Here's how to avoid the common mistakes and grab winning scratch cards

No matter what you do, losing will always be more often than winning scratch cards. To have a better chance, you need to educate yourself so you can avoid the common mistakes an average lotto player commits. This way, you'll be able to make more opportunities and lessen the frustration. It will still be a gamble, albeit more favorable to you. Here are some tips to be better in winning scratch cards.

Buying Wisely

Choose a price range. Scratch-off tickets are retailed with various styles, designs and odds but the simplest way to differentiate them is through price. Usually, these kind of lotto tickets are priced from $1 to $20 each, depending on where you live and the kind of game. The more inexpensive ones have a lower percentage in terms of payouts and overall winners as well as a lesser spread between the interval prizes and top prize. Tickets costing at least $5 have a bigger percentage of winners and jackpots as well as a better spread of bigger payouts. In simpler terms, a $1 ticket could win more frequently, but the jackpot will only be a small amount. On the other hand, a ticket costing $20 may win rarely but you could probably win more than a few thousand dollars if you hit the jackpot.

Know the game odds in your chosen price point. The odds posted for any game are the same odds that a ticket would be the winner. Just because there are games with higher winning odds doesn't mean you have a higher chance of winning the jackpot, too. Purchase tickets at your price range that have the highest odds. Serious lottery players who like to buy in bulk are better off with cheaper cards that have higher odds. Alternately, those who only buy occasionally may do better in buying a higher-priced ticket every once in a while.

Read the fine print on the back to know the odds. So you can make a better guess on which card to purchase, compare some odds before purchasing your cards. The odds are usually presented as a contrast of numbers. For example, if you see 1:20, that means 1 out of 20 tickets would win.

Avoiding Common Mistakes

Keep your previous tickets. A lot of places run second-chance draws. In this package, you could send your tickets from a past particular game for another drawing. These second-chance draws are usually done after a top prize has been won; however, it isn't a good idea to buy tickets just so you can use it for this type of draw.

Stay away from package promotions. Some retailers clear out their old stocks by selling them at discounted prices. These are usually games where the top prize has already been won. While the discount may seem to be a good deal, know that your chance of winning is already dismal once the top prize has been given. It is best to concentrate on active games where you really have a chance in winning scratch cards.