PLaying STATE lotteries Versus PowerBall/Mega Millions ?

Reply #15

guesser — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 04:03:19 GMT

Throw out 2 number groups, and lower your odds a lot.

Sure, you still have to pick which 2 groups to throw out and hope none of the numbers in those groups hit, it's a crapshoot.

I love it.

Reply #14

CA LotteryGuy — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 19:46:07 GMT

tony2222...what do you mean by Powerball taxes are so much higher then Mega Millions

Reply #13

tony2222 — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 18:56:49 GMT

powerball taxes are so much higher then megamillions its ridiculous.

Reply #12

derek7 — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 21:10:25 GMT

I agree with Coin Toss, they all are difficult to hit... Including 5/~30

Yup, got to keep it in mind.

Reply #11

KY Floyd — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 20:51:03 GMT

As it happens, I'll be passing through PA on Friday, so if PB rolls tonight I'll grab a couple of tickets when we stop for gas. If it rolls again I'll stop on the way home and put down $10 for 2 tickets for the next 5 draws, since the odds are that it will roll again. If I made a special trip just to but tickets it would cost about $12 for gas, $20 or so in wear and tear on the car, and a bit over 2 hours of my time. Even spread over 10 tickets that makes the tickets rather pricey.... [ More ]

Reply #10

CASH Only — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 14:40:05 GMT

Tonight's (1/10) Powerball is $131 million. Rather than playing NY Blotto and at most winning a dollar, you should mosey on to Connecticut (or Pennsylvania.) Remember that the minimum prize in PB is $3, and the overall odds are better than in NY Blotto.

Reply #9

KY Floyd — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 06:38:38 GMT

$10 million is $10 million whether it was collected 1 cent per ticket or 99 cents per ticket. In deciding which game to play at any given time it doesn't matter what the payout percentage is if you balance the odds against the payout. MM just got hit and it wasn't me, so it's a no brainer whether I should risk my next $1 on the 175 million to one chance of winning the $7 million lump sum of the next MM or the 22 million to one chance of winning the $10 million lump sum in lotto.

Reply #8

chasingadream — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 03:33:10 GMT

me personally i just play them all......tx lotto, powerball and megamillions. Any state that I'm in i play

Reply #7

Coin Toss — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 03:06:36 GMT

CASH Only said:

Given the astronomical odds of hitting MM or PB, normally it makes sense to consider the in-state jackpot game, if it's available. For example, in Connecticut or New Jersey, the state jackpot game (in the case of NJ, even Jersey Cash 5) can be attractive.

I agree somewhat, and this is the somewhat: When you're talking lotto, the odds are still astronomical.

Think about this, people go broke playing 6 8 sytems on crap tables, and the odds against catching sixes a... [ More ]

Reply #6

mangeydog — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 01:32:47 GMT

Or you could look at it likethis, for $2 you can get a Powerball ticket with the PowerPlay option(where applicable). The odds would be 1 in 3.5 million(roughly) that you would win $400,000 to $1,000,000 at the same time havng a 1 in 43 chance of a significantly larger payout. The odds of 3.5 million is quite a bit better than most state lotteries, albeit with a usually much smaller payoff.

Reply #5

CASH Only — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 18:41:26 GMT

Given the astronomical odds of hitting MM or PB, normally it makes sense to consider the in-state jackpot game, if it's available. For example, in Connecticut or New Jersey, the state jackpot game (in the case of NJ, even Jersey Cash 5) can be attractive.

But in NY, with the notoriously low payout percentage in Lotto 59, you need to think twice before playing it. For those who believe NY Lotto is a better game (since it's two plays for $1) than MM or PB, remember that on average you win on... [ More ]

Reply #4

KY Floyd — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 18:08:33 GMT

If you think too practically you'll come to the conclusion that the odds are always against you and you'll end up with more money by just saving what you'd spend on tickets, but as long as you are going to play it makes sense to balance the odds against the possible payout.

Since I'm in NY I'll play lotto and/or MM depending on the jackpot. The odds in lotto are about 1 in 22.5 million (you're using the odds for a single set of numbers, but since you play two combinations for $1 the odd... [ More ]

Reply #3

derek7 — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 17:48:08 GMT

Idea is nice. On the other hand, if you play Power Ball, even the 2nd tier price and the 3rd tier price are nice - assuming the powerplay option is like 5 or something.... and while you try to win this 10,000xPP or 200,00xPP you still have the chance to hit the big one...

But again, your idea makes sense.

Derek

Reply #2

RJOh — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 17:41:47 GMT

Playing the lotteries, even the easier ones is no way to contribute to a mutual fund or a saving account. Thinking you're planning your future when you're buying lottery tickets might make you feel good but odds are you're going to spend more money than you will ever win.

Reply #1

Coin Toss — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 07:05:54 GMT

I like the strategy but it's hard enough trying to hit a 5 / 39 game where the oddds are 575, 757 :1.

Trying to hit games with odds of multi-millions is still asking to 'get hit by lightning'.

A lot of people here feel that if you're going to hit, you're going to hit, and that's all there is to it.

Never ignore THE LUCK FACTOR.

PLaying STATE lotteries Versus PowerBall/Mega Millions ?

DieterZetsche — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 06:44:59 GMT

I usually play the big ones, Mega Milions/ Powerball... but recently I've decided I don't need that much money and seeing The huge odds of Mega Millions Powerball of 1 in over 174 Million , the probabilties are too large to waste that much for.

For the amount of Money I throw at it, I might be giving myself better chance to win at the state lotteries. I am only aiming for a few million dollars which I hope to put into a mutual fund or saving account.

The State lotteries have 1 in 22... [ More ]