It's amazing the ways some players choose their lottery ticket numbers when they don't have a System.

The player in the photo below shows us the worst way to fill out a lottery ticket. They're using Chinese lucky numbers - the numbers from a fortune cookie prediction slip.

There are two problems with it already. First, they are just random numbers for entertainment only, and won’t work.

Secondly, it's a bad idea because you'll have to share the prize with others who have used the same thousands of identical slips.

And that does happen. For example, nearly 200 US Powerball winners got a smaller share of the main prize than they expected because they all used the same cookie winning numbers.

The fortune cookie fluked the correct numbers to this Powerball game, and 110 second-prize winners got $176,000 each. A further 89 players won $100,000 each in the same game.

Lottery officials suspected foul play. But it turned out that the cookies, made by Wonton Food Inc. of Long Island City, New York, contained the correct numbers for the March 30, 2005 game.

The factory had printed the numbers "22, 28, 32, 33, 39, 40" on thousands of fortune cookie slips, which were used in good faith by the winners. Ironically, none of the cookie employees had used these lucky lottery numbers.

Getting your numbers from a common source like this will cause two problems:

• It will reduce your chances of winning because the source is normally too common, like the fortune cookie numbers.

• In the unlikely event of a win, you will be sharing your prize with dozens of others who used the same method.

A lot of players are desperate enough to use commonly accessed numbers like these.

Here's a list of 6 of another of the worst ways many players select their numbers:

1. They use a birthdate for the numbers. Problem is this selection concentrates the numbers at one end of the ticket, a sure no-no for winning. Spread-out numbers will win more.

2. They fill their tickets using numbers diagonally. You can bet there are thousands of others each doing the same. That means in the unlikely event their numbers are struck, they share the prize with thousands of others too.

3. They fill in their ticket cross-ways, up and down. Why? Avoid this method like the plague because it will only bring pain.

4. They use numerology by picking a name, then match each letter with a number (a=1, b=2, c=3 etc). While numerology sounds effective, this method is no better than a quick pick, or luck, for effectiveness.

5. They use the date. And then use some random numbers to fill it out. Problem is - so do thousands of others! See point 2 for that problem.

6. They use numbers in sequence like 1,2,3,4,5,6. The likelihood of this bringing in a fortune is very rare. You get in return the effort you put in for this oddball selection - usually nothing.

There are other methods players use that are just as crazy too:

• They see a psychic to give then ‘lucky’ numbers.

• They mix and match different lottery systems.

• They toss a dice and use those numbers.

• They use a free software system from the hundreds available.

• They use (un)Lucky Dips and Quick Picks!

Don't fall for the latest pattern when you fill out your tickets. There is absolutely no substitute for a winning system.