# Power Ball = $150M, did you buy a ticket? Thread Starter #### GopherT Joined Nov 23, 2012 8,012 I found a$2 bill in an old wallet Sunday. I used it to buy a lottery ticket. Maybe I'll be lucky twice in one week.

By the way, if you haven't bought one yet, you may as well save your money. The cashier told me, "Here is your winning number." So, I'm good.

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#### Sinus23

Joined Sep 7, 2013
246
Hey I already bought my winning ticket for the European lottery today. Sadly she did not say that it were my winning numbers and short story short.

It wasn't.

#### Papabravo

Joined Feb 24, 2006
14,863
Buying tickets can be hazardous to your wealth. Retired now so don't big payday any more.

#### spinnaker

Joined Oct 29, 2009
7,835
The cashier told me, "Here is your winning number." So, I'm good.
Funny I was told the same thing.

#### GopherT

Joined Nov 23, 2012
8,012
Funny I was told the same thing.
I'm sure you misunderstood her. I don't think my cashier would have made a mistake on such an important transaction.

EDIT: it is possible we picked the same numbers!

#### GopherT

Joined Nov 23, 2012
8,012
So, since my cashier said, "here are your winning numbers" last week, I realized that she may have meant those numbers were the winning numbers but she didn't clarify which week they will win. So I played the same numbers again.

Somebody has to win, right?

#### JoeJester

Joined Apr 26, 2005
4,390
I'm tempted to play the most frequent numbers, the numbers long overdue, and three random sets.

The real question is ... will it hit a billion dollar jackpot tonight?

#### djsfantasi

Joined Apr 11, 2010
7,223
I foolishly bought a second ticket for the billion dollar jackpot.

#### GopherT

Joined Nov 23, 2012
8,012
I'm tempted to play the most frequent numbers, the numbers long overdue, and three random sets.

The real question is ... will it hit a billion dollar jackpot tonight?
The claims on the news are funny. One channel reports that you have better odds of winning with an Easy a Pick because 70% of winners have been Easy Pick. Another channel reports that people bother to select specific numbers for 30% of the tickets sold. The first station needs to hire a statistician, or at least a high school graduate.

#### BR-549

Joined Sep 22, 2013
4,938
I bought one. I can't afford to get too excited.

#### GopherT

Joined Nov 23, 2012
8,012
I foolishly bought a second ticket for the billion dollar jackpot.

#### JoeJester

Joined Apr 26, 2005
4,390
I typically play five sets of numbers ... with the multiplier. Who knows. If I win the big one, and I always select the cash option, I'll be looking for some hunting land and a new pickup, and, and, and, oh well, let's not get too excited.

#### R!f@@

Joined Apr 2, 2009
9,740
Get your ass over here with the money.

#### djsfantasi

Joined Apr 11, 2010
7,223
Mathematically, you're correct. In reality, the difference in the odds between one and two tickets is so really really very very very tiny so as to be practically the same as just buying one. Now if one were foolish to spend millions on tickets, you might practically increase your odds.

On the other hand, the practical difference between one ticket and no tickets approaches really really very very very big (word choice here purely for amusement value ).

#### BR-549

Joined Sep 22, 2013
4,938
I recall reading that when these big draws come around, that a lot of people and investment companies buy thousands of tickets. Some investors and gamblers even go 50k.

I believe I read on that last one, one foreign group bought over 100k.

#### JoeJester

Joined Apr 26, 2005
4,390
Big time players will play all conceivable numbers if the return is right.

Otherwise, their people figure out the minimum to buy for a decent return.

#### GopherT

Joined Nov 23, 2012
8,012
Big time players will play all conceivable numbers if the return is right.

Otherwise, their people figure out the minimum to buy for a decent return.
We are getting close to those odds. 1:292M for a $900M payout. It will cost$594M to buy all combinations to get your $900M. The risk comes if there is more than one winner. The problem is that you need a high speed card writer to fill out 292M tickets. #### tracecom Joined Apr 16, 2010 3,944 If you haven't already bought tickets, don't bother; the fix is in. I bought a report from a Nigerian lawyer that gave me the winning numbers for tonight's drawing; it only cost 10 grand and is guaranteed. If the numbers don't hit, he will refund double the price I paid. No way I can lose! #### JoeJester Joined Apr 26, 2005 4,390 No big winner tonight. Some estimate the jackpot by Wednesday will be near 1.4 billion. I did manage to win$24 on a ticket last night, so I lost 1 dollar on my tickets.

Well, I'll be playing Wednesday. We will see how it goes as it probably will be a madhouse with that unreal jackpot.

#### tracecom

Joined Apr 16, 2010
3,944
Good news!

I got an email last night from Nigeria. Due to a typo, my numbers were all reversed, so the lawyer said I could get the correct numbers for Wednesday's drawing for half price...5 grand...so I sent him a money order last night before the sucker could change his mind. That means that for a total investment of only $15,000, I will win$1,500,000,000; apparently, the lawyer can't add and subtract. I am sooo smart.