If you’re thinking of buying a lottery ticket, be sure to keep it somewhere safe. It’s also a good idea to write down the drawing date in your calendar or on your phone just in case you forget about it. After the drawing, make sure to check the numbers against your ticket. Then double-check them again, just to be sure!

Richard Lustig is a successful lottery player who’s won over $800 million in the past two years. He says the key to winning is simple math and logic, and he shares some of his best tips in this article. He says to avoid numbers that end with the same digit and to pick numbers that are not close together on the number grid.

He also warns lottery players to keep their spending in check and not spend more than they can afford to lose. Despite these warnings, he knows that the lottery can be a lot of fun, and he says to play responsibly and enjoy the experience.

Many lottery players buy tickets every week, and some spend $50 or $100 a week. They may be irrational gamblers, but they get value out of the tickets. For low-income people who don’t see a lot of other opportunities for themselves, the hope that they can win the big prize is worth the investment. Typically, lottery winners can choose between a lump sum or an annuity payment. Lump sums are immediately available, while annuities guarantee a larger total payout over time.