Winning Lotto

[Stuntmann]

I'm decided to spend $2 a week to play lotto. Thus far I've been using quick pick, and most I ever got was 1 number right twice.


It seems that the numbers from quick pick are too spread out evenly, while the winning numbers are much more closer. Anyway to get the winning or some of the winning number given results for previous lottos?


Any method or any computer program that will do that for me?

 

[Skel]

Lotto is for suckers.

 

[Stuntmann]

Why?

 

[squirrels]

Why?

Because the odds are against you.

You want to make money gambling? Play blackjack and learn to count cards. Or play poker, where you're up against other human beings, not the odds of the house.

The numbers are chosen at random, most likely with a time-seeding method you won't be able to figure out. You're not going to make your fortune with a "lotto system". If you COULD, then they wouldn't run it...they'd be losing money.

If you're going to play, just write that dollar off as a one-in-a-million chance and accept that it's just a stupid game.

 

[Stuntmann]

Ahh, I get it, you two don't believe in playing game and scoring.


If I play twice a week, how much can I possibly loose in a year, and in return have an opportunity to win. With these odds, even if I win 50 bucks, I justify my year's worth of investment into lotto.

 

[speakeasy]

Lotto is for suckers.

True....until you win. I don't think I've ever bought a lotto ticket but when those jackpoys hit 100 million plus I grt tempted.

 

[Skel]

You are wasting your money. Do you have any idea of the odds of you winning the large jackpots?

Jackpot (all six winning numbers selected)
There are a total of 13,983,816 different groups of six numbers which could be drawn from the set {1, 2, ... , 49}. To see this we observe that there are 49 possibilities for the first number drawn, following which there are 48 possibilities for the second number, 47 for the third, 46 for the fourth, 45 for the fifth, and 44 for the sixth. If we multiply the numbers 49 x 48 x 47 x 46 x 45 x 44 we get 10,068,347,520. However, each possible group of six numbers (combination) can be drawn in different ways depending on which number in the group was drawn first, which was drawn second, and so on. There are 6 choices for the first, 5 for the second, 4 for the third, 3 for the fourth, 2 for the fifth, and 1 for the sixth. Multiply these numbers out to arrive at 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 720. We then need to divide 10,068,347,520 by 720 to arrive at the figure 13,983,816 as the number of different groups of six numbers (different picks). Since all numbers are assumed to be equally likely and since the probability of some number being drawn must be one, it follows that each pick of six numbers has a probability of 1/13,983,816 = 0.00000007151. This is roughly the same probability as obtaining 24 heads in succession when flipping a fair coin!

 

[Charm&Style]

there are people who spend 20+ bucks a week and dont win jack squat, you think with a measly 2 bucks you're going to actually win something?

 

[Skel]

They say you cant win if you dont play. What they dont say is you cant lose if you dont play.

 

[Stuntmann]

I have one word for you haters; PLAYA HATERS!!!


I wanna win. But my complaint is that there is a specific random thingy in all the winning numbers. They are kind of grouped together at one end, and the other end spreads out. On the tickets I get, all numbers are sort of spread evenly. So that's crappy random quick pick, IMO. I want something better.

 

[joekerr31]

dont listen to these people. sure the odds are insanely against you, as they are everyone else, and yet SOMEONE tends to win!

and for a measly 2 bucks you get a chance at total freedom. if you win you can travel the world, take care of your family, open any business you want, do just about anything you want, etc.

now, buying anything more than 1 ticket is a waste of money becuase your odds dont really change, they go from 1 in 14 million to 2 in 14 million.

on top of that, its better than gambling at the casino. at least the 2 bucks you spend is going back into the system and supporting charitable organizations and government programs.

 

[SmoothTalker]

Stuntmann, listen to Skel.
I don't care what pattern you think you see with them being grouped in some particular way, it is your imagination.

People that become convinced that they see a pattern in RANDOM gambling ,like lotto or slots, are the people that become gambling addicts.

Now when the jackpot gets really big, I might buy one ticket, just for the hell of it, and then I forget about that money because there's virtually no chance of winning.

But seriously, you probably have a better chance of striking it rich by saving the money you're spending on lottery tickets for 5 years and then placing it all on some wild penny stock.

Alternatively like someone mentioned, play a game that you have some control over. Blackjack, poker, horse racing. It's generally still gambling, but if you're good, you can make consistant profits. You also get better payouts, because what most people don't know is that lotteries are fundraisers (or stupidity tax for people that never studied probability, as I see it). Their role is not to make you rich, that's just the dream they use to get your money. But most jackpots are actually only a small portion of the money the lotto gets from ticket sales. They use most of it for whatever it is they are fundraising.

Besides, I've seen quickpick numbers that were almost in a row, so I don't believe you that they are always evenly spread out.

 

[SmoothTalker]

Lol man, you guys argue and yet you have no idea what the hell you're spewing about.

"now, buying anything more than 1 ticket is a waste of money becuase your odds dont really change, they go from 1 in 14 million to 2 in 14 million. "

Actually, if your odds went from 1/14,000,000 to 2/14,000,000, that's the same as 1/7,000,000.

Last time I checked, thats TWICE as good. Last time I checked, doubling your odds isn't exactly no change.

But this just goes to show you how ****ing unlikely it is. You can buy 100tickets, improving your odds 100 times over, and guess what, odds are you still won't win anything big.

 

[speakeasy]

They say the lotto is a tax for the poor.

 

[Skel]

They say the lotto is a tax for the poor.

I was going to mention something about that, but didnt want to offend anyone. Anyways, can you guess who the majority of people are who buy lotto tickets ? :rockon:

 

[moveup]

You clearly don't understand statistics or the nature of randomness.

That being said, most of the "tax on the poor" types don't understand economics, specifically economic utility.

 

[Stuntmann]

You so negative.

 

[Bling]

I was going to mention something about that, but didnt want to offend anyone. Anyways, can you guess who the majority of people are who buy lotto tickets ? :rockon:

That's what happens when you don't finish middle school.

 

[Latinoman]

If you approach the Lotto as if it was an "investment" or looking for "patterns" or putting a lot of money into it...you are simply wasting your time and energy. Not worthy under those circunstances.

But if you approach it the way I personally do when I decide to play it...as a way to throw one dollar away. Then you will be fine. Instead of tipping 20 or 25%...tip 15 to 18% and throw away that extra dollar to the lotto. If you lose...then you are losing a dollar that you were going to give away to somebody anyway (but this time you choose to give it to the State). If you win...then you are a winner.

But do NOT waste your time with patters and view this as an investment.

That's my only advice.

 

[Deep Dish]

People remember the hits and forget all the misses, so much so that it's its own term--the slot machine effect.

Any—and I mean any—alleged “winnings” from the lottery are instantly and forever lost the moment you try to reinvest it back into the lottery. Sure, you may earn $10,000 from one $1.00 ticket but in all probability you are guaranteed to lose it all if you invest in 10,000 more tickets. The Florida lottery has odds of 1-in-25 million and so even if you were a millionaire and invested $1 million on a $50 million jackpot, it would still be a losing proposition as you would still have a 96% chance of losing. So, yes, even if you increase your odds by a million you are still screwed.

Stuntmann:
I have one word for you haters; PLAYA HATERS!!!

You're a fool. Go ahead, waste your money on the lottery and thereby giving your money to Congressman to waste it on high paid hookers. Because that's exactly where it's going. Somebody will be getting pleasured and it won't be you.