on drawings filed after the function is used.  When a drawing is added to the file later, its numbers are filed in whatever order you enter them.

For games that draw a bonus, power ball and wild card number, always enter that number last.  This sorting procedure will not change the position of the bonus, power ball or wild card number as the last number in the drawings.

»  See Also:

List All Drawings

Sort Saved-Selections File


Sort Saved-Selections File

»  Access

To access this function, select the Selections option on the Main Menu then the "Sort Saved-Selections File" sub-option.

»  Function and Purpose

For one-number games, this function re-files the saved selections for the active game in ascending numerical order instead of the order in which they were originally saved.  The order of the digits that make up each selection is not changed.

For lotto games, the numbers within each selection are always sorted into ascending numerical order at the time they are saved.  This function re-files the selections themselves in ascending numerical order within the saved-selections file for the active game.  For example, if two selections, "1  3  5 23 48 49" and "1  3  5  22 48 49" were saved in that order, they would be re-filed so that the selection with 22 would appear in the file before the selection with 23.

The primary purposes of this function are to sort the selections file for printing and to facilitate reviewing the selections in the List Filed Selections window in sorted order (by avoiding the necessity of using the Sort button in that window when you want to see the selections in sorted order).

Warning:  This function permanently changes the order of the selections within the saved-selections file for the active game and there is no method of re-sorting the selections in the file into the order in which they were originally saved.

To see the selections in sorted order without changing the filed order, use the Sort button in the List Filed Selections window.

This function has no effect on selections filed after the function is used.  If selections are added to the file later, they are added at the end of the file.

»  See Also:

List Filed Selections

Sort Each Filed Drawing Numerically


Power Ball Games

The term "power ball" is used in this program to refer to a specific type of lotto game which uses a bonus number in an unusual way.  The game may or may not have the term "power ball" in its name.  (See also Wild Card Games for another unusual lotto game.)

»  Definition

For purposes of this program, a power ball game is a lotto game in which all of the following features are present:

--  The amount of numbers in the drawing and the amount of numbers in a selection are the same.  For example, if 6 numbers are drawn, then each selection must have 6 numbers.  This is the usual situation in most lotto games without a bonus number.

--  The last number (the power ball) in a selection is selected by the player.  This is the usual situation in a normal lotto game, but it is also one of the features that distinguishes a power ball game from some wild card games, in which the player may have no control over the wild card in the selection.

--  The last number in a drawing (the power ball) is compared only to the last number in a selection to determine a win.  In other words, if the last number in the drawing matches any number in the selection other than the last one, it has no effect in determining a win. This is one of the features that distinguish a power ball game from a normal lotto game.

--  The last number in a drawing may duplicate another number in that drawing, and the same is true for a selection.  For example, if one of the numbers in the drawing, other than the last one, is 12, the last number in the drawing could also be 12.  This is the other feature that distinguishes a power ball game from a normal lotto game.  (Normally, the last number in a power ball drawing is taken from a different source than the other numbers, and the last number in a power ball selection will normally be marked on a separate part of the play-slip panel.)

--  The last number in a drawing and in a selection must be in the same range as all other numbers drawn or selected, i.e. all numbers in the drawing or a selection must be within the same range.  This is the usual situation in a normal lotto game, but it is also the other feature that distinguishes a power ball game from some wild card games, in which the range for the wild card may be different from the range for the other numbers.

Other than the differences described above and except as otherwise noted on-screen or in this documentation, all references to lotto games also refer to power ball games.

An example of this type of lotto game is the Iowa Power Ball game, in which (at the time of this writing) you select 5 numbers from 1 to 45 and then (on a separate part of the play slip panel) select a 6th number from 1 to 45 as the power ball.  The drawing then consists of 5 numbers from 1 to 45 plus a 6th power ball number from 1 to 45.  The smallest win consists of having no matches between the first 5 numbers of the drawing and the first 5 numbers of your selection but having the drawing's power ball number match your selection's power ball number, and the jackpot requires that the first 5 numbers in your selection match the first 5 drawing numbers and that the drawing's power ball number also match your selection's power ball number.

»  Configuring a Power Ball Game

Follow the normal initial procedure for configuring any lotto game (see Configuring Lotto Games), and select "Power Ball Lotto" as the type of game.  Then, in the "Lotto/Power Ball/Keno Options" section of the add-game window, enter the amount of numbers drawn (including the power ball) in the "Numbers Drawn" box; enter the highest number able to be drawn in the "Drawing range: 1 to" box; enter the minimum number of matches required for a win in the "Minimum matches for a win" box and, if appropriate, check the "Minimum includes power ball" box; and, finally, enter the appropriate number in the "Play slip boxes per row" box.

Note that none of the other configuration options shown for other lotto games is available because what this program refers to as a "power ball" game is assumed to have certain features, as described above, such as the fact that the selection has the same amount of numbers as the drawing, that the power ball number has the same range as the other numbers drawn, and that the power ball can duplicate another number drawn.

»  Using Program Functions for a Power Ball Game

When the active game is a power ball game, all of the functions applicable to other lotto games are also applicable to the power ball game.  The only significant differences are that the power ball will always be the last number in a drawing or a selection (each function window will include a reminder of that fact) and that, when making selections based on drawing frequency, the power ball number will be selected based on its frequency of appearance in the drawings as a power ball, not as any other number in the drawing.


Wild Card Games

The term "wild card" is used in this program to refer to a specific type of lotto game which uses a bonus number in an unusual way.  The game may or may not have the term "wild card" in its name.  An example of this type of lotto game is the Iowa "Lotto with a Wild Card" game.  The Pennsylvania "Wild Card Lotto" game is not a wild card game as defined by this program.  It is a normal lotto game with a bonus number.  (See also Power Ball Games for another unusual lotto game.)

The wild card number may be in the form of a playing card.  However, whether or not the wild card is in the form of a playing card representing a number has no bearing on the determination as to whether it is a wild card game for the purposes of this program.  In order to be considered a wild card game for the purposes of this program, the game must fit the definition described below.

»  Definition

For purposes of this program, a wild card game is a lotto game in which one or both of the following features are present.

If the last number (the wild card) in a selection is not selected by the player, the game must be considered a wild card game for purposes of configuration.  This is one of the features that distinguishes a wild card game from all other lotto games.  In this type of game, the wild card is usually added to the player's selection at the time the selection is played or paid for.  (There is normally no provision on the play slip for selecting the wild card, which only appears on the betting slip provided to the player at the time it is paid for.)  Also, the player may or may not have the option of giving effect to the wild card by paying extra for it.  The actual procedure is unimportant for purposes of configuration.  What is important is whether or not the player is able to choose which wild card is in the selection as the last number.  If the player can so choose, the game is not a wild card game as defined for this program, and may be a power ball or other type of lotto game.

If the wild card is drawn from a different range of numbers than the other numbers in the drawing, the game must be considered a wild card game for purposes of configuration.  For example, in such a game, the drawing might be limited to the numbers 1 to 39 while the wild card is in the range 1 to 52.  It doesn't matter whether the wild card range is larger or smaller than the range for the other numbers drawn.  If the range is different, it must be considered a wild card game.

If the game is configured as a wild card game, the program will assume that the game also has both of the following features (which are also present in power ball games).

The last number in a drawing (the wild card) is compared only to the last number in a selection to determine a win.  In other words, if the last number in the drawing matches any number in the selection other than the last one, it has no effect in determining a win. This is another of the features that distinguish a wild card game from a normal lotto game.  (It is also a feature of power ball games as defined for this program.)

The last number in the drawing may duplicate another number in the drawing, and the same is true for a selection.  For example, if one of the numbers in the drawing, other than the last one, is 12, the last number in the drawing could also be 12.  This is another feature that distinguishes a wild card game from a normal lotto game.  (Normally, the last number in a wild card drawing is taken from a different source than the other numbers.)  It is also a feature of power ball games as defined for this program.

Except as otherwise noted on-screen or in this documentation, all references to a bonus number refer to the wild card number in wild card games.

»  Configuring a Wild Card Game

When configuring a wild card game, select "Lotto" as the type of game.  In completing the options shown in the "Lotto/Power Ball/Keno Options" section of the add-game window, consider the wild card as a "bonus" and complete the options with that in mind.

Note that, if you enter a range for the bonus or wild card that is different from the drawing range, the "Bonus or wild card number can duplicate any other number drawn" box will be checked automatically.  And, if you uncheck that box, the bonus/wild card range will be changed automatically to match the drawing range.  In any case, when configuring a wild card game, be sure that those two items are appropriately marked.

»  Using Program Functions for a Wild Card Game

Because of the nature and purpose of the bonus or wild card in this type of game, the program ignores the bonus or wild card number in most tunctions.  The following are the functions which do take the bonus or wild card into account.

In the add-drawings function, whether you are adding the drawings by number or via the PlayIng Card Conversion function, you must include the bonus or wild card as part of the drawing.  Always enter it as the last number in the drawing.  The bonus or wild card, usually only identified as "bonus", will then be included in all lists of drawings provided by the program in any function.

In the Frequency Chart and Selections window, the "Bonus Chart" button will show you how often each bonus or wild card was drawn within the selected drawing range, and the chart can be sorted by number or frequency, using the "Numerical Sort / Frequency Sort" button.  However, the bonus or wild card will not be included in the regular frequency chart and will not be taken into account in forming any of the regular or custom selections.

In the Simulated Lottery Machines window, the bonus or wild card is drawn from a separate machine and displayed separately, but it is not included in the selection formed from the other numbers drawn.

In the Auto-Match window, after selecting the Start button, you are given the option of entering the bonus or wild card applicable to each selection.  For those selections for which you do enter the bonus or wild card number, it is compared only to the last number in the drawing to determine if there is any win connected with the bonus or wild card.  See the Auto-Match topic for details.  This is the only function in which the bonus or wild card is included in a selection (as opposed to a drawing) for this type of game.


With/Without Analysis
With/Without Analysis Window

»  Access

To access this function, select the Analysis option on the Main Menu, then the "With/Without Drawing Analysis" sub-option.

»  Function and Purpose

"How often, if at all, has the number 10 been drawn with the numbers 5 or 12 in the last 20 drawings?  Which numbers have not been drawn with the number 10 in the last 50 drawings?"  Those are the kinds of questions answered by the With/Without Analysis window.  (Note that "without" here refers to a number not appearing with another number.)

This window can be used for both one-number and lotto-type games, working with digits for one-number games and numbers for lotto-type games.  The terminology in the window (i.e. "digit" or "number") will change appropriately for either type of game.  Note also that, for lotto-type games, any bonus, wild card or power ball number included in the drawing is taken into account in this window.  In such cases, the note "Bonus included" appears in the upper right corner of the window as a reminder.

At the top of the window is shown the range of drawings to be analyzed and the number/digit to be analyzed.  To modify the range of drawings being analyzed, select the Change Drawing Range button.  See Resetting the Drawing Range.  In parentheses after the selected drawing range will be shown the total number of drawings within the selected range.

Use the drop-down list on the second line of the window to select the number/digit to be analyzed.  Note that you can either select a number/digit from the drop-down list or enter the desired number in the box at the top of the list.

Then, to begin the analysis, select the Begin Analysis button.  When the analysis is completed, the number of times that the number/digit being analyzed appeared within the selected range of drawings will appear after the down-down list.  Two boxes in the center of the window display the results of the analysis.

Numbers/Digits Drawn With the Number/Digit Being Analyzed (Times):  This box contains a list of the numbers/digits that were drawn in the same drawing with the number/digit being analyzed in any of the drawings within the selected range.  In parentheses following each number/digit is shown the number of times that the listed number/digit was drawn with the number/digit being analyzed in those drawings.  Note that numbers/digits will only be listed if the number/digit being analyzed was drawn at least once in a drawing within the selected range.  For example, if the number being analyzed is 10 and the "with" box's list includes "12 (2)", that means that the number 12 was drawn together with the number 10 twice.

One-Number Games:  Since a digit may be drawn more than once in any one-number drawing, here's how the parenthetical number representing the number of times drawn is arrived at.  For example, if the digit being analyzed is 1 and one drawing is 100, and no other drawings within the selected range have the 0 digit, the digit 0 would appear in the "with" list as "0 (2)", since two zeros appear with the digit 1.  If that drawing had been 110, the list would still include the entry "0 (2)", since the 0 would be counted with each appearance of the digit 1.  Note also that the "with" list will include the digit being analyzed if (and only if) the digit appears more than once in any drawing within the selected range.

Numbers/Digits Not Drawn With the Number/Digit Being Analyzed:  Numbers/digits listed in this box are those that do not appear in any drawing (within the selected range) together with the number/digit being analyzed.  For one-number games, the without list will include the digit being analyzed if it appears at least once but does not appear more than once in any drawing within the selected range.

Note:  If the number/digit being analyzed was not drawn within the selected range of drawings, a note to that effect will appear in both boxes and no numbers/digits will be displayed in either box.

"With" Number(s) to Scratch Pad Button:  Select this button to copy the numbers in the "with" list to the Numbers Pad in the Scratch Pad Window.  This button will only appear when the active game is a lotto game.

"Without" Number(s) to Scratch Pad Button:  Select this button to copy the numbers in the "without" box to the Numbers Pad in the Scratch Pad Window.    This button will only appear when the active game is a lotto game.

The results of each analysis can be easily confirmed as accurate or further analyzed by the appropriate use of the General Drawing Analysis function and the list All Drawings and List Selected Drawings functions in conjunction with the With/Without Analysis function.

When you are finished with the with/without analysis, select the Cancel button to close the window (or just press the Esc key).


Reduce Number of Drawings on File

»  Access and Purpose

To access this function, select the  Draws option on the Main Menu, then the "Reduce Number of Drawings On File" sub-option.

Previously, if an out-of-memory error occurred when you tried to list or edit the drawings on file for the active game, there was no way to reduce the number of drawings in the file.  Also, some functions run more slowly as the number of drawings on file increases.  This option is the solution for those problems.  (The amount of drawings that can be handled by the program in some function windows is dependent on the amount of available memory.  The overall limit on the number of drawings that may be kept on file is 32,767, regardless of the amount of available memory.)  As an example, one user encountered this problem after entering over 5,000 drawings for a one-number game, using a system with 4 MB of memory.

»  Procedure

When you select "Draws -- Reduce Number of Drawings On File" from the Main Menu, a dialog box  with an appropriate explanation will appear in which you can enter the number of drawings that you wish to have removed from the beginning of the drawings file for the active game.  The box will already contain a default number which represents 10% of the drawings on file.  If you accept the default number, or after entering your own desired number, press Enter or select the OK button.  If you change your mind and don't wish to delete any drawings, select the Cancel button or leave the box empty (or enter 0) and press Enter.

The number entered in the box must be numeric, not alphabetic, e.g. 16, not "sixteen".  If you enter anything other than a number, you will be reminded that a numeric entry is required and nothing will be deleted.  If you enter a number larger than the amount of drawings on file, you will be so advised and nothing will be deleted.  If you enter a number equal to or less than the number of drawings on file, you will be asked to confirm the number before any deletions occur.

Note:  When drawings are deleted in this way, they cannot be recovered.  You may want to make a backup copy of the drawing files before any deletions.

To avoid problems, keep any backup file of deleted drawings in a separate directory from other backup files.

See Also:  Edit (Change-Delete-Insert) Drawings

                     Backup Data Files


Backup Data Files

Retrieve Backup Data

Access and Purpose

Both the backup and retrieval options are included in the drop-down list below File on the Main Menu's menu bar.  It's always a good idea to keep backup copies of the data files (those with the extension '.DAT') in a directory other than the program directory.  Doing so enables you to recover from erroneously saved changes or to recover any data files that are accidentally deleted or overwritten for any reason, in either case by copying the appropriate backup file(s) to the program directory.  It's also a convenient way to archive old data files, such as drawing data from the distant past which has been deleted from the current file (see Reduce Number Of Drawings On File).

Backup

To make backup copies of one or more data files, select the 'Backup Data Files' option under File on the Main Menu.  You will be presented with a 'Backup Options' dialog window with two options:  Backup All Data Files and Backup Selected Data Files.  The primary difference between the option for backing up all data files and the option for backing up selected data files is that the selected-files option requires that the backup directory already exist, whereas the all-files option will create a directory for you if necessary.  (The selected-files option also permits selecting all files for backup.)  It is suggested that, the first time you backup data files, you should use the all-files option and then use that same directory for all future backups of either some or all of the data files.

1.  Backup All Data Files

If you want to backup all data files, enter 1 in the box at the bottom of the 'Backup Options' dialog window, or just press Enter or select the OK button, since 1 is the default response.

If you select option 1, you will be presented with the 'Backup Path' dialog window in which to identify the path for the directory where you want to store the backup data files.  The program will suggest a subdirectory named 'Backup' under the program directory.  To select that directory, just press Enter or select OK.  Otherwise, enter the desired path in the box at the bottom of the 'Backup Path' dialog window and then press Enter or select OK to begin the backup.  If the directory entered in the window does not already exist, you will be so advised and asked if you want to create it.  If you select OK, the directory will be created for you and the copying will be performed.

 If you change your mind at any time during this procedure, select any available Cancel button to abort the backup procedure.

2.  Backup Only Selected Data Files:

If you want to select one or more specific files for backup (including all of them if you wish), enter 2 in the box at the bottom of the 'Backup Options' dialog window, then press Enter or select OK.  If you do, the 'Backup Selected Data Files' window will appear.

The 'Source' directory in the 'Backup Selected Data Files' window will already be selected and will be the program directory.  You must then select the desired 'Destination' directory, using the 'Destination Drive' and 'Destination Directory' list boxes at the top of the window.  The source directory is the program directory where the current data files are stored.  The destination directory is the one where you want the backup data files to be stored.  If a subdirectory named 'Backup' exists below the program directory, it will already be selected as the destination directory when the window opens, but you can change it if you wish.

After selecting the destination drive and directory, select the file(s) that you want to back up.  All files with the '.DAT' extension in the program directory will be listed in the 'Source Files' list box.  Muilitple selections can be made.  If you wish to select all of the data files listed, use the Select button next to the caption 'All Files'.  To unselect all selected files, use the Unselect button.  To unselect a specific selected file, select it again and the highlight will be removed, i.e. it will be unselected.

After all desired data file selections are made in the 'Source Files' list, use the Backup button to copy them to the selected destination directory.

When you have finished making backups, or to abort the backup process, select the 'Cancel' button to close the window.

Note:  The 'Backup Selected Data Files' and 'Retrieve Backup Data' windows are very similar.  Be sure to note the window's title and to review the various captions in the window to insure that you are performing the desired task.

Retrieve Backup Data

To restore the backup data for one or more of the data files, select the 'Retrieve Backup Data' option under File on the Main Menu.  The 'Retrieve Backup Data' window will appear.  (See the 'Note' above.)

The 'Destination' directory in the window will already be selected and will be the program directory.  You must then select the desired 'Source' directory, using the 'Source Drive' and 'Source Directory' list boxes at the top of the window.  The destination directory is the program directory where the current data files are stored.  The source directory is the one where the backup data files to be retrieved are stored.  If a subdirectory named 'Backup' exists below the program directory, it will already be selected as the source directory when the window opens, but you can change it if you wish.

After selecting the source drive and directory, select the file(s) that you want to retrieve.  All files with the '.DAT' extension in the source directory will be listed in the 'Source Files' list box.  Muilitple selections can be made.  If you wish to select all of the data files listed, use the 'Select' button next to the caption 'All Files'.  To unselect all selected files, use the 'Unselect' button.  To unselect a specific selected file, select it again and the highlight will be removed, i.e. it will be unselected.

After all desired data file selections are made in the 'Source Files' list, use the 'Retrieve' button to copy them to the program (destination) directory.  Each selected backup data file from the source directory will overwrite a current data file with the same name in the program directory.

When you have finished retrieving backup data files, or to abort the retrieval process, select the Cancel button to close the window.

Data File Identification

The following are the types of data files that may be produced by WIN$EASY and the name used by each type:

Type of Data File                     File Name

Drawing Files                             Draw_.Dat

Selection FIles                           Select_.Dat

AutoMatch Files                         Match_.Dat

Scratch Pad Group Files        Sctchg_.Dat

Scratch Pad Numbers Files  Sctchn_.Dat

Names and dates for

     Numerology and Zodiac   Numer.Dat

The underline character ( _ ) in the above file names represents a number from 1 to 99, which is the number of the game  to which the data applies (the game's number is in parantheses after the game's name in the Game Selection and Configuration window).  For example, Draw12.Dat would have drawing data for game 12.

See also:  Set Alternate File Path

                     View Current File Paths