LuckySam User’s Guide
For LuckySam Version 2.0
Installing LuckySam
Your copy of LuckySam is downloaded in a zip file, lucky.zip. Unzip that file in any folder, and you’ll get a sub-folder with the name LuckySam2.0 (the name may vary, depending on the version).
Inside the LuckySam2.0 folder, you’ll find a file called setup.exe. Execute setup.exe. LuckySam will be installed on your computer. LuckySam will start up automatically, as soon as it is installed.
After installation, you’ll have a LuckySam entry in your start menu. You should start LuckySam from the start menu. Don’t run setup.exe again, unless you need to re-install LuckySam for some reason.
Uninstalling LuckySam
To uninstall LuckySam, use the Add/Remove Programs option in your Windows Control Panel.
The LuckySam Main Dialog
The figure below
shows how LuckySam looks when it first starts up. We’ll explain each section using the label names that appear in
the figure.
Menu Bar
The Menu Bar offers these top-level menu items
- File
- Tickets
- About
These menu items are detailed in the subsections below.
File Menu
Click on the File
menu item, and you’ll see the File menu.
It consists of the options
- Open…
- Save…
- Print
The Save… and Print
options are disabled whenever the Results Display does not show results that
match the current setup and numbers.
File / Open…
Select the File / Open… option to re-open a previously saved game (setup, numbers, and results). You’ll see an Open dialog. Any previously saved games should appear with a file extension of .ls2, and this will be the default file type for the dialog. Just select and open the saved file of your choice.
File / Save…
After you have generated your tickets to play, and results appear in the Results Display, you can save your results. Select the File / Save… option, and you’ll see a Save As dialog. Enter a filename you want to use to remember this game, and click Save. You can open this game again in the future by using the File / Open… option.
Note: if you want to check your results after the actual numbers have been picked, you must save your results (or leave them on the screen, which may not be so convenient).
File / Print
To print your results, select the File / Print option. The contents of the Results Display will be printed on your default printer. LuckySam has no Print Setup option, so make sure that your default printer is properly selected before using the File / Print option.
Tickets Menu
Click on the Tickets menu item, and you’ll see the Tickets menu. It consists of the following options
- Play
- Check Wins
The Play option is
disabled whenever the setup and numbers are not properly set. Once all setup is complete, the Play option
is enabled.
The Check Wins
option is disabled whenever the Results Display does not show results that
match the current setup and numbers.
Tickets / Play
The Play option on the Tickets menu does the same thing as the Play button on the main dialog. See Play Button.
Tickets / Check Wins
After the actual numbers have been picked, you can use LuckySam to show you how well you did. First, you have to open the results for the game you want to check. See File / Open….
When you can see your own tickets in the Display Window, click Check Wins on the Tickets menu. You will see the following dialog pop up.
The number of spaces under Enter winning numbers and Extra Number will depend on your game setup.
Enter the actual numbers that were selected for your game. Once all numbers are entered, the OK button will be enabled.
Click OK, and the Results Display will now show only your selected numbers in each ticket, with other numbers appearing as ‘--'. This should make it easier for you to identify your winning tickets. The picture below shows an example of how this looks.
About Menu
Click on the About menu item, and you’ll see the About menu. It consists of the following options
- Help
- About LuckySam
About / Help
Click the About option on the Help menu, and a web browser will open the latest instruction manual (this file).
Note: your computer must be connected to the internet for the Help option to work.
About / About LuckySam
Click the About LuckySam option on the About menu, and you will see a pop up similar to the following.
The version number will show the version of LuckySam that you are running.
If you are not sure you have the latest version, you can click the link on the dialog that says “Click Here for FREE Upgrade.” That will open a web browser and go to the LuckySam download page, which will tell you the latest available version. As an owner of LuckySam, you are always entitled to a copy of the latest version, and you can download your own upgrade from here.
Note: your computer must be connected to the internet for the free upgrade link to work.
Main Numbers Setup Area
The Main Numbers Setup Area is where you prepare to wheel most of your numbers. This section is used for every kind of game, whether or not it has an extra number (“power” or “mega” or whatever).
Numbers Per Game
Click on the up and down arrows to set up for a game with 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 main numbers. Do not include any extra number (“power” or “mega” or whatever) in this value.
From and To
These two entries define the range of numbers that can be picked in the main part of the game.
The entry after From is the smallest value of all numbers that can be picked in your game. For normal lottery games this is always 1, but LuckySam lets you change this anyway, in case you want to experiment.
The entry after To is the greatest value of numbers that can be picked in your game. This is different for every lottery game, so be sure to check your rules.
Based on your game’s rules, enter the values of the smallest and greatest numbers in the main part of your game in the From and To entries.
Numbers To Wheel
Click on the up and down arrows to set how many different numbers you want to wheel when picking your tickets to play.
The Numbers To Wheel value always has to be at least as great as the Numbers Per Game value. If there are five main numbers in your game, you must wheel at least five numbers.
You can wheel up to 40 numbers with LuckySam. Actually, that depends on the rules of your lottery game. If the From and To are set for a game with only 30 numbers (From 1 To 30), then you can only wheel up to 30 numbers, 1 through 30.
Note: We recommend that you set From and To before you set your Numbers To Wheel, and before you enter the numbers themselves. LuckySam will automatically change your Numbers to Wheel, and delete any unused numbers, to make sure that Numbers to Wheel is no greater than (To – From + 1). If you change the From or To entries after you set Numbers to Wheel, you may have to re-do your other settings.
Random Button
If you don’t have special or favorite numbers you want to play, just click the Random button. LuckySam will automatically fill your Main Numbers To Wheel with a random selection. Every time you click Random you will get a new random selection. Keep clicking until you see a set you like.
Note: you can change any number yourself, even after you click the Random button. For example, if you only have one favorite number, you can use the Random button to pick the rest, and then change one of the random picks to your favorite number.
Main Numbers To Wheel
These entries are where you enter the numbers that you want to wheel in the main part of your game. If you have a favorite set of numbers, type them into these spaces.
You can also use the Random button to fill these spaces with a random selection of numbers in the range From to To. Then, if you want, you can change any of the numbers by just selecting the entry, and typing your number.
Note: if you enter your own numbers, you should not enter duplicate values. LuckySam will not check this for you because you might want to experiment, to see what happens if you do enter duplicates. If you do, some of your tickets in the Results Display may have duplicate numbers, so remember, we warned you!
Note: you can also enter numbers that are outside of the From and To range. This does not make much sense to do, unless you are experimenting with the From or To entries. We want to let you experiment if you like, so LuckySam will not force all your Numbers To Wheel to be between From and To. Just be sure to double check your entries.
Main Numbers Combos
LuckySam shows you the number of unique combinations (how many different tickets) are possible for your setup. This is determined from the Numbers per Game and the Numbers to Wheel. You cannot edit this number, it is computed automatically. It’s just there to give you some idea of your wheel’s coverage. It also tells you the maximum number of tickets you can generate with LuckySam.
Extra Number Check Box
If your lottery game has an extra number (“power” or “mega” or whatever), then check this box to enable the Extra Number Setup Area below.
Extra Number Setup Area
The Extra Number Setup Area is where you prepare to pick your extra numbers. LuckySam supports games that have one extra number.
From and To
These two entries define the range of numbers that can be picked in the extra number.
The entry after From is the smallest value of all extra numbers. For normal lottery games this is always 1, but LuckySam lets you change this anyway, in case you want to experiment.
The entry after To is the greatest value of all extra numbers in your game. This is different for every lottery game, so be sure to check your rules.
Based on your game’s rules, enter the values of the smallest and greatest extra numbers in your game in the From and To entries.
Extra Numbers To Wheel
Click on the up and down arrows to set how many different numbers you want to use as extra numbers on your tickets.
If you checked the Extra Number Check Box, you must wheel at least one number.
You can wheel up to 40 extra numbers with LuckySam. Actually, that depends on the rules of your lottery game. If the From and To are set for a game with only 30 numbers (From 1 To 30), then you can only wheel up to 30 extra numbers, 1 through 30.
Note: We recommend that you set From and To before you set your Extra Numbers To Wheel, and before you enter the numbers themselves. LuckySam will automatically change your Extra Numbers to Wheel, and delete any unused numbers, to make sure that Extra Numbers to Wheel is no greater than (To – From + 1). If you change the From or To entries after you set Extra Numbers to Wheel, you may have to re-do your other settings.
Random Button
If you don’t have special or favorite numbers you want to play, just click the Random button. LuckySam will automatically fill your Extra Numbers To Wheel with a random selection. Every time you click Random you will get a new random selection. Keep clicking until you see a set you like.
Note: you can change any number yourself, even after you click the Random button. For example, if you only have one favorite number, you can use the Random button to pick the rest, and then change one of the random picks to your favorite number.
Extra Numbers To Wheel
These entries are where you enter the numbers that you want to use as extra numbers. If you have a favorite set of numbers, type them into these spaces.
You can also use the Random button to fill these spaces with a random selection of numbers in the range From to To. Then, if you want, you can change any of the numbers by just selecting the entry, and typing your number.
Note: you can enter numbers that are outside of the From and To range. This does not make much sense to do, unless you are experimenting with the From or To entries. We want to let you experiment if you like, so LuckySam will not force all your Extra Numbers To Wheel to be between From and To. Just be sure to double check your entries.
Total Combos
As you change your setup, LuckySam computes how many unique combinations of numbers your setup will give. This number is the greatest number of tickets that you can generate with your setup.
Number of Tickets to Generate
Enter the number of tickets you want to buy here. After you click Play, the Results Display will show this many unique number combinations.
Play Button
When you click Play, LuckySam computes the wheel you described in your setup, and show the tickets you should play in the Results Display. There is nothing random about this… these tickets will be the most evenly distributed combinations of your Numbers to Wheel that are possible. If you click Play again for the same setup, you will get the same results every time. If you want to play different tickets, you will have to change something in your setup!
Buy Lottery Tickets Online
Click the image, and a browser window opens to a site where you can purchase lottery tickets from around the world. For local games you’ll do better at your local convenience store (just sayin’). But if you want to purchase tickets from another state or another country, and if it is legal in your area, this is the place to go!
Status Bar
The Status Bar updates to show you LuckySam’s view of the world. If you think something isn’t working, check here. You may find your answer.