It is the burning question on everyone's lips as the country's Lotto agents are being kept busy with people wanting the chance to answer the question.

One in three adults are expected to have an entry in Thursday's Powerball draw (September 11).

It is the second biggest division on jackpot offered as the coffers have accumulated for the past seven weeks, with 38 division two winners being one number off over that period.

The Lott spokesperson Lauren Cooney said the only number these division two winning entries had missed was the all-important Powerball.

"While the division two winners did take home tens of thousands of dollars in prize money each, I am sure they are kicking themselves for not getting a Powerhit entry, an entry that guarantees you the Powerball number," she said.

So how can you win?

Over the past 16 months there have been some numbers drawn more consistently from the main barrel than others with the best being the number 17 which has been picked 23 times with the number 2 coming up 20 times.

Numbers which have come up the least in the main barrel are 12 and 26.

The most drawn powerball numbers are 3, 13 and 19, which have all come up seven times while the number 1 has not be selected at all and the number 18 was picked just once.

No matter what numbers you pick to have a chance "you have to be in it to win it" as the old adage goes.