From beloved birthdates to straight lines and satisfying sequences, Aussie lottery players’ favourite number-picking habits have been revealed, but they could end up costing them a big prize.
Data from recent major lottery draws has revealed thousands of players are marking their tickets with the exact same number combinations. That means if those numbers are drawn, the prize pool would be split into tiny slices, leaving winners with a lot less than they bargained for.
The warning comes ahead of two big draws this week: Powerball has an $80 million jackpot on offer on Thursday 4 September 2025, while Saturday Lotto has a $20 million Superdraw on Saturday 6 September 2025.
For example, the most popular number selection in Saturday Lotto draw 4515 was 8, 15, 22, 29, 36 and 43 – numbers that make a diagonal line on the coupon.
This combination of numbers was picked 8,647 times for a draw that offered a $20 million division one prize pool. If those numbers had been drawn, each division one winner would have received just $2,312.94.
Numbers that form patterns on a coupon (such as straight or diagonal lines), number clusters, and sequential numbers (particularly 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6) feature prominently in the most selected number combinations across lottery games.
Other popular number picking techniques include marking birthdates (numbers 31 and under) and using numbers that have historically been drawn the most frequently or least frequently.
The Lott spokesperson Matt Hart said he didn’t want to discourage Aussies from using their favourite numbers but wanted them to be aware that many players marked the numbers on their lottery tickets exactly the same way.
“While choosing patterns of numbers might be fun, it turns out that going with the crowd could mean sharing your winnings with thousands of others. For those dreaming of a larger jackpot celebration, it might be time to mix things up,” he said.
“Try randomising your numbers or using a QuickPick. It might not feel as personal, but it could mean a bigger slice of the prize pie.”
Saturday Lotto draw 4515 ($20 million division one prize pool) Top five number combinations
| Number combination | Times selected | Selection pattern | Division one prize if drawn |
| 08,15,22,29,36,43 | 8,647 | Diagonal line | $2,312.94 |
| 01,07,08,11,15,22 | 8,015 | Birthday numbers / Selection of historic frequently drawn numbers | $2,495.32 |
| 04,12,20,28,36,44 | 7,433 | Straight line | $2,690.70 |
| 07,14,21,28,35,42 | 7,072 | Diagonal line | $2,828.05 |
| 06,13,20,27,34,41 | 6,476 | Diagonal line | $3,088.33 |
Note: there were 10 division one winning entries in this draw that each won $2 million
Weekday Windfall draw 4506 ($6 million division one prize pool*) Top five number combinations
| Number combination | Times selected | Selection pattern | Division one prize if drawn |
| 08,15,22,29,36,43 | 1,413 | Diagonal line | $4,246.28 |
| 07,14,21,28,35,42 | 1,390 | Diagonal line | $4,316.55 |
| 01,02,03,04,05,06 | 1,321 | Sequential numbers | $4,542.01 |
| 04,12,20,28,36,44 | 1,267 | Straight line | $4,735.60 |
| 40,41,42,43,44,45 | 1,185 | Sequential numbers | $5,063.29 |
*Weekday Windfall offers $1 million division one prize for up to six winners. If more than six division one winners, $6 million is shared. Note: there was one division one winning entry in this draw that won $1 million
Oz Lotto draw 1616 ($100 million division one prize pool) Top five number combinations
| Number combination | Times selected | Selection pattern | Division one prize if drawn |
| 03,21,24,27,28,33,47 | 29,710 | Selection of historically frequently drawn numbers | $3,365.87 |
| 07,25,26,34,35,43,45 | 15,317 | Selection of historically least frequently drawn numbers | $6,528.69 |
| 01,02,03,04,05,06,07 | 4,921 | Sequential numbers | $20,321.07 |
| 03,09,21,27,28,33,47 | 3,912 | At least one number per line | $25,562.37 |
| 41,42,43,44,45,46,47 | 2,370 | Sequential numbers | $42,194.09 |
Note: there was one division one winning entry in this draw that won $100 million
Powerball draw 1489 ($100 million division one prize pool) Top five number combinations
| Number combination | Times selected | Selection pattern | Division one prize if drawn |
| 02,03,07,09,11,17,20 | 30,976 | Birthdates / Selection of historically frequently drawn numbers | $3,228.31 |
| 01,13,15,26,29,31,33 | 11,504 | Selection of historically least frequently drawn numbers | $8,692.63 |
| 01,02,03,04,05,06,07 | 6,057 | Sequential numbers | $16,509.82 |
| 05,10,15,20,25,30,35 | 4,883 | Increments of five | $20,479.21 |
| 29,30,31,32,33,34,35 | 2,492 | Sequential numbers | $40,128.41 |
Note: there were two division one winning entries in this draw that each won $50 million