Lottery

[DragonBoneandBlood]

So, for the first time in forever I am going the play the lottery.

Looking for lottery numbers to play so post your suggestions in your reply, or just yell at me, your choice.

 

If I win I will devote some winnings to the site and the users who picked the right numbers.

[xxXEvandarXxx]

PICK NUMBER THIRTY ONE! IS THAT A VALID LOTTERY NUMBER?! I AM YELLING AT YOU!!

[mattlittlej]

It's $1 for a chance to win roughly $300 million after taxes, and I'm sure most of us have that much in change in our sofas. That's how I bought my ticket, so it's not like I'll be out that buck if/when I lose.

[BlackRampage]

Choose a number above 31. Why? Because most people will choose the date of a birthday, wedding day, etc.

 

Whoever organizes the lottery will know this too. And, if they're smart, will adjust the winning numbers in such a way that numbers under 31 win less often then numbers above that.

[Korodic]

here is a spam of text I will create blindly. Randomly choose however many you need by closing your eyes and pointing ur finger and allowing yourself to stop whenever you feel like an idiot :P

 

654891848948485448542132165416574354108197812813551658425542941791546126454871842482842792845484841484565454

[Fonger]

here is a spam of text I will create blindly. Randomly choose however many you need by closing your eyes and pointing ur finger and allowing yourself to stop whenever you feel like an idiot :P

 

654891848948485448542132165416574354108197812813551658425542941791546126454871842482842792845484841484565454

or alternately

 

print it using a very large font

 

tape it to the wall

 

and throw darts at it.

[Marxist ßastard]

here is a spam of text I will create blindly. Randomly choose however many you need by closing your eyes and pointing ur finger and allowing yourself to stop whenever you feel like an idiot :P

 

654891848948485448542132165416574354108197812813551658425542941791546126454871842482842792845484841484565454

For ease-of-use, here's a sorted version:

 

011111111111111222222222233344444444444444444444444444455555555555555555666666677777888888888888888888999999

[RitualBlack]

Pick whatever numbers you feel good about. It is all random so if you had a one in a thousand chance of winning the next time you play those odds will not go up :laugh: . Good luck and have fun with it :thumbsup: .

[bben46]

As the numbers in the lottery are random, any set of numbers has exactly the same chance as any other set. No number has any more chance than any other number. Also, it doesn't matter how many people play, the odds are still exactly the same for any number. If more than one person picks the winning numbers, the prize is split between them.

 

The odds of being killed by lightning are much lower than those of winning the lottery jackpot.

 

Ref: Mega Millions odds = 1 in 176,000,000 (one in 176 million) It's the same no matter how many tickets are sold.

 

Other odds

Being killed by a hurricane = 1 in 6,000,000 (one in six million)

Being hit by lightning = 1 in 1,000,000 (One in one million)

Odds of dying = 1 in 1 :tongue: This is one odds that you will win - eventually.

[Marxist ßastard]

Mega Millions odds = 1 in 176,000,000

 

Being hit by lightning = 1 in 1,000,000

For the lottery, that analysis is actually pretty optimistic. Another way of looking at things: Only 60% of lottery revenues are paid back to winners. That means that for every $1 lottery ticket you buy, you are putting 40 cents down the drain on average. Best to just hand in a dollar to the cashier and ask for 60 cents back – it's the same thing in either case. Oh, what's that – the 40% comes from chumps who don't have a system? If you say so...

 

But hey, since you have a system and all, I bet you'll be going for the $100 M jackpot! Split five ways, you're still getting $20 M, and that sure is a big number... Except that when you take the lump sum, they shave off 40%. The lump sum isn't less because the lottery cares about you and wants you to be responsible for your earnings – it's actually the calculated present value of the 26-year annuity option. So whichever option you choose, you're out 40% to start. Now if you just walk up and claim your earnings, your name will be published in the newspaper under the heading GULLIBLE PEOPLE WHO HAVE RECENTLY COME INTO MONEY. So for the next 30 years, expect a procession of wild-eyed strangers claiming to be distant cousins and asking for "just" a couple million dollars. If you refuse, they will slash all your tires and take you to court – or they may just set your house on fire. Don't want that? Then you'll have to set up a lottery trust, a process that will put your entire life on hold for two weeks and may cost 10% of your winnings. So now you're down to $10 M, or perhaps as little as $5 M after taxes. If the trust is well-managed, you could then expect payouts of $150,000 per year.

 

It's no wonder that psychological surveys of jackpot winners have found that after a couple of years, they are universally miserable and often close to bankruptcy.

 

But you have a system, right?