What's the method to your Powerball madness?

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Sometimes, it's better to be lucky than good. The familiar phrase is especially true when an estimated $550 million are on the line. That's the estimated Powerball jackpot Wednesday night.
    
There are a lot of different strategies for winning. More often than not, it seems people are letting a machine be their guide.

Across Indiana and 41 other states, there's something catching and it's called Powerball fever.

It's bringing out the regulars like Raymond Gill who buys at least two a week alongside the not-so-regulars like Cindy Miller who made her first purchase ever Wednesday evening.

They were united in purpose to beat the odds, a one in more than 175 million shot to win the jackpot.    

"It'd be nice to win. I can go to Hawaii and stay the rest of my life, eat Spam all the time," said Gill.

"I need a new car, I need another house and I start school soon so I have to pay for that too," said Jermaine Washington.

So what's the fast track to living the dream, whether it be Spam or school?

That's where the strategy comes in.

It's lucky numbers and birthdays for some.

Others like Mark Kennedy play with a group and play the same numbers every drawing.

"I'm not the one that picked them," Kennedy said. "I just asked somebody if they want to pick out the numbers.  I feel okay about it. If you're going to hit, you're going to hit."

And for some like Carolyn Robinson, there's even an app to help her select her lucky numbers.

But the most common approach seems to be letting the computer do the hard work.

"Random, just random," said Washington.

Even so, the regulars know what to look for in the Powerball number.

"A low number or a high number," said Gill.

That might not be too far off. In 26 drawings over the last three months, the number 10 has hit three times and four numbers between 28 and 35 have hit two times each.

But at least one person said it's better not to know her numbers at all.

"I didn't look at them," Miller said.

And she said she won't until after the drawing is made.