Hello everyone.  I'm posting this right after registering today, because I want to establish, to those that care to know, what my basic opinions are about lotterys.  

I've been playing, starting in Philly since the mid 70s.  I think I've wasted a lot of time on the 3 digit numbers, and I'm now concentrating more on the one game that gives the most for the best odds - The Jersey Cash 5.  It's currently a 40 number game, and the jackpot grows if not hit.  This is better than neighboring NY's jackpot that sticks at 50 grand.  Since I am 5 miles from the NY border, I often play both states, but consider NY less of a priority since I no longer commute there for employment.  

Anyway, let me get down to brass tacks.  I know we lottery players are disparaged by non players as chumps, even if these same naysayers go to the casinos and fork over big coin to be dazzled by bells and whistles.  I am not a fan of any computer programmed gaming.  Even the slots in casinos are programmed, a fact I was slow to realize because the arm pulling feature is still used to sedate the sentimental crowd.  I play the lottery's games that use the "balls in the air" machines.  I know what the various odds are - I just prefer to not have in programmed in to guarantee those.  And worse, if the odds can be programmed, why not have it programmed for steeper odds?  With the bobbling balls in the air, it seems more possible that any number can actually be drawn, and without it being possible to electronically consider all the numbers claimed as bets first.   I've seen the same set drawn in Pick 3 consecutively quite a few times.

True confession time:  I know I have played enough money to have a quite decent nest egg of money in savings, and these hard economic times are not getting any better any time soon.  In a way, that is more incentive to have an iron in the fire, not laying all hopes on it, but I call it using some of your recreational money usefully.  I don't smoke or drink, don't put bills in stripper's G-strings, don't even drive a fancy expensive car.  Allow me one vice.  Oh, of course, I am preaching to the choir here.  I look forward to communicating with many of you good people that still believe in luck.