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L O T T O C H A L L E N G E R by John D. Lake _______ ____|__ | (tm) --| | |------------------- | ____|__ | Association of | | |_| Shareware |__| o | Professionals -----| | |--------------------- |___|___| MEMBER Copyright (C) 1989 All Rights Reserved Data Solutions 1529 Thistledown Drive Brandon, Florida 33510 (813) 684-0864 Version 3.4 Revised: February 11, 1990 Legal Rights and Issues: Data Solutions retains all rights of ownership of the product called Lotto Challenger under United States and International laws of commerce. Lotto Challenger is a copyright of Data Solutions. However Data Solutions hereby expressly authorizes the willful distribution of the enclosed software to other individuals as long as no fee is charged for the program. A duplication charge not to exceed $6.00 may be collected. Data Solutions does NOT authorize, nor waive, any other rights provided under the protection of copyright laws, and reserves the right to withdraw distribution rights at any future time. At such time, notice will be given. Lotto Challenger is a Shareware product. It is NOT a public domain or FreeWare program. Shareware means that you are given a specific period of time in which to use the product before you are required to register your copy. Thus, if you decide to continue using Lotto Challenger, we expect you to REGISTER your copy with Data Solutions. Payment of the $29.50 registration fee entitles you to the most recent version of Lotto Challenger, program support, a current state data file of your choice, and our regularly distributed newsletter. To print a registration form, press F9 at the Lotto Challenger main menu, and then press F10 at the closing screen. This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at P.O. Box 5786, Bellevue, WA 98006 or send a Compuserve message via easyplex to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536" Lotto Challenger is provided "as-is" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to any implied warranty of fitness or suitability for a particular purpose. Data Solutions shall not be liable or responsible to any person or entity for damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused directly, indirectly or consequently by the use of this program, it's documentation or it's output, specifically including but not limited to damage or loss resulting from games of chance. Hardware Requirements: Lotto Challenger requires an IBM-PC or compatible computer with a minimum of 256K of memory and either MS-DOS or PC-DOS 2.0 or higher. A color monitor, hard disk and printer is recommended but not required. Graphics capability is not required. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 - Introduction To Lotto Challenger Overview 1-1 Lotto Challenger System Files 1-4 Before Getting Started 1-4 Loading Lotto Challenger 1-5 Selecting A Menu Option 1-5 Chapter 2 - Update Lottery Data Overview 2-1 Add New Drawing 2-1 Modify Previous Drawing 2-2 Delete Previous Drawing 2-2 Chapter 3 - Drawing Statistics Overview 3-1 Drawing History 3-1 Number Frequency 3-1 Hot Numbers 3-2 Cold Numbers 3-2 Overdue Numbers 3-3 Drawing Summary 3-4 Chapter 4 - Quick Picks Overview 4-1 Total Numbers 4-1 1 To 12 Range 4-1 13 To 31 Range 4-1 32 To (Highest Number) Range 4-2 Remaining Picks 4-2 Cold Numbers 4-2 Overdue Numbers 4-3 Last Week's Draws 4-3 Hot Numbers 4-4 Favorite Numbers 4-4 Random Numbers 4-5 Chapter 5 - Number Systems Overview 5-1 Play A Number System 5-2 Edit A Number System 5-3 Chapter 6 - Winner's Circle Overview 6-1 Operation 6-1 Chapter 7 - History Mode Overview 7-1 Operation 7-1 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Chapter 8 - Configure New System Overview 8-1 Operation 8-1 Chapter 9 - Select Another Lottery Overview 9-1 Operation 9-1 CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION TO LOTTO CHALLENGER Overview: Lotto Challenger is a lottery number selection program that can be used with all Pick-5, Pick-6 and Pick-7 lotteries. Lotto Challenger is distributed with two Florida lottery data files; FLORIDA.DAT and FANTASY5.DAT. Even if you don't play the Florida lotteries, you can use these files to evaluate and learn how to use Lotto Challenger. Of course you can type in the previously drawn numbers from your own lottery if you wish. The program can easily be configured for any other state lottery. The number of different state data files is limited only by the size of your hard disk or the number of floppies you have available. A current state data file of your choice is mailed to you at no charge when you register. From the beginning, Lotto Challenger was designed with you, the user in mind. All program functions are menu driven and easy to use. Menu options are selected by using either the keyboard or a mouse. Screens that require data entry prompt the user every step of the way and will not allow incorrect information to be entered. A pop-up help window is always available which shows the various editing commands when entering data. Function key commands are consistent throughout the program and are always displayed at the bottom of the screen. Using statistical analysis, Lotto Challenger analyzes the numbers drawn in previous drawings. Numbers are broken down into several categories; Hot, Cold, Overdue and Last Drawing. Averages and percentages are calculated from all previous drawings for all the categories. For example, numbers picked in the Hot numbers category might average 3.0 for all the previous drawings. In a Pick-6 game, this means that for every six numbers drawn, three (50%) of the numbers will be Hot numbers. On a week to week basis, you will find that the number of numbers drawn in each category is very close to the average calculated. Lotto Challenger also divides the numbers into three other categories; 1 to 12, 13 to 31, and 32 and up. Averages and percentages are calculated from all the previous drawings for these categories also. For example, in a Pick-6 lotto game, numbers picked in the 13 to 31 range might be drawn 33% of the time (2 out of 6 numbers). 1-1 Statistics have proven that if you use a high percentage of the numbers in the range 32 and up, you will win much larger prizes than if you play using a high percentage of the lower numbers. This is because most of the people playing the lottery use birth dates, anniversary dates, etc. to pick their numbers. This of course limits their numbers to the range 31 and below. If you win using the higher numbers, you have fewer people to split the prize with, and thus will win a larger prize. If you wish, Lotto Challenger will pick your numbers based on the percentages calculated for all the categories. This guarantees that the numbers you play are consistent with the percentages from previous drawings. You only have to tell the program how many numbers you want to play; Lotto Challenger does the rest. If you tell "Quick Picks" that you want 10 numbers, the program determines how many numbers to pick from each of the three ranges (1-12, 13-31, 32&up). It then picks your numbers from the four categories (Hot, Cold, Overdue, and Last) based on the percentages calculated. These numbers can be saved and used with one of the 60 Lotto number systems included with this package. To understand Lotto number systems, compare the concept with a hunter who is about to hunt a partridge. As the hunter approaches, the entire flock of birds will fly up. What will he do? Obviously, he will not use a rifle capable of shooting only one single bullet that he hopes will get a single bird. He will use a shotgun capable of shooting twenty or fifty pellets. This way he will be able to hit as many as six partridges with a single shot. Playing the lottery is a very similar concept. If you want to play successfully, you must use number systems to enhance your chances of winning. If you think about the fact that you are playing six or seven numbers on one ticket, you should under- stand that it would take an absolute miracle to guess the winning numbers correctly. Such luck happens very seldom. Therefore, it is very important to use a number system, because, the more numbers you use in the system, the greater your chances of winning. Lotto Challenger has 60 number systems that can be used with all Pick-5, Pick-6 and Pick-7 Lotto games (20 systems for each game). These systems range from 9 numbers to 28 numbers. If you don't want to use these systems, Lotto Challenger allows you to enter up to 60 number systems of your own. 1-2 We suggest that for the first few weeks you play several systems without buying any tickets. Keep a record of the number of winning tickets for each system. This will tell you which system(s) work best for your lottery. You can also use the "History Mode" menu option to set time back a certain number of drawings. This allows you to test numbers systems using statistical data from a month, two months or a year ago. Playing several systems each week is fast and easy with Lotto Challenger. The program automatically picks your numbers, enters them into the system of your choice, and then checks the resulting tickets for winners each week. A typical weekly routine is as follows: A. Use the "Drawing Statistics" menu option if you wish to display or print the drawing statistics. Select the "Drawing Summary" option if you want Quick Picks to determine how many numbers to pick from each category. B. Use the "Quick Picks" menu option to generate the numbers you will play this week, based on previous drawing statistics. C. Use the "Number Systems" menu option to select the number system you will play. The program substitutes the numbers saved in "Quick Picks" with the numbers in the number system. You save and print the resulting tickets. D. Use the "Update Lottery Data" menu option to enter the numbers that are drawn in the next drawing. E. Use the "Winner's Circle" menu option to compare the numbers on your tickets to the numbers drawn. Refer to Chapters 1 to 6 for more information on the above functions. 1-3 Lotto Challenger System Files: FANTASY5.DAT * Florida Fantasy 5 data file (Pick-5 game) FLORIDA.DAT * Florida lottery data file LC.CFG ** Lotto Challenger configuration file LC.DOC This documentation file LC.EXE *** Lotto Challenger program and overlay file README.1ST Be sure to read this file first WHEEL5.SYS **** 20 number systems for Pick-5 lottery games WHEEL6.SYS **** 20 number systems for Pick-6 lottery games WHEEL7.SYS **** 20 number systems for Pick-7 lottery games NOTE: * At least one state data file (a file with a extension of "DAT") must be present in order to use Lotto Challenger. If there are no data files in the logged drive, you are asked to enter the configuration information for your state lottery. The program then creates a data file for your state. ** If you wish to change the number of drawings that Lotto Challenger uses to determine if a number is Hot, Cold or Overdue, delete this file prior to loading Lotto Challenger. At the title screen you will then be prompted to enter the number of drawings. The default number of drawings is 10. For example, if you enter the number 5, then Hot numbers are any numbers which have been drawn at least once in the past 5 drawings, and Cold numbers are numbers which have not been drawn in the last 5 drawings. *** If you are using Lotto Challenger from a diskette, it is very important that the diskette containing the file LC.EXE remain in the logged drive. This file contains program overlays for the various menu selections. **** At least one of these SYS files must be present in order to use the "Number Systems" menu option. If you are only playing a Pick-6 state lotto game, there is no need for the files WHEEL5.SYS or WHEEL7.SYS. Before Getting Started: We suggest that you make a backup copy of all the files in this package before using the program. Store the backup copy in a safe place. 1-4 Loading Lotto Challenger: If you load Lotto Challenger from a diskette, be sure that the DOS prompt shows the correct drive (usually "A>" or "B>") before attempting the load the program. If you load Lotto Challenger from a Hard drive, be sure to change the default directory to the subdirectory where the Lotto Challenger files are located. To load Lotto Challenger, type "LC" at the DOS prompt and press the ENTER key. After the title screen appears, press any key to continue. What happens next depends on how many state data files you have. If you have more than one data file, a window appears on the screen with the names of all the files. Select the name you want to play by using the arrow keys to highlight the name and press the ENTER key. The Lotto Challenger main menu is then displayed. If you only have one data file, the Lotto Challenger main menu is displayed after pressing any key at the title screen. If there are no data files present after pressing any key at the title screen, the Configuration screen is displayed. You must complete the Configuration screen with information about your state lottery before you can continue. Refer to Chapter 8, "Configure New System," for more information. After pressing "End" to update the configuration screen, the Lotto Challenger main menu is displayed. Selecting A Menu Option: There are three ways you can select a menu option from the Lotto Challenger main menu: 1. Press the appropriate function key. 2. Highlight the option you want using the up or down arrow keys and press the Enter key. 3. Highlight the option you want using a mouse and press the left mouse button. In order to use a mouse, you must load your mouse driver before loading Lotto Challenger. To exit Lotto Challenger, select the "Quit" option from the main menu. NOTE: It is important to always use the "Quit" option before turning off your computer. Failure to do so could result in lost or corrupted data. 1-5 CHAPTER 2 - UPDATE LOTTERY DATA Overview: The "Update Lottery Data" option is activated by pressing the F1 key from the Lotto Challenger main menu. The options available from the Update menu are "Add New Drawing", "Modify Previous Drawing", "Delete Previous Drawing" and "Quit". Select the "Add New Drawing" option to initially enter all the numbers from previous drawings for your state, or to enter the winning numbers each week as they are drawn. Users who register receive a current state data file of their choice, making it unnecessary to key in numbers from previous drawings. You should update your state data file each week with the week's winning numbers before using the function "Winner's Circle" (F5 from the main menu) to check for winning tickets. The "Modify Previous Drawing" option is used to modify previous drawing information in the event that you enter incorrect data. Use the "Delete Previous Drawing" option to delete a drawing in the event that you enter duplicate drawings or wish to delete some of the older drawings. Select the "Quit" option to return to the Lotto Challenger main menu. Add New Drawing: The "Add New Drawing" function is activated by selecting option 1 from the Update menu. The "Add New Drawing" window appears with the cursor positioned in the "Drawing Date" field. Valid command keys are displayed at the bottom of the screen. Enter the drawing date you wish to add in the format "month/day/year" (09/19/89). A message at the bottom of the window tells you what to enter as you move from field to field. After entering the drawing date, enter the numbers drawn for that date. If you try to enter anything other than a number in any of the fields in this window, the program will not accept your input. Pressing the F1 key will display a help window with all the editing keys which are available while you are entering data. Press any key to clear the help window. When you have entered all the information and are satisfied that it is correct, press the END key (usually located on the "1" key on your numeric keypad) to save the information. A window at the bottom of the screen informs you that the drawing has been added and to press any key to continue. After you press any key, the "Add New Drawing" window clears so that you can enter another drawing. If there are no more drawings to enter, press the ESC key to return to the Update menu. 2-1 Modify Previous Drawing: The "Modify Previous Drawing" function is activated by selecting option 2 from the Update menu. The "Modify Drawing" window appears at the top of screen. Below this window another window asks you to enter the drawing date you wish to modify. Valid command keys are displayed at the bottom of the screen. Enter the date in the format "month/day/year" and press the ENTER key. If the date does not exist in the data file, a window appears informing you the drawing date was not found and to press any key. If the date entered exists in the data file, the date and the numbers previously entered for that date are displayed in the "Modify Drawing" window. Use the TAB key or the arrow keys to position the cursor on the number(s) you wish to change and type the correct number(s). Pressing the F1 key displays a help window with the editing keys that can be used. Press any key to clear the help window. When all the modifications have been made, press the END key to save the information. A window at the bottom of the screen informs you that the drawing has been modified and to press any key to continue. After pressing any key, the "Modify Drawing" window clears and you are prompted to enter another drawing date to modify. If there are no other drawings to modify, press the ESC key to return to the Update menu. Delete Previous Drawing: The "Delete Previous Drawing" function is activated by selecting option 3 from the Update menu. The "Delete Drawing" window appears at the top of screen. Below this window another window asks you to enter the drawing date you wish to delete. Valid command keys are displayed at the bottom of the screen. Enter the date in the format "month/day/year" and press the ENTER key. If the date does not exist in the data file, a window appears informing you the drawing date was not found and to press any key. If the date entered exists in the data file, the drawing information is displayed in the "Delete Drawing" window and you are asked if you wish to continue with the deletion. Type "y" and press the ENTER key to delete the drawing or type "n" and press ENTER to cancel the deletion. If you type "y", you are informed that the drawing has been deleted and to press any key to continue. After pressing any key, the "Delete Drawing" window clears and you are prompted to enter another drawing date to delete. If there are no other drawings to delete, press the ESC key to return to the Update menu. 2-2 CHAPTER 3 - DRAWING STATISTICS Overview: The "Drawing Statistics" option is activated by pressing the F2 key from the Lotto Challenger main menu. The options available from the Statistics menu are "Drawing History", "Number Frequency", "Hot Numbers", "Cold Numbers", Overdue Numbers", "Drawing Summary" and "Quit". A window at the bottom of the screen displays the number of drawings in the data file, the date of the last drawing and whether History mode is on or off. Refer to Chapter 7 for more information on History mode. After selecting any of the Statistics menu options, you can press the ESC key to return to the Statistics menu. If an option contains more than one screen full of information, press any key to continue to the next screen. Press the F10 key to print the information for that option. If an option contains more than one screen of information, it is not necessary to scan through all the screens before pressing F10. Valid command keys are always displayed in a window at the bottom of the screen. Select the "Quit" option from the Statistics menu to return to the Lotto Challenger main menu. Drawing History: Select the "Drawing History" option to display and/or print all the drawings previously entered for your state lottery. The drawings are displayed in ascending order from the oldest drawing to the most recent drawing. If History mode is on, the last drawing date displayed is the most recent drawing date minus the number of drawings entered to go back in history . Refer to Chapter 7 for more information on History mode. This option is useful for checking the numbers previously entered into the data file for accuracy. If a mistake is found, use the "Modify Drawing" or "Delete Drawing" option on the Update menu (Chapter 2) to correct it. Number Frequency: Select the "Number Frequency" option to display and/or print how many times each number has been drawn, and the last date each number was drawn. 3-1 Number Frequency (Continued): The numbers are displayed starting with the number which has been drawn the most down to the number which has been drawn the least. If History mode is on, the frequency displayed for each number is for all drawings up to that date in history. If an asterisk precedes a number, it indicates the number was drawn in the last drawing. This option is useful for determining what numbers are the most active, as well as what numbers are sleepers. For example, the Number Frequency chart for the Florida Lottery currently shows that the number 27 has been drawn the most (17 times), while the number 32 has been drawn the least (4 times) in the past 86 drawings. Hot Numbers: Select the "Hot Numbers" option to display and/or print the numbers which are currently Hot. Hot numbers are displayed starting with the Hot numbers which have been drawn the most, down to the Hot numbers which have been drawn the least. Lotto Challenger considers a number to be Hot if it has been drawn at least once in the past 10 drawings (default). If you wish to change this default, delete the file LC.CFG. Refer to Chapter 1 for more information. If History mode is on, then Hot numbers are numbers which were drawn at least once in the 10 drawings prior to the date history is set to. This option is useful for determining which numbers are currently the most active. If a number is Hot, there is a very good chance that the number will be drawn again soon. If you analyze the drawing statistics, you will find that Hot numbers usually account for the majority of the numbers drawn in any particular drawing. Cold Numbers: Select the "Cold Numbers" option to display and/or print the numbers which are currently Cold. Cold numbers are displayed starting with Cold numbers which have not been drawn for the longest period of time. 3-2 Cold Numbers (Continued): Lotto Challenger considers a number to be Cold if it has not been drawn in the last 10 drawings (default) and if the number is not Overdue. A number is considered to be Overdue if it has not been drawn in the last 10 drawings (default) and if the number is in the upper 25% of the number frequency list. For example, in the Florida Lottery the number 27 has currently been drawn the most (17 times). Overdue numbers are then any numbers which have not been drawn in the past 10 drawings and have been drawn 13 or more times (75% of 17). If History mode is on, then Cold numbers are numbers which have not been drawn in the 10 drawings prior to the date history is set to (if the numbers are not Overdue as of that date). This option is useful for determining which numbers are currently the least active. While Cold numbers aren't usually drawn as often as Hot numbers, there are almost always one or two Cold numbers in every drawing. It is important to be aware of these numbers and to include some of them in each game you play. Overdue Numbers: Select the "Overdue Numbers" option to display and/or print the numbers which are currently Overdue. Overdue numbers are displayed starting with Overdue numbers which have not been drawn for the longest period of time. Lotto Challenger considers a number to be Overdue if it has not been drawn in the last 10 drawings (default), and if the number is in the upper 25% of the number frequency list. For example, in the Florida Lottery the number 27 has currently been drawn the most (17 times). Overdue numbers are then any numbers which have not been drawn in the last 10 drawings and have been drawn 13 or more times (75% of 17). If History mode is on, then Overdue numbers are numbers which have not been drawn in the 10 drawings prior to the date history is set to, and are in the upper 25% of the number frequency list. This option is useful for determining which numbers are currently inactive, but in the past showed above average activity. It is important to be aware of Overdue numbers and to include a few of them in each game you play. 3-3 Drawing Summary: Select the "Drawing Summary" option to display and/or print a breakdown of all the categories for all previous drawings. Each drawing date is listed with the number of times numbers occurred in the Hot, Last, Cold and Overdue categories. Each drawing date also has a breakdown of how many numbers were drawn in the ranges 1 to 12, 13 to 31, and 32 and up. The drawings are displayed from the oldest drawing to the most current drawing. If History mode is on, the summary includes only drawings up to and including the date that history is set to. An average and a percentage is shown for each of the categories at the end of the summary. For example, the average for all drawings for the category "Hot numbers" might be 3.4 and the percentage might be 56.4. This means that in a Pick-6 game, 3.4 of every 6 numbers drawn have been Hot numbers. If you play a number system which uses 18 numbers, 56.4% of the numbers you play should be numbers which are currently Hot. If numbers in the 1 to 12 range average 1.3 draws per game or 22.1%, and 18 numbers are used, 22.1% of the numbers you play should be in the 1 to 12 range. The "Drawing Summary" option is a valuable tool when it comes to picking the numbers you are going to play. By using the the drawing summary, you are assured that the numbers you pick are consistent with previous drawing statistics. When you pick your numbers in this manner, and then use one of the number systems, you dramatically increase your chances of winning. Use the "Quick Picks" option, described in the next chapter, to pick the numbers you will play. If you select the "Drawing Summary" option prior to selecting "Quick Picks" option, the program automatically picks your numbers based upon the summary statistics. You only have to tell "Quick Picks" how many numbers you wish to play. 3-4 CHAPTER 4 - QUICK PICKS Overview: The "Quick Picks" option is activated by pressing the F3 key from the Lotto Challenger main menu. A window at the bottom of the screen displays valid command keys, the date of the last drawing and whether History mode is on or off. A message window at the bottom of the "Quick Picks" window displays information on what to enter as you move from field to field. If you select the "Drawing Summary" option from the "Drawing Statistics" menu prior to selecting the "Quick Picks" option, Quick Picks will automatically calculate how many numbers to select from each category. You only have to tell Quick Picks how many numbers you want to play. See Chapter 3 for more information on the "Drawing Summary" option and an explanation of the different categories. Total Numbers: Enter how many numbers you want to pick and press the ENTER key. The number of numbers you pick is usually dependent upon the number system you plan to use. If you plan to use a number system that contains 18 numbers, then you should enter 18 in this field. 1 to 12 Range: If you selected the "Drawing Summary" option prior to selecting Quick Picks, this field automatically displays the number of numbers to select in the 1 to 12 range. Press the ENTER key to accept the number displayed. If you didn't select the "Drawing Summary" option, or if you wish to change what is currently displayed, enter the number of numbers in the 1 to 12 range you wish to pick and press the ENTER key. 13 to 31 Range: If you selected the "Drawing Summary" option prior to selecting Quick Picks, this field automatically displays the number of numbers to select in the 13 to 31 range. Press the ENTER key to accept the number displayed. If you didn't select the "Drawing Summary" option, or if you wish to change what is currently displayed, enter the number of numbers in the 13 to 31 range you wish to pick and press the ENTER key. 4-1 32 to and Up Range: It is not necessary to enter the number for this range because the program automatically calculates it by subtracting the numbers entered for the 1 to 12 range and the 13 to 31 range from the total numbers entered. Remaining Picks: The Remaining Picks field displays the number of numbers yet to be picked. Initially this field contains the number entered in the "Total Numbers" field. Each time a number is picked from the categories below, this field is decreased by one. When Remaining Picks is zero, you are asked if you want to save the numbers you have picked (y/n). If you answer "n", you are returned to the Lotto Challenger main menu. If you answer "y", you are asked to enter a name for your pick file. Enter a name up to eight characters long and press the ENTER key. The program automatically adds the extension ".PIK" to the name you enter. For example, if you type the name FLORIDA, the full filename will be FLORIDA.PIK. Cold Numbers: If you selected the "Drawing Summary" option prior to selecting Quick Picks, this field automatically displays the number of Cold numbers to select. Press the ENTER key to accept the number displayed. If you didn't select the "Drawing Summary" option, or if you wish to change what is currently displayed, enter the number of Cold numbers you wish to pick and press the ENTER key. The program randomly picks from the numbers that are currently "Cold" until it picks the number of Cold numbers entered. The numbers picked are displayed to the right of the "Cold Numbers" field, as well as to the right of the three range fields above. For example, if the number 15 is picked, it is displayed to the right of the "Cold Numbers" field, and also to the right of the "13 to 31 Range" field. If the number entered in the "Cold Numbers" field is greater than the number of numbers that are currently Cold, the program changes the number entered to the number of Cold numbers that are actually available. You must make up the difference using one of the other categories. The Cold numbers that are picked cannot exceed any of the numbers entered for the three different ranges. For example, if you enter "3" for the "1 to 12 Range", there cannot be more than 3 Cold numbers picked in this range. 4-2 Overdue Numbers: If you selected the "Drawing Summary" option prior to selecting Quick Picks, this field automatically displays the number of Overdue numbers to select. Press the ENTER key to accept the number displayed. If you didn't select the "Drawing Summary" option, or if you wish to change what is currently displayed, enter the number of Overdue numbers you wish to pick and press the ENTER key. The program randomly picks from the numbers that are currently "Overdue" until it picks the number of Overdue numbers entered. The numbers picked are displayed to the right of the "Overdue Numbers" field, as well as to the right of the three range fields above. For example, if the number 20 is picked, it is displayed to the right of the "Overdue Numbers" field and also to the right of the "13 to 31 Range" field. If the number entered in the "Overdue Numbers" field is greater than the number of numbers that are currently Overdue, the program changes the number entered to the number of Overdue numbers that are actually available. You must make up the difference in one of the other categories. The Overdue numbers that are picked cannot exceed any of the numbers entered for the three different ranges. For example, if you enter "5" in the "13 to 31 Range" field, there cannot be more than 5 Overdue numbers picked in this range. Last Weeks Draws: If you selected the "Drawing Summary" option prior to selecting Quick Picks, this field automatically displays the number of Last Week's numbers to select. Press the ENTER key to accept the number displayed. If you didn't select the "Drawing Summary" option, or if you wish to change what is currently displayed, enter the number of Last Week's numbers you wish to pick and press the ENTER key. The program randomly picks from Last Week's numbers until it picks the number of numbers entered. The numbers picked are displayed to the right of the "Last Week's Draws" field, as well as to the right of the three range fields. For example, if the number 3 is picked, it is displayed to the right of the "Last Week's Draws" field and also to the right of the "1 to 12 Range" field. You cannot enter a number in the "Last Week's Draws" field that is larger than the number of numbers drawn in your lottery. The numbers that are picked cannot exceed any of the numbers entered for the three different ranges. 4-3 Hot Numbers: If you selected the "Drawing Summary" option prior to selecting Quick Picks, this field automatically displays the number of Hot numbers to select. Press the ENTER key to accept the number displayed. If you didn't select the "Drawing Summary" option, or if you wish to change what is currently displayed, enter the number of Hot numbers you wish to pick and press the ENTER key. The program randomly picks from the numbers that are currently "Hot" until it picks the number of Hot numbers entered. The numbers picked are displayed to the right of the "Hot Numbers" field, as well as to the right of the three range fields. For example, if the number 25 is picked, it is displayed to the right of the "Hot Numbers" field and also to the right of the "13 to 31 Range" field. If the number you enter in the "Hot Numbers" field is greater than the number of numbers that are currently Hot, the program changes the number entered to the number of Hot numbers that are actually available. You must make up the difference in one of the other categories. The Hot numbers that are picked cannot exceed any of the numbers entered for the three different ranges. For example, if you enter "10" in the "1 to 12 Range" field, there cannot be more than 10 Hot numbers picked in this range. Favorite Numbers: Enter how many Favorite numbers you wish to include with your other picks and press the ENTER key. You are then asked to enter your Favorite numbers. Type in each number and press the ENTER key. The numbers are displayed to the right of the "Favorite Numbers" field, as well as to the right of the three range fields. For example, if you enter the number 30, it is displayed to the right of the "Favorite Numbers" field and also to the right of the "13 to 31 Range" field. The Favorite numbers that you enter cannot exceed any of the numbers entered for the three different ranges. For example, if you enter "3" in the "1 to 12 Range" field and three numbers have already been picked in this range, you are not allowed to enter a Favorite number in this range. You also are not allowed to enter a number which has already been picked in one of the other categories. 4-4 Random Numbers: Enter how many Random numbers you wish to include with your other picks and press the ENTER key. Numbers are then picked at random from any of the above categories. The numbers are displayed to the right of the "Random Numbers" field, as well as to the right of the three range fields. For example, if the number 10 is picked, it is displayed to the right of the "Random Numbers" field and also to the right of the "1 to 12 Range" field. The Random numbers that are picked cannot exceed any of the numbers entered for the three different ranges. For example, if you enter "5" in the "13 to 31 Range" field and five numbers have already been picked in this range, none of the Random numbers picked can be in this range. Numbers that have already been picked in one of the other categories cannot be picked again. 4-5 CHAPTER 5 - NUMBER SYSTEMS Overview: The "Number Systems" option is activated by pressing the F4 key from the Lotto Challenger main menu. The options available from the Number Systems menu are "Play A Number System", "Edit A Number System" and "Quit". Select "Quit" to return to the Lotto Challenger main menu. Select the "Play A Number System" option to play one of the 20 number systems provided for Pick-5, Pick-6 and Pick-7 games. Prior to selecting this option, you must first use the Quick Picks option from the Lotto Challenger main menu to create at least one ".PIk" file with the numbers you are going to play. See Chapter 4 for more information on the Quick Picks option. Select the "Edit A Number System" option to edit any of the 20 existing number systems, or to create your own systems. There are many books available with a variety of number systems you may want to try. One book we highly recommend is "The Only Way To Win At Lotto", written by Robert Serotic and published by Lottery Systems International Publishing. The following system is one of the number systems that is provided for Pick-6 games. It uses 10 numbers which are played in 15 tickets. The system guarantees that if the 6 numbers drawn are in the 10 numbers you play, you will win at least second prize (5 out of 6). This is how the system looks after it has been entered using the "Edit A Number System" option from the Number Systems menu: 01. 01 02 03 04 05 06 02. 01 02 03 07 08 09 03. 01 02 04 06 09 10 04. 01 02 06 07 08 10 05. 01 03 04 05 07 10 06. 01 03 04 08 09 10 07. 01 05 06 07 08 09 08. 01 05 06 08 09 10 09. 02 03 04 05 07 08 10. 02 03 05 06 08 10 11. 02 03 05 07 09 10 12. 02 04 05 07 08 09 13. 02 04 05 07 08 10 14. 03 04 06 07 08 09 15. 03 04 06 07 09 10 You then select the "Play A Number System" option from the Number Systems menu, and choose to play the above system. You are then asked to select a ".PIK" file which you previously saved using the "Quick Picks" option. 5-1 Overview (Continued): Let's say that the ".PIK" file you select contains the following ten numbers: 12, 15, 20, 23, 28, 30, 34, 39, 43 and 49. The program takes the numbers from the ".PIK" file and substitutes them into the above system based on their order. The number 1 is replaced with the number 12, the number 2 is replaced with the number 15, etc. When all your numbers have been substituted into the system, it looks like this: 01. 12 15 20 23 28 30 02. 12 15 20 34 39 43 03. 12 15 23 30 43 49 04. 12 15 30 34 39 49 05. 12 20 23 28 34 49 06. 12 20 23 39 43 49 07. 12 28 30 34 39 43 08. 12 28 30 39 43 49 09. 15 20 23 28 34 39 10. 15 20 28 30 39 49 11. 15 20 28 34 43 49 12. 15 23 28 34 39 43 13. 15 23 28 34 39 49 14. 20 23 30 34 39 43 15. 20 23 30 34 43 49 These 15 sets of numbers are what you use when you buy your tickets. You can print them and/or save them to a ticket file (a file with the extension ".TIK"). This file is used by the "Winner's Circle" option when it compares the numbers drawn to your tickets. See Chapter 6 for more information on the "Winner's Circle" option. Play A Number System: Select the "Play A Number System" option to play one of the 20 number systems provided. Prior to selecting this option you must save at least one ".PIK" file with the "Quick Picks" option. Select a system by either using the arrow keys to highlight the system name and press ENTER, or type the letter preceding the system name. Select "Quit" to return to the Number Systems menu. After you select a number system, a window is displayed with the names of all the ".PIK" files you have saved. Highlight the name of the file you wish to play using the arrow keys and press the ENTER key. Press the ESC key to cancel and return to the Number Systems menu. If you attempt to select a ".PIK" file with fewer numbers than the system you have chosen, you are not allowed to continue. The file must contain at least as many numbers as the number of numbers in the system. 5-2 Play A Number System (Continued): After you have selected a ".PIK" file, the program substitutes the numbers in the system with the numbers in your file. The resulting tickets are displayed on the screen. Valid command keys are displayed in a window at the bottom of the screen. If there is more than one screen of tickets, press any key other than a command key to display the next screen. It is not necessary to display all the screens prior to saving or printing the tickets. Press the ESC key to cancel and return to the Number Systems menu. Press the F8 key to save and print the tickets displayed. Make sure your printer is ready before selecting this option. You are asked to enter a ticket filename. The default filename is the filename used for the ".PIK" file you selected. You can use this name or type in a different name. The extension ".TIK" is automatically added to the name. This file is used by the "Winner's Circle" option to compare your tickets to the numbers drawn that week. Press the F9 key to save the tickets without printing. Press the F10 key to print the tickets without saving. Edit A Number System: Select the "Edit A Number System" option to edit one of the 20 number systems provided, or to enter your own system(s). Select a system to edit by either using the arrow keys to highlight the system name and press the ENTER key, or type the letter preceding the system name. Select "Quit" to return to the Number Systems menu. After you select a number system to edit, you are asked to enter the number of tickets for the system. Enter a number between 1 and 120 for Pick-5 and Pick-6 games, or a number between 1 and 100 for Pick-7 games. Next enter how many numbers you wish to use (wheel) in this system. Enter a number between 1 and 49. You are then asked to enter the number system description on the next three lines. A system description might be "First prize - Jackpot (6 out of 6) is guaranteed if 6 winning numbers are guessed correctly." After you have entered the description, press the END key to update the information, or press the ESC key to cancel and return to the Number Systems menu. After you press the END key, the screen clears and you are asked to enter the numbers for each of the tickets (See the example in the Overview). Type in the numbers and press the ENTER key to go to the next ticket. Press the ESC key to cancel and return to the Number Systems menu. 5-3 Edit A Number System (Continued): When you have completed all the tickets, press the END key to save the number system. The number of numbers and tickets in the system determines the name the system is given. For example, a system with 10 numbers and 15 tickets is given the name "10 NUMBERS, 015 TICKETS". 5-4 CHAPTER 6 - WINNER'S CIRCLE Overview: The "Winner's Circle" option is activated by pressing the F5 key from the Lotto Challenger main menu. Winner's Circle is used to compare the tickets saved using the "Play A Number System" option against the winning numbers drawn for the week. See Chapter 5 for more information on Number Systems. Prior to selecting this option, you must save at least one ticket file (extension ".TIK") using the "Play A Number System" option. You also must enter the week's winning numbers using the "Add New Drawing" option from the Update menu. Refer to Chapter 2 for information on this option. Operation: After you select the "Winner's Circle" option, the names of all the ticket files (extension ".TIK") are displayed in a window. Use the arrow keys to highlight the filename you wish to compare and press the ENTER key. The screen clears and the tickets for the file that you select are displayed. To the right of each ticket in parentheses is the number of numbers in that ticket that match this week's numbers. Valid command keys are displayed in a window at the bottom of the screen, as well as the winning numbers for the week. Press the ESC key to cancel and return to the Lotto Challenger main menu. Press the F10 key to print the ticket information. It is not necessary to scan through all the screens before printing. Press any other key to go to the next screen. If there is more than one screen of tickets, the second screen of tickets is displayed. If not, the ticket summary screen is displayed. The summary screen gives you a breakdown of how many tickets had 0 matches, 1 match, 2 matches, 3 matches, etc. Press the ESC key to return to the Lotto Challenger main menu. 6-1 CHAPTER 7 - HISTORY MODE Overview: "History Mode" is activated by pressing the F6 key from the Lotto Challenger main menu. History mode is used to set time back time a certain number of drawings. Once History mode has been set, all the main menu functions except the "Update Lottery Data" option base their calculations on the drawings up to the date history is set to. History mode is very useful for testing number systems on previous drawings to see how well a system does over a period of time. For example, if you wanted to test how well a particular number system would have done ten drawings ago, you first set History mode to -10 drawings. Next you select the "Drawing Summary" option in the Drawing Statistics menu to get a summary of the drawings up to that date. You then select the "Quick Picks" option to automatically pick the numbers for your number system based on the summary statistics. Select the "Play A Number System" option from the Number Systems menu to substitute the numbers picked in "Quick Picks" into the system you are testing. Next choose "History Mode" and set history to -9 drawings. Finally select the "Winner's Circle" option to compare the tickets from your number system to the numbers picked in the next drawing. Operation: After you select the "History Mode" option, you are asked to enter the number of drawings to go back. History is initially set to 0 or off. Enter a number from 1 to the number of drawings currently on file to turn History on. To turn history off, select "History Mode" and enter a "0". As an example, let's say that there are 70 drawings currently on file and the last drawing date is 09/02/89. You select "History Mode" and enter a "1" and press ENTER. The bottom of the screen now shows 69 drawings on file, and the last drawing date as 08/26/89. An indicator at the bottom of the screen shows "History On (-1)". To return to the present, select "History Mode" again and enter a "0" and press ENTER. 7-1 CHAPTER 8 - CONFIGURE NEW SYSTEM Overview: The "Configure New System" option is activated by pressing the F7 key from the Lotto Challenger main menu. Select this option whenever you wish to create a new state lottery data file. The number of data files allowed is limited only by the amount of disk space available. All data files have an extension of ".DAT". This option is automatically displayed if you attempt to load Lotto Challenger with no data files present. Operation: After you select the "Configure New System" option, the screen clears and the Lottery Configuration window appears. The valid command keys are displayed at the bottom of the screen. Press the ESC key to cancel and return to the Lotto Challenger main menu. You must answer four questions concerning your lottery before you can create a data file. First enter the name of the lottery you are playing. The name can be up to eight characters long. The extension ".DAT" is automatically added to whatever name you enter. Next enter the highest number that can be drawn in the lottery you are playing. For example, in the Florida lottery, the highest number that can be drawn is the number 49. You are then asked if your lottery has a Bonus number (Y/N). Answer with a "Y" if your lottery has a Bonus number and you wish to include it in the statistical analysis. Finally, enter the total numbers that are drawn each week in your lottery. In the Florida lottery, there are 6 numbers drawn each week. If you answered "Y" to the question concerning Bonus numbers, be sure to include the Bonus number in your total. For example, the New York lottery has 6 regular numbers and 1 Bonus number. In this case, you should enter 7 for the total numbers drawn. After you answer all four questions, press the END key to create the data file. If you enter a filename which already exists, a window appears warning you that if you continue, all existing data in the data file will be erased. You are asked if you wish to continue (y/n). If you answer "y", the existing file is erased and a new file is created. 8-1 CHAPTER 9 - SELECT ANOTHER LOTTERY Overview: The "Select Another Lottery" option is activated by pressing the F8 key from the Lotto Challenger main menu. Select this option if you play more than one lottery and wish to change lotteries without exiting the program. Operation: After you choose the "Select Another Lottery" option, the screen clears and a window appears with all the data filenames. These files all have the extension ".DAT". If there are more data files than can be displayed in the window, use the PAGE DOWN or PAGE UP keys to scroll through the files. Press the ESC key to cancel and return to the Lotto Challenger main menu. Highlight the name of the data file you wish to use and press the ENTER key. The Lotto Challenger main menu is then displayed with the name of the data file you just chose. The bottom of the screen displays the number of drawings on file, the date of the last drawing, and whether History is on or off. History mode is automatically set to off whenever you select another lottery. 9-1