(Erik Piepenburg’s article appeared in The New York Times, 10/29; via Pam Green.)

Cheap Broadway tickets are not impossible to find — if you have time before a show to pop an entry in a bucket or, increasingly, hit send on your phone.

A handful of Broadway shows host live lottery drawings for deeply discounted seats. Entries are submitted in person about two hours before a performance. Winners are given the option of buying one or two tickets, often in the first two rows or in the boxes. Some new shows, like “Hamilton” and “Spring Awakening,” turn their live drawings for tickets into full-fledged events.

In this smartphone era, though, these ticket derbies are increasingly being superseded by digital lotteries. TodayTix, a free mobile app, offers daily lotteries to certain Broadway and Off Broadway shows.

Playing the lottery calls for a mix of old-fashioned luck and golden-touch technique. Here are a few tips to help you navigate the waters.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/10/29/theater/20151030-lottery.html

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