big Lotto Jackpots

[kingfc22]

I'm ready to win this thing!

[Wolfpack]

My wife bought six random tickets. The freakish thing about them is that every red ball number ends in four. Odds of that happening look to be about 1/450,000 (4/35 over 6 tickets). Makes me feel confident about the random number generator they're using.

[kingfc22]

My bank account will not be growing after tonight. Oh well.

[cartman]

One ticket in Florida was the winner.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-...erball-ticket/

[dave731]

Originally Posted by cartman

One ticket in Florida was the winner.

I'm pretty sure I have an uncle in Florida I never talk to...might give him a call today.

[Desnudo]

"Uncle Moneybags? It's me Dave731 from FOFC?"

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by dave731

I'm pretty sure I have an uncle in Florida I never talk to...might give him a call today.

One of my brothers and family live in Florida, and they like to shop at Publix...

[Dutch]

We stopped paying into our work pool earlier this week. So we have been buying tickets based upon winnings. We went from $8....to $4.....to a single $2 powerball ticket. I don't know where that dude lives, but if it's Zephrhills and he doesn't show up to work on Monday, we will call a manhunt on his ass!

[Karlifornia]

Bought three plays. Got the powerball number on one of them, but that was it

[cartman]

This is why I stick with Quick Picks. I don't know what I'd do if I had a set of lucky numbers win and not have played them.

Woman who got all six Powerball numbers but bought her ticket an hour too late | Mail Online

[molson]

I wonder if that lady just intentionally played the winning numbers after they were announced for shits and giggles.

I've experienced that fear though. The vending machines have an earlier cut-off than the retailers. I bought a ticket once at a vending machine before a drawing, but it ended up being for the next drawing after the one that night. So I just refused to look at the numbers from the drawing I thought I was buying a ticket for. Because you know, the odds were so great that they would have matched.

[Draft Dodger]

how come we don't have the "share the photo of the winning ticket and I'll give you a million dollars" thing on FB yet? do we have to wait until the winner actually comes forward?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Mega Millions is up to $636 million for tonight's drawing. If no one wins tonight, official believe the Friday drawing will exceed $1 billion.

[molson]

Partly because the Mega Millions recently added numbers and made it much more difficult to win. Because it was too easy before, I guess. The odds are now 259 million to 1. Whereas the powerball is still 175 million to 1. There could be some wacky big Mega Millions jackpots ahead of us.

[cartman]

Originally Posted by molson

Partly because the Mega Millions recently added numbers and made it much more difficult to win. Because it was too easy before, I guess. The odds are now 259 million to 1. Whereas the powerball is still 175 million to 1. There could be some wacky big Mega Millions jackpots ahead of us.

Yep, it is now 1 to 75 in the numbers pool, but they reduced the MegaBall pool to 1 to 15. So while the overall jackpot is much harder to win, the lower prizes are a bit easier since there will be more PowerBall matches.

Considering that the jackpot usually grows $1 for every $2 in tickets sold, that means around 500 million tickets have been sold for tonight's drawing.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by molson

Partly because the Mega Millions recently added numbers and made it much more difficult to win. Because it was too easy before, I guess. The odds are now 259 million to 1. Whereas the powerball is still 175 million to 1. There could be some wacky big Mega Millions jackpots ahead of us.

I kind of wish that they would switch it that the odds were low to win, but if a certain event happens, they randomly reward 636 people with $1M each (or however many people you can give $1M depending on what the total jackpot is worth).

[Butter]

Since all the states that have lotteries have Mega Millions AND Powerball now, would it make sense to just combine them into a single game?

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by Butter_of_69

Since all the states that have lotteries have Mega Millions AND Powerball now, would it make sense to just combine them into a single game?

Double the jackpots. Double the unsuspecting suckers to buy.

[Lathum]

We did a pool at work and I'll grab a few tickets. I still kind of feel the way I did earlier in this thread, I'm not certain I would want to win.

[Butter]

So, a pure thought experiment...

Since the odds are 259 million to one, but the cash option is over $300 million, how about some crazy billionaire putting in an investment? If someone were to cover all 259 million combinations, they could still expect a $50MM+ return (probably more than that, as about half of their own plays would be paid out as part of the jackpot)... assuming that no one else would hit the numbers.

What's the flaw to this that I'm not seeing?

[BillJasper]

I usually play Powerball but I picked up a $1 Mega Millions auto-pick yesterday. If I win back the dollar I spent, I'll be amazed.

[chadritt]

They would have to be the only one to win for that to work wouldn't they?

[BillJasper]

Originally Posted by Butter_of_69

So, a pure thought experiment...

Since the odds are 259 million to one, but the cash option is over $300 million, how about some crazy billionaire putting in an investment? If someone were to cover all 259 million combinations, they could still expect a $50MM+ return (probably more than that, as about half of their own plays would be paid out as part of the jackpot)... assuming that no one else would hit the numbers.

What's the flaw to this that I'm not seeing?

Another person with the winning combination and taxes?

[Pyser]

...and the sheer logistics of buying 259 million tickets in 3 days or so

[albionmoonlight]

There's the problem with someone else winning.

I also saw someone do the math and show that you would have a problem with physically printing out that amount of tickets in that amount of time.

I remember hearing that, on occasion, a lottery or other progressive jackpot can end up with a large enough total that it is actually a positive expectation to play it, but, for obvious reasons, those are not common occurrences.

[albionmoonlight]

dola: Pyser beat me to it.

Also worth adding that I have heard of a system to win the lottery. First you buy one ticket. If that does not win, then you double your bet and buy two tickets. If that does not win, then double your bet and buy four tickets . . .

[MrBug708]

Originally Posted by Butter_of_69

So, a pure thought experiment...

Since the odds are 259 million to one, but the cash option is over $300 million, how about some crazy billionaire putting in an investment? If someone were to cover all 259 million combinations, they could still expect a $50MM+ return (probably more than that, as about half of their own plays would be paid out as part of the jackpot)... assuming that no one else would hit the numbers.

What's the flaw to this that I'm not seeing?

How long it would take to print numbers?

[Easy Mac]

Originally Posted by Butter_of_69

So, a pure thought experiment...

Since the odds are 259 million to one, but the cash option is over $300 million, how about some crazy billionaire putting in an investment? If someone were to cover all 259 million combinations, they could still expect a $50MM+ return (probably more than that, as about half of their own plays would be paid out as part of the jackpot)... assuming that no one else would hit the numbers.

What's the flaw to this that I'm not seeing?

You have to physically buy each ticket. Assuming 5 seconds per ticket, that's 1,295,000,000 seconds. As there's only 345,600 seconds between drawings, you would need 3,747 people assisting you in buying these tickets non-stop for 4 days. You'd also need to entrust these 3,747 people with $69,122 in dollar bills, each.

[Lathum]

I bet the guy who lives in the closet in Real Genius could figure it out.

[Arles]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

You have to physically buy each ticket. Assuming 5 seconds per ticket, that's 1,295,000,000 seconds. As there's only 345,600 seconds between drawings, you would need 3,747 people assisting you in buying these tickets non-stop for 4 days. You'd also need to entrust these 3,747 people with $69,122 in dollar bills, each.

Not to mention the whole plan goes to poop if one other person also hits.

[JPhillips]

If I win we'll finally get our navy. I'm taking early applications for Aircraft Carrier Commander.

[molson]

I don't know about Navy but if I win every active member of this board is getting a new Trapper Keeper!

[Coffee Warlord]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

If I win we'll finally get our navy. I'm taking early applications for Aircraft Carrier Commander.

Dibs on CAG.

[molson]

So it sounds like 2 jerks won.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by molson

So it sounds like 2 jerks won.

Seems like a lot of the time that's the case.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Several of my co-workers bought tickets from the same store as the person who won here. One of them hadn't bothered checking, and was extremely excited for about five minutes when we told him where the ticket had been bought. He was quite disappointed to find out it wasn't him.

[AENeuman]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

You have to physically buy each ticket. Assuming 5 seconds per ticket, that's 1,295,000,000 seconds. As there's only 345,600 seconds between drawings, you would need 3,747 people assisting you in buying these tickets non-stop for 4 days. You'd also need to entrust these 3,747 people with $69,122 in dollar bills, each.

I think you can buy 10 per ticket.

However, wouldn't taxes take up all the profit?

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

If I win we'll finally get our navy. I'm taking early applications for Aircraft Carrier Commander.

Damn. Maybe next time.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

Several of my co-workers bought tickets from the same store as the person who won here. One of them hadn't bothered checking, and was extremely excited for about five minutes when we told him where the ticket had been bought. He was quite disappointed to find out it wasn't him.

[DaddyTorgo]

You have more than 1,000 times better chance of an asteroid or comet killing you -- and that's using the longest estimated odds for the celestial bodies -- according to Tulane University.

"Winning the Mega Millions is akin to getting struck by lightning at the same time you're being eaten by a shark," said Todd Northrop, founder of Lotterypost.com.

[panerd]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

You have more than 1,000 times better chance of an asteroid or comet killing you -- and that's using the longest estimated odds for the celestial bodies -- according to Tulane University.

"Winning the Mega Millions is akin to getting struck by lightning at the same time you're being eaten by a shark," said Todd Northrop, founder of Lotterypost.com.

I get the long odds example (and rarely ever play the lottery) but people actually are winning the lottery. Are there really people getting hit by comets or asteroids weekly across the Earth?

[molson]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

You have more than 1,000 times better chance of an asteroid or comet killing you -- and that's using the longest estimated odds for the celestial bodies -- according to Tulane University.

"Winning the Mega Millions is akin to getting struck by lightning at the same time you're being eaten by a shark," said Todd Northrop, founder of Lotterypost.com.

But I think a lot more people win mega millions and powerball than get struck by lightning at the same time they're being eaten by a shark. I also believe we have far more big lottery winners in this country than we do asteroid/comet victims. So it's hard to reconcile that. I suppose if you buy one ticket for one drawing, you're looking at those kinds of odds, but most people are playing more than once over their lives.

[cartman]

I WON $8!!!!

But spent $10

[Coffee Warlord]

Our office pool took $55 and turned it into $5!

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

Our office pool took $55 and turned it into $5!

Alchemy!

SI

[stevew]

So i'd never heard of the game "Queen of Hearts" but apparently it's a progressive jackpot game where tickets are sold for $1, and the winner of the drawing is then able to draw a card from a board(52card deck plus 2 jokers). The person who picks the Queen Of Hearts wins the pot. Winner of the drawing must be present to claim his/her opportunity to choose the card. Anyhow, a local bar has now seen its jackpot rise to approximately a half million dollars. And only 10 cards remain for tonight's drawing.

I can't post a link for some dumb reason, but if you search for Barry Dyngles in Austintown it will come up.

Also, around 100k tickets were sold for last week's drawing. At 1$ per ticket, and a 500K jackpot (100% goes to winner), what would the jackpot and remaining cards left have to be in order to justify driving over there and dropping a $20?

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by stevew

...what would the jackpot and remaining cards left have to be in order to justify driving over there and dropping a $20?

I think there's too much unknown at work to really answer this. If they truly pay out 100% to the eventual one winner, then it's a zero expectation game with the exception of the "dead money" that is being carried over from previous rounds that didn't yield a winner. Since that number is up to $500K or so, that now makes this into a significantly positive expectation.

If we somehow knew for sure that there would be a total of 250K more tickets sold, then we'd know that (in retrospect) each of those 250K tickets would essentially be worth $3 --since the $500K in the pot already was dead, and only the $250K of new money had a chance to win. Calculating that ratio is much easier if there's only one card left in the deck, though. That $250K is pure speculation... if it take 5 more rounds and the pot builds, that number could get a lot larger.

So... bottom line is, this is a plus play at this point. If I lived half an hour away, I would probably drive over, chat up the other people in line, and enjoy it for the spectacle, and buy myself a nice slate of tickets.

[albionmoonlight]

An excuse to go to a bar does not need much to turn it into a "significantly positive expectation."

[stevew]

The crowds on the news are so insane that I doubt being there would be fun. Nobody hit again, so next week is probably like 750k with 1:9 Odds of hitting on top of 1:250k prob of winning drawing

[cartman]

Originally Posted by stevew

The crowds on the news are so insane that I doubt being there would be fun. Nobody hit again, so next week is probably like 750k with 1:9 Odds of hitting on top of 1:250k prob of winning drawing

Who said anything about having to have fun? It is three quarters of a million dollars, man! Plenty of time and cash for fun later!