Two schools on our list fill pre-nursery seats by a draw. How do you plan around luck?

Two of the schools we like for our daughter's pre-nursery say seats go by a draw among everyone who registers. No interaction, no first come first served, just names picked in front of the parents. That sounds fair, and also impossible to plan for. She isn't two yet, so this is for June next year. Each registration has a fee, and the draws are weeks apart, so we may have to pay a deposit somewhere else before we know either result. How many schools did you register at when a draw was involved? And was your backup a school you'd have been happy with anyway? ❤️