Powerball hits $450 Million

[drunkenshoe]

Powerball has to have a negative expected outcome or it wouldn't be profitable.

This. Every lottery game. It's actually selling dreams and hope, not tickets.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Whether they think that or not, one thing is for sure. Lots of people who don't play tend to look down their noses at the people who do. And they also tend to be not at all shy about voicing their opinion of the intelligence level of the people that do play.

I farted once. I guess that makes me guilty of causing global warming?

[stromboli]

If some idiots are mentally deprived enough to waste major money on a pipe dream, what is the difference between Vegas, scratch and win or the office football pool? Fine with me. Used to work with an old lady who was a clerk at Hill AFB that went to Vegas every weekend with her hubby and blew money on slots. BFD, I'm not socially responsible to intervene, condemn or condone or set an example.

So if anyone has a problem with who buys lottery tickets or not, its their problem not mine.

[GSOgymrat]

I got a lottery ticket yesterday for my birthday. I've never had a lottery ticket before and I'm not even sure how it works.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I got a lottery ticket yesterday for my birthday. I've never had a lottery ticket before and I'm not even sure how it works.

Send it to me, I'll check it for you.

[SGOS]

Just for the record, I'm not sure if my comment about spending the rent money caused the discussion about people looking down their noses at lottery players.  Years ago, I did play the lottery regularly (five tickets twice a week).  I don't look down my nose at lottery players.  It was fun pretending like I had a chance in Hell of winning, and I enjoyed that part of it.  But some people do look down their noses at lottery players.  Fuck em'.

[Unbeliever]

I'm not even sure how it works.

Yeah, me too. I'm gonna go to the website, I guess, and make sure I understand how to do it.

I do have a couple of bucks I can use to play it - after all, a thousand million $ is a lot of money, and I can do a lot of good with it, maybe.

I think I may try the numbers 1 2 3 4 5 6, since that combination has just as much chance of being picked as any other.

Actually, I did play the Lotto once, when they first started it, just to say I'd played it. Long time ago, though, and I expect it's changed a bit over the years.

[SGOS]

I'll bet a lot of people pick 1 2 3 4 5 6.  It's as good as any other, but if it comes up, you're going to share the pot with thousands of others.  Since those numbers aren't any more/less likely to come up than something else, it might be wiser to pick more random numbers.  I haven't thought this through, but it just crossed my mind.  I always let the machine pick the numbers for me.

Had I been around a convenience store in the last couple of days, I would have bought a couple tickets, but I've been busy working on the house, and haven't left the property in three days, and it wasn't pressing enough for me to make the trip to town.

[stromboli]

I actually took a scientific approach when I first bought tickets to look at way to lessen odds. Then you hear the stories of winners that only bought one ticket and stories about groups that bought thousands and didn't win. I ran a series of numbers, did all that, and it turns out that the odds of winning are about as great for a single draw as they are for a hundred draws.

I'm not a gambler, but I know a couple. One was fairly successful (now dead) the other a major loser (still breathing air that should be somebody else's) Either way they don't think like us. The loser brags about how much money he won in Vegas and is driving an 88 Oldsmobile into its third paint job and living off a bogus insurance claim. Trust me, I'm not one of those.

[Unbeliever]

I'll bet a lot of people pick 1 2 3 4 5 6.  It's as good as any other, but if it comes up, you're going to share the pot with thousands of others.  Since those numbers aren't any more/less likely to come up than something else, it might be wiser to pick more random numbers.  I haven't thought this through, but it just crossed my mind.  I always let the machine pick the numbers for me.

I bet if those numbers did come up, there'd be an outcry of umbrage from those who believe (or are told) that the thing must've been rigged.

:06:

[SGOS]

It turns out that the odds of winning are about as great for a single draw as they are for a hundred draws.

They must be a little higher.  But then how much greater is  your percentage of winning when you buy 100 tickets.  100 or 1 in an environment approaching infinity, isn't significant. 

Still, I'd buy two.  At least your chances of winning must be twice as good.  Although, that still doesn't work out to 50/50.

I'm not a gambler, but I know a couple. One was fairly successful (now dead) the other a major loser (still breathing air that should be somebody else's) Either way they don't think like us. The loser brags about how much money he won in Vegas and is driving an 88 Oldsmobile into its third paint job and living off a bogus insurance claim. Trust me, I'm not one of those.

There were a number of compulsive gamblers I've met in various AA groups I used to frequent.  I couldn't relate to them.  I lived in Arizona near the Nevada border for a year back in the 70s.  I've been to Vegas, and played the slots.  Ten dollars would last a couple of hours in the nickel machines.  Lots of coins going in and coming out.  It was a good time, but when I went through my ten dollars, I would go home, but never once with my ten dollars.  That wasn't the point of the evening.

I had a friend in Arizona who was a desk clerk at a Holiday Inn.  One day he told me that the night before, some guy spent the night in the lobby, after losing his car in Vegas.

My cousin was a gambler.  He used to go to Vegas quite a bit and play in slot machine tournaments or play cards.  His buddy was a compulsive.  Then one day his buddy, who my cousin had been telling me about for years, lost everything, including his house and his car.  My cousin had better self control.  I've gambled, but never expected to win.  It was fun, but I never related to whatever urge people get to never stop.

[SGOS]

I bet if those numbers did come up, there'd be an outcry of umbrage from those who believe (or are told) that the thing must've been rigged.

:06:

Probably.  Getting the numbers to go in that order is so unlikely, that it would have to be rigged.  Of course, random numbers are just as unlikely.

[Hydra009]

Probably.  Getting the numbers to go in that order is so unlikely, that it would have to be rigged.  Of course, random numbers are just as unlikely.

One day, the winning number for the Pick 3 was 000.  There was a lot of grumbling at work.  A common theory is that the lottery commission decides what numbers will win ahead of time and that quick picks are adjusted to fail.  Also, that scratch-offs with that little white strip at the bottom are winners (except when they're not).  Not the brightest people I've ever encountered.

[aitm]

06, "The Game" Michigan v Ohio State ,Bo Schembechler, legendary coach of Michigan died that very day, Ohio won the game like 42-38, 400 some people bet those numbers on their 4 pick game and the numbers came up. Lotto had to pay out over 2 million. Coincidence? I think ……so.

[Baruch]

They must be a little higher.  But then how much greater is  your percentage of winning when you buy 100 tickets.  100 or 1 in an environment approaching infinity, isn't significant. 

Still, I'd buy two.  At least your chances of winning must be twice as good.  Although, that still doesn't work out to 50/50.

There were a number of compulsive gamblers I've met in various AA groups I used to frequent.  I couldn't relate to them.  I lived in Arizona near the Nevada border for a year back in the 70s.  I've been to Vegas, and played the slots.  Ten dollars would last a couple of hours in the nickel machines.  Lots of coins going in and coming out.  It was a good time, but when I went through my ten dollars, I would go home, but never once with my ten dollars.  That wasn't the point of the evening.

I had a friend in Arizona who was a desk clerk at a Holiday Inn.  One day he told me that the night before, some guy spent the night in the lobby, after losing his car in Vegas.

My cousin was a gambler.  He used to go to Vegas quite a bit and play in slot machine tournaments or play cards.  His buddy was a compulsive.  Then one day his buddy, who my cousin had been telling me about for years, lost everything, including his house and his car.  My cousin had better self control.  I've gambled, but never expected to win.  It was fun, but I never related to whatever urge people get to never stop.

My limit is $20 ... inflation ;-)  Never gambled more.  People are addicted to the chemicals in their head.  Chemical stimulation or activity stimulation ... stimulates those brain chemicals you already have ... that is the high.  Gamblers get high, like a dry drunk.