Powerball
← Glossary
Sum Distribution
- What it is
- The total you get when you add up the five white balls.
- How it is calculated
- We add the five numbers of every draw and group the totals into ranges of ten. For a game with N numbers the average sum expected by chance is 5 x (N + 1) / 2.
- How to read it
- Totals bunch up around the middle because there are many more ways to reach a middling total than an extreme one. Totals near the extremes (very low or very high) are rare.
- What it can't tell you
- Knowing the typical sum range tells you what past draws looked like, not which set of numbers will be drawn.
- Common misunderstanding
- 'Choose numbers that add up to the usual range to win.' The chance of any particular five numbers is identical wherever its sum falls.
This site does not guarantee winning. Lottery draws are random and past results do not predict future results. Every chart here describes the past. It cannot raise your chances of winning.