The Secret to Winning this Wednesday's $44m Must Win Lotto Draw

Want to know The Secret to Winning this Wednesday's $44m Must Win Lotto Draw?

A Florida man, who has won several grand prizes in Lotto, says the secret is in choosing your own numbers.

And, if you are the lucky winner the first bit of advice is to find a good local lawyer - and turn off your social media.

The largest jackpot ever on offer in New Zealand, of $44 million, must be won today.

Richard Lustig, who has written a book called Learn How to Increase your Chances of Winning the Lottery, said he started playing in Florida more than 20 years ago but says he didn't have a plan or method and was losing most of the time.

Thinking there must have been something he could do to increase his chances Lustig made a list of things he could try - and the things that worked.

Soon he began winning small prizes, then grand prizes.

His advice to everyone rushing out for this weekend's grand prize is simple: Don't buy quick picks, where a computer picked numbers for you.

"I play my own numbers, I play them regularly and I never miss a draw and again that's what increases your chances," he said.

"Seventy per cent of our players choose randomly."

The six most frequently drawn winning numbers since 1987 are 1, 7, 12, 13, 18 and 21.

Combine that with a Powerball of 2, which has been drawn 111 times, and you will have the numbers that are historically proven to be the most successful.

- NZ Herald