The same four digits have hit in the daytime Big 4 lottery drawing in three out of the past four days.
Yesterday, 5048 was the winning Big 4 number, as seen on Lottery Post's Pennsylvania Results Page. On Saturday, 8504 was the winning number, and 5408 hit on Friday.
Also, 4508 hit in the Aug. 9 midday Big 4 drawing.
The odds of any one four-digit number hitting on a given day are 1-in-10,000. Someone who regularly plays a "boxed" ticket -- that is, uses the same four digits, but rearranges them to produce different numbers -- could have won three times in four days, and four times this month.
He wouldn't have taken home a lot of money, though. A 50-cent bet on a boxed ticket with four different digits wins $100.
Folks appear to have picked up on the trend -- yesterday's Big 4 drawing paid out to 679 winners, more winners than for any other midday Big 4 drawing this month. Throughout August, the Big 4 midday drawing averaged about 284 winners statewide.
The strange run of luck capped a week in which a Lottery glitch raised a few eyebrows -- even though the Lottery's Web page said midday drawings are held at 1:35 p.m., the Post-Gazette and other news organizations received the Daily Number and Big 4 drawing results around 1:15 p.m.
Lottery officials insist there's nothing fishy about the midday drawings, explaining to Tom Barnes, our Harrisburg bureau chief, that the winning digits are picked by one of two "random number generators" -- basically, computers labeled "A" and "B" -- operated by one of 15 lottery staff employees. The computer that will draw the numbers on a given day is chosen by the flip of a coin.
The drawing itself is monitored by a private auditing firm.
Earlier in the year, a similar run of luck accompanied the number 474. That combination won the Daily Number four times in less than a month, at one point hitting twice on the same day, June 12.
The evening Big 4 and Daily Number drawings are overseen by a lottery official and senior citizen, and are broadcast on live television. Bouncing balls, numbered 0 through 9, are pulled from a tumbler machine.
The sets of balls for the Daily Number, as well as the Big 4, are replaced roughly every other month. To make sure the balls aren't tampered with, the Lottery rotates several sets among the tumbler machines.
I just spent about a half an hour looking at PA's midday numbers and there's no big deal about the 5408 comb. hitting. More people didn't just play that number and win any more than many other numbers. On Mondays for instance not a lot of people hit midday's numbers but as the week progresses more people hit various numbers. Many recorded wins for any given number was anywhere from 260 to 649.
I have a friend who made a random number generator box. He has it in his store on any given day a person can hit the button and a set of numbers will be drawn. I have seen the generator produce the same number twice on more than one occasion. This box is just something he put together using Radio Shack parts. People coming into the store to play the lottery sometimes hit the button and play whichever numbers comes up. Some people have won doing this. A couple customers use the thing every time they play.
If the same number came up exact every time over and over or even out of order than I would say the rng box was broke. But that's not what happened in Pa. I wish i lived in Pa i would have cleaned up because that is one of my favorite numbers to play 5408
more and more pieces of the puzzle uncovered... now if they would only mention if they generate all 4 numbers at once or 4 separate RNG picks for each digit...
Only one of our predictors cashed in on it. four4me had it when it first hit on Monday August 9th midday and again on the Friday August 20th midday. Nobody called it on this past Saturday or Monday. Hmmmmmmmmmmm.
PA is not doing any favors for anybody they are running a business. The fact that people caught onto a number is predictable in a sense. A number that hit 4 times since the beginning of the year and 2 times so close together sparks interest in that number. Players probably said after it hit twice that it might be possible it would hit again and put money on it. I don't think there's any tampering going on it was just the luck of the draw. I'm glad many people hit it.
On any given day in any state it is possible a number will hit back to back in or out of order.
I don't know if anyone remembers this, but PA did have a scandal years ago where the balls were tampered with on their pick 3 or 4 and the people involved got busted.
If the use of RNG's from their computers spreads across the states, I think there will be a drastic drop in sales and player interest....example, CA, which uses computer generated random numbers. I'd be curious to see a per capita comparison of sales between CA and other states that use the old ping pong ball method. Also, it is a little shady to hold a drawing in private and announce the results after the draw.
Computers are great, but I don't want their computer picking the winning numbers when their computer system also gave out the numbers to play for the "quick pick" players. It just doesn't seem right.
One of the posters mentioned "boycott" the drawings. An excellent idea and a way to get their attention. Without the players there is no lottery and therefore no added income to the state.
well well well. i guess PA has some explaining to do.
This would'nt have happened if they used actual ball machines.
Welcome to my little world...
Suddenly, all of my "tirades" concerning the Hoosier Lottery don't seem quite so ridiculous, do they?
Sounds like a person could break even of make some money by boxing the last numbers drawn for 50¢. or maybe better if a trend could be detected.
RJOh
it said that people seem to be catching on to it.
I just spent about a half an hour looking at PA's midday numbers and there's no big deal about the 5408 comb. hitting. More people didn't just play that number and win any more than many other numbers. On Mondays for instance not a lot of people hit midday's numbers but as the week progresses more people hit various numbers. Many recorded wins for any given number was anywhere from 260 to 649.
I have a friend who made a random number generator box. He has it in his store on any given day a person can hit the button and a set of numbers will be drawn. I have seen the generator produce the same number twice on more than one occasion. This box is just something he put together using Radio Shack parts. People coming into the store to play the lottery sometimes hit the button and play whichever numbers comes up. Some people have won doing this. A couple customers use the thing every time they play.
If the same number came up exact every time over and over or even out of order than I would say the rng box was broke. But that's not what happened in Pa. I wish i lived in Pa i would have cleaned up because that is one of my favorite numbers to play 5408
Doesn't sound the least bit unsual to me I live in Texas!
This month 785 Midday 08/10
961 Evening08/10
785 Evening 08/11
518 Midday 08/16
815 Midday 08/18
758 Evening 08/20
169 Evening 08/24
This is a common in Texas .................................................Joy
more and more pieces of the puzzle uncovered... now if they would only mention if they generate all 4 numbers at once or 4 separate RNG picks for each digit...
Only one of our predictors cashed in on it. four4me had it when it first hit on Monday August 9th midday and again on the Friday August 20th midday. Nobody called it on this past Saturday or Monday. Hmmmmmmmmmmm.
My guess is that it won't hit again anytime soon and lots of people will be throwing away 50 cents or more on these numbers.
If the PA lottery has caught on, then that is true. They could be doing this as a favor to the players.
BOYCOTT MIDDAY DRAW !!!
I don't know if anyone remembers this, but PA did have a scandal years ago where the balls were tampered with on their pick 3 or 4 and the people involved got busted.
If the use of RNG's from their computers spreads across the states, I think there will be a drastic drop in sales and player interest....example, CA, which uses computer generated random numbers. I'd be curious to see a per capita comparison of sales between CA and other states that use the old ping pong ball method. Also, it is a little shady to hold a drawing in private and announce the results after the draw.
Computers are great, but I don't want their computer picking the winning numbers when their computer system also gave out the numbers to play for the "quick pick" players. It just doesn't seem right.
One of the posters mentioned "boycott" the drawings. An excellent idea and a way to get their attention. Without the players there is no lottery and therefore no added income to the state.