Thirteen players cashed at least 20 tickets paying more than $600 in 2011
Most people who play the lottery won't win more than a few bucks. But there are people in South Florida who win big money almost every week.
A Plantation woman has won at least $600 more than 240 times in the past 19 years, according to a Sun Sentinel analysis of individual Florida Lottery winnings dating to 1993. A Hollywood man won $5,000 at least 52 times last year. The winningest player for 2011, a resident of Pasco County, cashed 100 Play 4 tickets for a total of $500,000.
These winners are bound by more than just luck. They all play games that offer better odds than Powerball or Lotto. And they play them regularly, almost methodically.
"Cash 3 and Play 4 players tend to be more consistent and regular in their play," lottery secretary Cynthia F. O'Connell said. "They play at least one drawing a day and sometimes both."
Consider the odds: Powerball players have a one-in-175 million chance of winning. The probability of selecting six of 53 numbers in Lotto is one in 23 million. The odds of buying a winning Play 4 ticket are considerably better — one in 10,000, though the maximum payout is $5,000.
The Sun Sentinel analysis examined winnings of $600 or more, including the scratch-off games. Winners who receive less than $600 are not required to fill out identifying information and may claim winnings directly from retailers.
Play 4, which is drawn twice daily, has more winners in the Florida Lottery's database of reportable wins than any other game. Another twice-daily game, Cash 3, pays $500.
Mike Patel, owner of Tuzzo's Circle News in Hollywood, said some customers will drop $200 or more a day on tickets. "But for others, it's just a hobby," he said.
A convenience-store owner in Orlando, who doesn't want to be identified, hit Play 4 30 times in 2011 after buying $30 worth of tickets a day — as he had been doing for years. His four numbers came up once in 2011. For one Plantation woman, who declined to be interviewed, Play 4 has yielded at least $1.2 million. Since 1996, she has cashed 248 Play 4 tickets at about six convenience stores, according to the Lottery's database.
"She's a nice lady, but sometimes, she comes in here to play all her numbers. It holds up the line," one employee of a Plantation store said. "Then, the non-lottery part of our business suffers."
A Miami laborer said he's in the red this year, even though he won $150,000 by hitting 30 Play 4s in 2011.
"No, I'm not ahead," he said. "You always play more than you win. But it's a choice you make. I like playing."
Of about a dozen multiple winners contacted by the Sun Sentinel, none wanted to be named. That's to be expected, said Pat Fowler, of the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling.
"If you're winning multiple times on the daily games, I'd have to assume you must be playing frequently," she said. "And as they begin to develop various levels of problem gambling, they become much more secretive about it. They don't want people to know how much they're gambling, or that they're losing."
The state requires players who have won $600 or more to cash their tickets at a lottery district office, which in South Florida means either Miami or West Palm Beach. A recent Monday morning visit to the lottery office in Miami found about 75 players waiting to cash their tickets.
Miami resident Chris Bee, who arrived with a winning Monopoly scratch-off ticket, said he's lost money on the lottery this year.
"I play a lot, and I lose a lot," he said. "But when you hit that lucky one ... "
O'Connell, the lottery secretary, said focusing on players who have won $600 or more is somewhat arbitrary, because many people who don't win big amounts still enjoy the games.
"Winners might get $10, $100, $200, and they're excited and enthusiastic about that, and they'll come back and play some more," she said. "And there are millions of them that love our product."
That includes Safritz Massenat, 83, a daily player at a Shop 'N' Save Mini Mart in Fort Lauderdale. He said he spends $50 to $100 a day on a variety of games, and has seen plenty of people here win. Records show the Shop 'N' Save has had 98 winners of $600 more, totaling $311,824.
But no Powerball or Lotto winners, he noted.
"The big one," he said. "That's when you'll hear from me. And it might be tonight."
Pick 3 and Pick 4 are the state's form of the "one-arm-bandit".
No matter how you slice and dice pick 3 and pick 4, unless you refine your skills to hit exact order every drawing spending $5 or less per drawing, you are only paying the state to play the lottery.
Pick 3 and pick 4 are the states most expensive online games to play.
Mike Patel, owner of Tuzzo's Circle News in Hollywood, said some customers will drop $200 or more a day on tickets. "But for others, it's just a hobby," he said.
Check your tickets real close, if you go there to cash 'em.
"to hit exact order every drawing spending $5 or less per drawing, "
Every drawing??
My math figures for exact order comes to 2 times out of a hundred to be ahead in pick 3.
Pick3 and Pick4 games are the biggest money makers in every state that have lotteries so it shouldn't be a surprise that many of the players of these games have gambling problems.
And why is that?
True.
The reason as I see it is many pick 3 and pick 4 players are not disciplined in their wagering strategy on playing the game. They are playing too many numbers per draw and not getting any hits (very costly).
They need to learn to filter down their plays to just a few per draw and have hits in a time frame that returns a profit. Patience is a key factor in the game.
That is why I prefer to select a few keepers out of the list I post and use those for awhile. I am a cheap player for maximum benefit.
For some of them, the lottery is the only entertainment alot of those retired players have. Most of them have no bills so why not play heavy on these games. Gets most of them out of the house.
I agree!
We are the popular state for retirees. They play heavily which is why I often wondered why we don't win the Powerball more often particularly given the fact that we are one of the bigger contributors but the report from the state lottery and this article confirms the reasons behind that. The 3 and 4 ball games are far more appealing amonng that age group that has the time, energy and resources.
When I vacationed there last summer, I had a blast. I was playing S/B and won several times. I averaged about 20 bucks a draw (spending)
In my opinion, this is the best response thus far...and I've mentioned the first word in the fourth sentence here many, many times regarding Pick 3. A player can simply put together one or two formats, which will contain all the numbers minus strategic filtering, and come out ahead with patience because the formats must absolutely be drawn at some point. Most players really don't start with enough numbers from the get go...and wonder why the numbers never hit.
This is a game of starting with all of the numbers in one format, and then removing specific pairs, sums, etc. to further narrow down costs. Players that do the one number deal for days on end are only wasting money. Sorry to be so forward but, it's the truth and I'm only trying to help. Quit waiting on 4-9-7, as an example, to hit at some point because "it hasn't fell in over a year."
Now, if we look further into this number, 4-9-7 is a "format" of the Even-Odd-Odd combination. This means that a player needs to BEGIN WITH ALL THE NUMBERS IN THIS FORMAT, FIRST, in order to experience high odds of getting paid at some point. Why? Because if ANY combination of Even-Odd-Odd is drawn, you already have a 90% chance of matching that combination. The other 10% is based on whether or not the filtering works out. If it does, you automatically win on that format.
Been doin' this for a long time...and a player needs to begin with a WHOLE instead of PIECES...then narrow down. When I do play, this is how I roll...and it works well. Gotta be patient, though, as you've mentioned. The more complete formats a player can afford to play, the better the odds of winning. Pre-draws are, again, designed to put back in what the player has filtered out which is where the challenge lies. Very good post, JAP69.
L.L.
the best feasible from my charts to hit a str8 is twice a week...otherwise you are trying to hard...i try to keep my budget to 2.50 per draw...only box bets at 1/2 dollar until i get some winning momentum...
pick 3 preys on seniors, who dont use computers, dont know patterns and play superstiously...
interesting enough with the introduction of slots at racing venues...the lottery commission can have its cake and eat it too...
yes refining your skills to hit exact order at least ONCE per month is the key...because you can always bet more when you have a friendly patterns...which is why the pick 3 threads are beginning to annoy me
because there are so few people who have that skill...and i i hate looking through so many contradictory picks...
yes and many of these gambling problem people clog up the terminals...which is very annoying as well....and with the liability cap...the lottery commission never loses...
Perdue, I highly support your reasoning as well...and include this as a best response. $5 is a bit low but, can be done so long as a whole format is the starting point. $10-$15 will produce some very good results with a little patience on one format. Happens every single day.
L.L.
"Of about a dozen multiple winners contacted by the Sun Sentinel, none wanted to be named. That's to be expected, said Pat Fowler, of the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling."
Or the obvious answer; they told the Sun Sentinel to mind their own business. They already knew each winner was given a W-2G multiple times yet Pat Fowler of the FCCG ignorantly assumes they are all compulsive gamblers.
Boney526,
When time*treat said:
Mike Patel, owner of Tuzzo's Circle News in Hollywood, said some customers will drop $200 or more a day on tickets. "But for others, it's just a hobby," he said.
Check your tickets real close, if you go there to cash 'em.
the refernece was ro quite a few news stories about clerks telling players that had handed them their tickets to be checked the ticket was a loser or only won a few dollars and then the clerk "swining" with (stealing) the ticket and cashing it later. An inordinate number of these clerks have been people named Patel.
'Toss, I remember you mentioning in the past that you worked at a casino(s) before. Talk to me a little bit about the odds of Pick 3 vs. Roulette...and any trends you've seen in your experiences while at the casino. The reason I ask is because, while I'm pretty strong with Pick 3, I prefer Roulette due to seemingly better odds...and I can generate more money faster and more consistently.
In the end it's all numbers, but I saw where the table game produced much better results for the money I was willing to spend on each spin. I got hip to this from several other top dog 'Roulette Raiders'.
L.L.
l can help you a lot because the only games i play are pick3 ,pick4 and roullette. And this is my true story if you want to believe it do and if you don't want to its ok. l was at home one day in florida and i said to myself why don't you use your maths skill to gamble since i was among the top ten in maths in my class so i said ok i will try. i began playing pick3 and pick4 .i bought 0175 on sunday night for two days and on sunday night i did not win .so on monday night i bought another 0175 on cash4 fifty cents straight and i forgot i bought one on sunday night for two days. so on monday night i was watching tv draw and the winning number was 0175 .i was so happy i won $2500 with fifty cents straight. while i was going thru my junk or lossing tickets i found another 0175 from sunday so now i have two $2500 tickets for total of $5,000. so i was like what do i do now . so i went to orlando mall and bought lots of clothes and shoes spent about $800 the cashier said my card was not good looking at me like i stole it. i said listen i won the lottery and my card is full and good so why dont you look for another machin to scan it with that must be the only bad thing i see. she said ok what ever and found a new machin terminal and my card was good and i said you see i told you so.so when you win people will think you stole money .so now my next move was to fly to atlantic city for the first time with my new lucky white jacket to gamble like trump. so i was in the plane and the flight attendant said what do you want i said the best you have ,i was feeling like a high roller now eating in the sky and plane tilting just enough for me to see America bellow me that was sweet. so now i get to atlantic city and went to Bogata casino and walked arround and nothing got my interest except the skimpy women and cute hostess until i saw the roullette table. l fell in love with the roullette table and the dealer said its easy play red or black or numbers. so i played numbers and i won alot and lost alot and at the end of round one i lost $200. I was like wow how do i get my $200 back so i took out another $200 from ATM and the dealer said you back and i said yes i be back like terminator. so this time i built a new strategy i bet $1 on fifteen different numbers and i bet $12 each on any three numbers on the same role so i bet on 13,14,15 and my little bets arround it like security incase i miss my big bet. So the ball landed on 13 and i won big and at the end i walked away with profit of $1200 not bad for first time on a roullette table. so now i win on cash3 and take the money to casino roullete and i win on roullette and use the money to play cash3 and cash4. so my point is instead of compairing odds on this three games why dont you treat them like three girl friends that you have and love and not sure which one of them will make you happy tonight. Because life is so complex bet on the unexpected since you are asking of ways to win. for example if you want to bet $100 on red l will say bet against yourself and bet $50 on black and $25 on zero and the last $25 on zero zero. Try it tonight and tell me how it went. lol
Thank you. My reasoning is pick 3 and pick 4 are the only lotteries that have two drawings every day. At $5 per drawing you're looking at $60 to $70 per week and that's just on the low end of betting on these games. And if you're playing both games everyday you're looking at $120 to $140 a week multiply any of these numbers times 4 and you're possibly looking at a house note payment.
And yes, the game is fun as all get out but just as expensive. That's why most of my playing is on paper and it's only when I see an improvement in my predictions will I begin to pay to play.
Florida Lottery's repeat winners don't always come out ahead
prolly should read: Lottery repeat winners don't always come out ahead
when you play way more than you win
YIKES
Hi Joe. I really like the part about three girlfriends! However, three girlfriends is always more expensive than just one, LOL!! I do see where you're coming from though...the momentum on one game could very well be much better than the others. Well, let me tell you a little about what I do. Pretty much everything game-wise has been incorporated online in some way, okay. There are various softwares one can download which contain various games for one to practice on, or, play for real. Well, I have most of them, and I spend my time actually testing the consistency of the software which powers these games.
For the most part, I spend my time on the Craps and Roulette deals in an effort to substantiate claims of the games' being able to produce (mimic) the real deal. Generally, and from data I've gathered thus far, they're pretty much on point...you don't lose all the time and neither do you win all the time. And, as on slot machines, the higher you bet the more you win and the more consistent the wins are...within reason.
Can't be greedy just like with anything else. But, my research was to try and discover what I felt were hidden trends within the games...things which would unawaringly tell off that it's about to start paying off really well. I believe I've found such a sign and I'm now working on the consistency of this particular thing which happens. I test the software in time limited sessions over and over just to establish whether or not it's random, or, a purposely timed event based on bet level and coverage. It's an "intelligent" software.
Now, I'm not certified in this area or anything like that, okay. But, I know how to test what they claim the games are suppose to do...and if it's supposed to do a certain thing, then that certain thing must surely convey a sign of some type in some way. My logic is this: we're humans programming these machines and we're not perfect which renders the softwares imperfect. Just like with anything else, when there's a change, it's detectable and we see it...or should at least because everything is on a pattern of some sort.
In my opinion, this is why there are so many pre-draws in all the Pick games...players can easily figure that from one single draw to the next, the same thing is very unlikely to happen. Look at how single digits repeat from one draw to the next...with (10) ten numbers to choose from. Want better? Try having the same exact pair of numbers repeat. How about the exact same (3) numbers returning? Numerical cycling. This can help and hurt players alike. The player that removes such numbers and pairs will lose. The one that plays it all back on that particular draw will win. It's a wash and designed this way purposely.
I'm honestly trying to get as good as a few fellas I know personally that move pretty good paper on virtual Roulette and Craps...couldn't believe it. I, personally, could never do it with Pick 3 or Pick 4 and I consider my self pretty descent with the ball games. I think you get my point. Hey, thanks for the response and I might just get a "Trump" jacket also even though my personal Vegas is right at home!! Take care, man!!
L.L.
Lucky Loser,
From the other side of the pit, roulette is a pain to deal because it attracts so many systems (odd / even, black / red, etc...) and cheats, mostly past posters and past posters teamed with a blocker or blockers.
As far as odds go, of course they're a lot better on roulette. The house edge for almost all the bets is 5.26% and Pick 3 is much more than that.
When the casinos put those poles next to the wheels that track the last spins roulette revenue went up 23%.
Just as with all the other games, the casino 'will fly system players to come play'. Most people are really 'stayers not players' - "Came to stay, not to play" - and the longer they play the more chance they give the odds to prove themselves.
There's one system that sounds great but is a real trap- 1 to 18 and the 3rd dozen. Theorhetically you have 30 numbers going for you and 8 against you. Sounds good, right? Even when it wins it's a real grind but it doesn't win that often.
ok cool. if the story i told above sounds too good to be true well welcome to my life because i have better ones too. On february the 22nd 2012 .l was travelling from houston texas to chatanooga tennessee so i decided to stop on i-24 an interstate between georgia and tennessee to play cash4 box. few days earlier i remembered i was in texas and i played 4424 and 4422 trying to win $600 and $400 for fifty cents box because triplets and twins pay more money but the result was like 2246 so i lost . Now am between georgia and tennessee and i came up with a new strategy i decided to play 2246 4246 6246 all box for $1 each and told the retailer to run all twice and i drove one mile to tennessee side of the interstate and played the same numbers twice.My plan was if i don't win in tennessee i will win in georgia so i was optimising my odds and also it was a wednesday and i play even numbers on wednesday so i was confident.That night on the 22nd of february 2012 something miraculous happened georgia cash4 result was 4662 and tennessee cash4 result was 4626 so they are practically the same numbers but different arrangement so i won $800 in tennessee and $800 in georgia both with the same number on the same night from two seperate lottery system and two seperate states .l was so happy even james bond can't pull this off in real life. So i went to smokey barbecue in chattanooga tennessee and tore the house down with ribs and beer and tip five waitresses that took care of my appetite.So i dont use people systems or software personally i have a natural app in my brain to deal with and last christmas like two days b4 christmas i won six cash3 tickets in florida for $500 each for total of $3,000 and took a vacation with it to key west and spent all $3,000 in seven days well rooms alone was like $250 per night.so far have won cash3 in as many as twenty different states.l also won $250 in clarksville tennesse drove 15miles to kenturky and won $600 because kenturky pays $100 extra in price.l went to missouri won $1200 and after i cashed that i used my winning to play for another $100 and i won again in missouri for $3,000 last month. so you have to use your own style and ideas with no game plan just go with the flow and have fun with it .i dont think i ever need to buy anyones software so am happy with my natural app which is my thinking process. my next big win will hopefully take me to hawaii thats my goal so i dont really care about powerball and mega millions but i do play them only after i win cash3 and cash4 or the jackpot gets to $250,000,000 then i start having lotto fever. lol
I think the odds on ANY casino game are more in the favor of gamers than the odds on any state online lottery games
You sound like a lucky guy Joe.
Feel free to post or send me some numbers for Tennessee.
Thanks.
lucky he is, and so are the gas stations, motels and food joints in all those states that he seems to be constantly traveling in to play these things while his profit margin is being chewed to threads. if it works continue, but a dry spell or a well timed or placed tornado could upset the applecart for this guy.
Well am alot more smarter than you think. l have a class A CDL and l drive a tractor trailer for an expedited company.And l do have a co driver and we both can drive from florida east coast to california west coast in less time than you think. We both can drive about 1500 miles in any 24hr period.So i get paid to travel and i do not pay for any gas not even one penny.Last two weeks i was in mineapolis MN for the first time and the first day the thursday 26th of april 2012 i played cash3 and lost $40 but the next day friday the 27th of april i played cash3 again and won $660 .l could not cash it because the retailer gave me the winning number 665 for $2 straight and box but i wanted $1 straight and box since everystate interpret state and box differently i won over $600 . i hate winning over $600 on one ticket .The retailer tried to cancel it as i requested but the machine in MN closed at 6.05pm unlike florida 7.45pm so i told her ok i will keep it. it won so now i had to wait till monday to go to lottery office downtown and then visit the Mall of America and have fun.But my company didn't keep me there till monday they sent me to fort wayne indiana .So for now am stuck with the winning ticket wraped in plastic bag in my wallet the only thing that can distroy it is water.l may mail it and claim it by mail but i have six months or more i think to claim it so now am just letting it relax in my wallet.So sorry i dont pay for gas or motel my company pay for all plus for everymile that i travel so my job is perfect for my lottery goals.As we speak now am watching a flat screen tv in my truck sleeper at a truckstop in ohio and chatting with you on my laptop connected to my iphone .So maybe we can have lunch someday i come to your state lol.
Roll on, (roll on) big mama, I like the way you sing
Roll on (roll on) big mama, the night time lets her breathe
Well, the feel of the wheel delivers me from a life where I don't wanna be
And the diesel smoke with every stroke sings a song with a heavy note
And ramblin is the life I chose, sittin here between the doors
The yellow line a keepin time, with the things that's a runnin through my mind, through my mind
Roll on (roll on) big mama, I like the way you roll
Roll on (roll on) big mama, you are my very soul
On through the snow and the drivin rain, to the forty-below in Bangor Maine
To the hundred-and-ten in the Texas sun, there ain't no road that we ain't run
Up through the Colorado mountain tops, Down to the desert where Reno stops
North to the green of Coeur D' Alene There ain't no road that we ain't seen We ain't seen
Roll on (roll on) big mama, you're singing out my song
Roll on (roll on) big mama, the highway is our home,
Roll on(roll on) big mama.
Hey anybody got a copy on this silver roadhog? What's the smokey situation down the way, boys? Mighty fine, I'm a commin I'm a commin.
~Joe Stampley
Gamer; a person who plays a game or games, typically a participant in a roll playing game.
Noun
Right you are on all accounts here! This morning and evening I watched a friend of mine make $315 first, and then $405...$720 on two sessions which were around 20-25 min. each!!!! Not bad at all in my book!!! As a side note, this was also above and beyond what he started with. He did go under for a couple of rounds before things took off, though... which I believe is the key. A player has to be willing to lose FIRST before making money in the end. This costs money, and, is something most players aren't willing to part with. Can't have your cake and eat it, too. Only the government can do that.
I ended up with only $200 and $150 for my two sessions...chump change. I'll get better, though...trust me on that.
L.L.