Powerball last-digit statistics: how are the final digits distributed?
Last digit = the final digit of a number (7, 17, 27 … have the last digit 7). A popular strategy says the winning numbers should have as many different last digits as possible. Here are the figures.
Frequency of each last digit
| Last digit | Observed | Expected | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 603 | 618,7 | |
| 1 | 734 | 721,8 | |
| 2 | 745 | 721,8 | |
| 3 | 759 | 721,8 | |
| 4 | 721 | 721,8 | |
| 5 | 666 | 721,8 | |
| 6 | 709 | 721,8 | |
| 7 | 747 | 721,8 | |
| 8 | 712 | 721,8 | |
| 9 | 719 | 721,8 |
How many different last digits does a draw have?
| Observed | Share | Expected | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 different | 475 | 33,4 % | 35,0 % |
| 4 different | 712 | 50,0 % | 50,0 % |
| 3 different | 230 | 16,2 % | 14,3 % |
| 2 different | 6 | 0,4 % | 0,7 % |
| 1 different | 0 | 0,0 % | 0,0 % |
Line with different last digits
Expected values are exact or simulated, assuming purely random draws. The draws follow chance exactly, and a last-digit rule does not change your chance of winning.