Hi everyone, newbie and feeling discouraged

Hi everyone,

I'm a newbie and after being a lurker felt it was time to be a member.  For years I had only

played the lottery when the Jackpot was very high but towards the end of 2010 decided to

start playing PB and MM  much more along with buying scratch tickets.  Well let's just say an addiction

started happening for me. I kept hoping for that miracle I (like everyone else, lol) really needed.

The few times I ever won anything on PB was only getting the PB number. On scratch tickets I started out

doing well and then started hitting a bump in the road.  A few months ago I really had to reevaluate my

playing and have cut way back.  I had been playing both the PB and MM with the multiplier because I would

hate to be in a scenerio where if only I had spent a dollar more it would  have meant 1m as opposed to 200k

(though truth be told I would still have loved to get 200k).  In my state I even bought 2 raffle tickets for the

January 1st drawing and didn't win anything.  When I really start thinking about the odds of winning big it

seems astronomical and I get extremely depressed. I also know you can't win if you don't play.  So for the

last two months I've really tried to put myself on a budget and instead of buying both PB and MM weekly

have cut out the MM unless it gets very high.  In terms of the scratch tickets I've tried cutting down to about

1 or 2 a week.  It's always strange to me how sometimes I will read about a person winning the PB or MM

and that person saying they rarely played.   In my mind I always felt like everything would be okay if I could

just win the big one and now I just have to accept that most likely there never is going to be a big win for

me.  Thanks for listening everyone. I'm hoping everyone here gets some good winnings for 2012!

Hey shyguitar, congratulations on finally biting the bullet! Welcome to LP.

Yeah, we all get dry patch's from time to time. Goe's with the territory.   

I find that I'm alway's reevaluating my number picking system & budget, nothin in concrete.

Good luck going forward!

Howdy Shy,

Welcome to LP, come awn in, set a spell, have a drink or 2 but most of all have fun and be positive. Forget the "extremely depressed "part. The odds are never in your favor on winning anything BUUUUUUUUTTTTTTT, you can win and thats one thing you have to keep in mind. Being a financially responsible player is a good thing and solely concentrate on all the positives. That will bring you a better outlook  on the next win !   ENJOY

Hi shyguitar, and welcome to LP.

The first thing that came to mind when I saw your name was the amazing trio that played guitar for the Yardbirds (though mostly at different times of the band's existence) and that is Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page.  They were very good with the Yardbirds, but a shy guitar compared to what each one would go on to accomplish.

As for the lotto, try not to get discouraged and as long as you play just for fun (meaning that you're not counting on winning to pay the Gas & Electric bill) you should be fine.

But lotto is like a baseball season - it's a long haul so it's best to not get too up or too down with each win and loss, because there will be more of each as the year goes on.

And now that I started this baseball analogy, let me take it a step further to say that playing the lotto is like being a hitter.  Even the greatest hitters ever, who hit above .300 for a season, still fail close to 70% of the time.  So they have to have to long-term attitude and approach or they'll never make it.  Hitting slumps and lotto slumps are part of the game, so each has to be taken with a zen-like patience and long-term vision.

Good luck, and here's hoping that you hit a double off the wall in your next at bat.

Hello shyguitar, welcome to Lottery Post and I wish you the best of luck while my guitar gently weeps..

yes its funny that we are paying money to get bummed out every nite from losing, im thinking of quitting too

Shy welcome...tiggs guesses you haven't heard the new add...2.00 a ticket more winners more millionaires....???..

Welcome and good luck to you.  I think a lot of us go thru the same thing you are feeling right now.  Keep playing a little here and there and maybe your luck will turn around.  Keep it fun and don't lose anything that will get you depressed.  We have to support ourselves first, Lottery second.

Hey>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>shyguitar??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

what style guitar do U play?????????U>>>>>>>>>>>sound like a BLUES>>>>>>>>person 2 PSYKOMO!!!!!!!!

OBAMO and NANCY wants U >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>TRUST in GOD>>>>>>>>>>>>cheer^^^^^^UP^^^^!

much shall be required>>>>>according 2 our PRESIDENT!!!

(GM moters R selling the HELL outta government electric>>>>>>>CAR's>>>>>>>with UR TAX$$$money support) THANK'$

I just wanted to thank everyone for making me feel welcome.  It's interesting reading about

the guitar comments. I do play acoustic guitar but I'm no musician.  I'm so glad to have found

a site like this because most people think I'm just wasting my time playing the lottery. I don't have

any vices other than being a chocaholic (love chocolate lol)  so playing the lottery allows

me to have that dream when I buy my PB or MM ticket.  Sometimes I equate the lottery to the movie

"Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" and praying for that golden ticket.  The reason I started playing

in 2010 was because I was hoping that I could win enough to pay my daughter's college tuition

and money worries wouldn't be on my mind.   I know it's never good to count on something you

don't have but it never hurts to have a dream as long as my bills always get paid.

Welcome to the LP shyguitar..... remember stay positive & keep the faith....

Welcome to LP shyguitar  Happy winnings in 2012

Chocolate Lottery Tickets!

This'll be the biggest thing since my Chicken Soup in a Sponge!

Hi and welcome, shyguitar.  I learned how to play acoustic by watching a band in a coffee shop in Mobile.  I would run back to school a few blocks away and practice the chords, then run back and stare at the guitarist and try to figure out the next sequence of chords.  After a few weeks, I could finally play "Wish You Were Here".

I get the discouragement thing  . . . other members have provided apt analogies like baseball hitting stats, etc.  The best tactic I have found is adjusting my mental attitude for cost/benefit analysis.  If I can't make the drive to buy tickets (or can't afford any, as of late) then I take the attitude that its someone else's turn to win, and time for me to sit out and hopefully let the jackpot build.  I actually had the money to buy tickets yesterday, and was a little pissed that my schedule didn't work out since the draw was so BIG.  But I refused to be upset and I kept thinking that even if it hit, I would still have a chance on Wednesday for more money than I would know what to do with.  Even the smallest jackpot is enough to cover my needs for life.

I personally stay away from scratchers.  Because the payoff is SO close to the purchase, one is psychologically inclined to play more, and faster, on scratchers.  Temporal discounting and all that stuff.  I can't control the wishes and dreams that I have, but I can control how I choose to spend my money on the chance at those dreams.

(Aside) WHASSSSUP Ridge!!!  Miss you man.

Hey Feadogger, sappenin woman?
How's my south Alabama country girl?