39

'A funa nganna — the rope around the neck

No full dossier yet for 39. The Smorfia line below is its place in the Neapolitan book of dreams; more dossiers are written over time.

Smorfia napoletana'A funa ngannathe rope around the neck

Cultural interest — does not change your odds.

The reality check

What the machines actually did with 39, across every lottery this site holds a long record for.

Powerball109of 103 expected+0.66σ
UK Lotto132of 119 expected+1.23σ
EuroMillions108of 104 expected+0.38σ
SuperEnalotto172of 161 expected+0.90σ
Set for Life367of 378 expected−0.61σ

Across 5 lotteries that hold a 39, its average deviation from expectation is +0.51σ. Statistically ordinary, everywhere.

The one thing a belief about a number can measurably do is change how many people play it — and a jackpot shared more ways is worth less to each winner. That is the only real consequence, and it is arithmetic rather than folklore.