You Have $20 For Texas Scratch-Offs, Here Are The Ones to Buy

Let's say you have come across an extra $20. Maybe you found it in a parking lot, discovered it when you were emptying the dryer, or finally cleared out all the change in your car.

You have decided to throw caution to the wind and take that $20 and try to win big bucks on Texas Lottery Scratch-Off tickets.

How Do You Decide Which Scratch-Offs to Buy?

Most players don't put a lot of thought into which tickets to buy. It's usually an impulse decision that revolves around the randomness of which scratch-off is the most pleasing to the eye.

Others may purchase a ticket based on a small hot streak that they have been on with that particular game.

How About Using a LIttle Mathematics?

When it comes to winning the top prizes for each scratch-off game, you can use math to help determine which games will have a better chance of paying out their top prizes.

Using data provided on the Texas Lottery website, you can see how many cash prizes each game is offering. Every day, the website will update with the number of winners of each of those prizes.

If I see that 50% of the grand prizes have been won on a particular game, and only 25% of the smaller prizes have been won, that's not a good one to purchase. But, if those numbers are reversed, then the odds of winning the grand prizes turn ever so slightly in your favor.

An Example of This Concept

There are 100 paper squares on a table. Flip the correct one and you win $1 million.

On a separate table is the same game, 8 of the non-grand prize squares have been removed. Your odds to win on this table are a little better.

Granted, we are talking about the Texas Lottery Scratch-Off Games that feature millions and millions of tickets. The math is solid, but it only moves the gauge an infinitesimal amount in your favor...but hey...it's something.

Which Tickets to Buy

Veterans Cash - $2 Ticket

Approximately 40-50% of the lower-tier prizes have been won, but only 1 of 5 (20%) of the top prizes ($30K) have been won.

10X The Money - $2 Ticket

Approximately 85-95% of the lower-tier prizes have been won, and 2 of 4 (50%) of the top prizes ($30K) have been won.

Money Multiplier - $5 Ticket

50-60% of the lower-tier prizes have been claimed, but only 1 of 6 (17%) top prizes ($100K) have been won.

Houston Texans - $5 Ticket

50-60% of lower-tier prizes have been won, but just 1 of the 4 top prizes have been won. Three more top prizes of $100,000 remain.

$500,000 Winnings - $10 ticket

35-50% of the lower tier prizes have been won, while only 1 of 6 of the $500,000 prizes have been won.

Break the Bank - $10 ticket

This game hasn't been out long, but 15-20% of the lower prizes have been won, but none of the 4 top prizes of $250K have been claimed.

Jackpot Millions - $20 ticket

40-55% of the lower tier prizes have been claimed, while only 1 of 4 of the $1 million prizes have been won.

But, if you have an Extra $50 Laying Around

These two tickets would be the ones to buy.

Both of these games are $50 tickets. The Millions Club features 10 top prizes of $1 million and none of those have been won.

The Ultimate $5 million features 4 top prizes of $5 million and none of those have been won.

Both of these games have been out for several months.