They’ve Got Your Number : It’s 36 Million--if Not More

Alex Matsunaga chose the numbers of Los Angeles Lakers Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to put on his lottery card. His friend Eddie Nakamoto picked his birth date, and his girlfriend’s, and will keep playing them until he hits.

Such is the logic of lottery players who are hoping their $1-per-chance investment will capture Saturday’s Lotto jackpot that could reach $40 million, the largest in California history.

No one won the record $26 million jackpot in Wednesday’s computerized Lotto drawing, which means the cash prize is rolled over to Saturday’s drawing.

And for each would-be millionaire there is a different strategy to winning.

Jay Schermerhorn, for instance, buys eight $1 tickets and puts them in combinations that will encompass 48 of the 49 available numbers. The 43-year-old television news photographer then chooses, from an official lottery odds book, those numbers which have hit the most, those which have hit the least and those combinations which have hit the most.

“It doesn’t really help,” he said, adding that he only plays the big jackpots and doesn’t bother with those offering only $2 million or $3 million. “It’s still a chance, but there’s nowhere in Vegas you can win $36 million.”

Noel Parrish, 29, of Anaheim, plays the date he quit drinking alcohol, and Cheryl Gentleman, 27, of Anaheim, plays her lucky numbers, 3 and 7, and combinations of the numbers.

George Vilarino, 72, of Anaheim said people who pick consecutive numbers never win, and he either chooses randomly or “zig-zags” across the number board for choices.

Some players, such as Renea Reno, 39, of Anaheim, said Lotto is a quick fix between trips to Vegas, while others said they have a love-hate relationship with the game.

“I think it’s a royal rip-off,” said Jackie Przyblylowski, a Buena Park homemaker, as she walked out of an Anaheim liquor store with a handful of lottery tickets. “I’m one of the people who signed a petition against it, but I enjoy playing it.”

Moe Richer said the secret is consistency. He buys one ticket, with the numbers randomly picked, for every drawing.

“I buy one before Wednesday and one before Saturday,” said the Anaheim retiree. “You can buy 50 tickets, and it’s only going to be one that’s going to win.”

For some, it’s not how you play the game but whether or not you win.

“I’m tired of working like a slave all day,” said 29-year-old Evangelina Savala, an Anaheim waitress who took her tips over to the liquor store near her job to buy tickets.

While players juggle numbers trying to win the huge jackpot, retailers who sell the tickets tally their take. Store owners receive five cents for every $1 ticket sold and one half of 1% of any prizes won at their store.

The 7-Eleven at 2790 E. Lincoln St. in Anaheim sold $6,194 worth of lottery tickets Wednesday, amassing $309.70 in profits for the store.

“Over here, people go crazy” over the lottery, said store owner Manmeet Nijjar. “It’s just a matter of time before we hit a big one over here.”

The big jackpot grows more tempting as the Saturday drawing approaches, said Herman Dustman, Lotto’s district manager in Anaheim.

“I think were going to see long lines, but we’re trying to coach the players to buy tickets early,” he said.

Lottery ticket sales are expected to total about $50 million from Thursday morning to the drawing Saturday night, he said.

From each of those $1 tickets, 34 cents go toward public education, 50 cents go toward prize money, 11 cents go toward running the lottery and 5 cents go to retailers’ commissions, Dustman said.

Proceeds from the lottery paid to the education system totaled $504 million in the 1986-87 fiscal year and are expected to total $714 million this fiscal year, which ends June 30.