My roommate bought a Powerball ticket with these numbers: 1,2,3,4,5,6 (PB). I told him he was an idiot.

Taupe wrote:

Why wouldn't he pick random numbers? He completely shot himself in the foot.

His choice of numbers has as much chance to win as any other combination of six numbers.

That chance?

1 in 292,000,000. Effectively 0%.

We had a big debate at work years ago about whether to play the same numbers of just go randomly generated all the time. I was on the it shouldn't make any difference side, but there were some people who swore playing the same number gave better odds at eventually winning.

malmo wrote:

Mojo Jerkin wrote:

Actually, he is an idiot.

While those #'s have just as good a chance of winning as any others, he can probably assure himself of having to share the prize with dozens of others who pick them.

How does having to share the jackpot make him an idiot? The objective isn't to be the lone winner, it's to be a winner. Any set of numbers, whether or not it involves sequential series, or birthdays, or historical numbers, or song titles, is a random set. All have exactly the same possibility of winning.

Thinking that you don't want to win unless you keep it all to yourself is not only wishful thinking, it's crazy talk.

Seriously? This response is so poorly-informed that it makes me re-evaluate your running advice.

A ticket costs the same $2 whether you choose a number that nobody else picked or a number that a bunch of other people picked. Even if you don't care about the extra money, surely you have family, friends, a charity, a track scholarship in your name, etc. to spend it on.

Poorly informed? You sound like a drunk college kid. All ticket choices have an equal chance of winning. Concocting reasons why the return on some sets of numbers will be different, while true, is irrelevant.

All tickets have an equal chance of winning. They do not have equal payouts.

Meh. When the winning numbers are drawn, they will be what they are. Your choice of numbers has no bearing on that. It's better to win with numbers in an obvious pattern like that, and share the pot, than to not win with a less obvious choice of numbers.

Many are pointing out that your odds of winning are so low that the cost of a ticket exceeds the expected payout. I've seen various calculations, and they seem reasonable to me. However, this analysis ignores the fact that there is some value to the enjoyment of knowing that you *might* win such an enormous jackpot, and checking the numbers to see if you did. I don't know what that is for me, exactly, but I know it's more than the enjoyment I get out of a $2 cup of coffee, so I bought a single $2 ticket from a store with no line. I normally don't buy them, as the non-zero enjoyment would fade quickly from losing all the time. But a few times per year? Why not.

People play powerball and other games of chance for their entertainment value. In the case of powerball, for the cost of $2, you can entertain yourself with the notion that you just might be the one-in-a-zillion winner.

Similarly, we gamble in Vegas as a source of entertainment. We know if we play any casino game long enough we will lose (as long as you are not cheating). Therefore, we treat it as a source of entertainment. Sometimes expensive entertainment - but still its entertainment - NOT AN INVESTMENT.

The Powerball is never mathematically in your favor financially. It's 1 in about 292million you pick it correctly. With a $2 ticket and the pot at $1.3B the odds would appear to be in your favor. But reality is they will sell in the neighborhood of a Billion tickets probably more so the there will almost certainly 2 or more. Then the jackpot really isn't $1.3B. It's $1.3B over 20 years which is significantly less in today's monetary value due to inflation, which is why if you choose lump sum its so much less. We haven't even gotten into the huge percentage the winner will have to pay in taxes yet.

The lottery is a tax on the stupid.

Thinker of next things wrote:

All tickets have an equal chance of winning. They do not have equal payouts.

Lol

he won't understand bro

tax on math illiterate wrote:

Anyone who plays it at all is an idiot.

1. Tell that to whoever wins on Wed night.

2. You undoubtedly waste money on something, so spare us. We can afford a few bucks here.

Sanctimonious Jerk FInder wrote:

tax on math illiterate wrote:

Anyone who plays it at all is an idiot.

1. Tell that to whoever wins on Wed night.

2. You undoubtedly waste money on something, so spare us. We can afford a few bucks here.

Suppose I make you a bet: flip a fair coin. If it's heads you give me $2, if it's tails I give you $1. It turns out to be tails so I give you a buck. Does that mean you made a wise decision?

I think there is some validity to #2. You'd have to live a miserly existence if you rationally plan out what you do down to the last $2.

whyweplaypowerball wrote:

People play powerball and other games of chance for their entertainment value. In the case of powerball, for the cost of $2, you can entertain yourself with the notion that you just might be the one-in-a-zillion winner.

Similarly, we gamble in Vegas as a source of entertainment. We know if we play any casino game long enough we will lose (as long as you are not cheating). Therefore, we treat it as a source of entertainment. Sometimes expensive entertainment - but still its entertainment - NOT AN INVESTMENT.

This. Playing the lottery (in moderation) is no more stupid than going to a movie or eating at a restaurant. In all cases you derive some pleasure from the activity.

whyweplaypowerball wrote:

People play powerball and other games of chance for their entertainment value. In the case of powerball, for the cost of $2, you can entertain yourself with the notion that you just might be the one-in-a-zillion winner.

I assume that's sarcasm. The lottery is the least fun form of gambling possible, ranking slightly above taking a standardized test in terms of entertainment. It only survives because our benevolent government protects us from the fun forms of betting.

Thinker of next things wrote:

All tickets have an equal chance of winning. They do not have equal payouts.

Brilliant.

Playing is a no lose situation !

The $ 2 fee is so low that it has no economic value, so if you "lose", you have lost nothing. And if you WIN... !!!!!!!!!!!!!

So why not play, buying 1 ticket ?!

trailrunner72 wrote:

Playing is a no lose situation !

The $ 2 fee is so low that it has no economic value, so if you "lose", you have lost nothing. And if you WIN... !!!!!!!!!!!!!

So why not play, buying 1 ticket ?!

Yeah except this isn't how it works. A huge number of people who can't afford to waste money are buying tickets. A big emphasis on tickets as in more than one. There's plenty of people who can afford it who just buy one ticket to get a kick but the majority of the lottery tickets sold don't go to those types.

A large percentage of lottery tickets are paid for by our taxes whether through welfare, social security, or some other entitlement program.

So the combination he is playing is 1-2-3-4-5? That's the stupidest combination I've ever heard in my life! That's the kind of thing an idiot would have on their luggage.

When in college, a 5k guy stated this 1,2.3,4,5,6 idea...and a steepler said thats not a good idea, because there is always one or two numbers in the 20's or 30's. My buddy (a faster steepler) and I (1500 guy) started busting up. Anyhow, 25 years later, I still have not ever purchased a lottery ticket, and I probably have saved lots more money than those who have.

they are fine numbers in terms of randomness. Same odds as any other.

The problem is...

AND I almost guarantee those are actually THE most picked numbers because many people have the same wacky idea or just want to take a selfie with the numbers. You'll be splitting the jackpot 100 times.