Worker skips office Mega pool, loses share of $319M

Reply #44

RL-RANDOMLOGIC — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 11:22:17 GMT

1000%

RL

Reply #43

RJOh — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 08:52:37 GMT

(Imagine if they did....... if the other players ALL agreed to let this 1 guy in and split it 8 ways.........that to me would be a far greater story....The act itself would be unheard of and would go way beyond the money.

Then imagine all their other co-workers who had also occassionally contributed to the pool in the past wanting a share of their winnings too. What so great about that story, it happens almost every time an office pool wins a lottery jackpot.

Reply #42

Perfecttiming2 — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 06:52:25 GMT

I just read elsewhere on the internet where one guy said that he and his cowokers were in a lottery pool of 5 people total and they got the tickets, copied them, and listed the names of all five who played and it was all legit.........

However, one of them went back and got one single ticket...... and hit for $116 millions.....The remaining four are still working at the job, except the guy who won....

This man said because of his experience, he thinks these IT guys should share especially

Reply #41

KY Floyd — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 06:48:40 GMT

There are plenty of people with that view, even if there aren't many of them here. I can understand people not particularly believing that a butterfly flapping its wings actually causes a change the weather half-way around the world, but I really don't understand why people think that when one thing does change certain things will still happen exactly the same way, unless they think it's fate. If that's the case the guy who wasn't in the pool couldn't possibly have won, anyway.

If it's not fa... [ More ]

Reply #40

joker17 — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 05:03:21 GMT

I just found out that the winners were from the future. They bought Todd's Almanac 2 years from now.

The guy who didn't win will be a car detailer two years from now...

Reply #39

Delta Draw — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 04:46:29 GMT

Luck had nothing to do with it. He made a conscience decision and the consequences are based on action or inaction. His choice, had he played would not be dependent on how he felt. Chance favors the prepared mind but the mind has to be willing to take action (prepared). Of course if you want to look at the sunny side, the guy did get lucky. There seems to be some job security since people are not showing up to work. He may be happier in the long run and thankful for not buying in. We all have ma... [ More ]

Reply #38

Empress-N — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 04:26:36 GMT

Ttech10, you hit the nail on the head. Sometimes in life people hold up other peoples blessings and I do believe that his refusal to participate allowed the blessing to fall. Guess he was the jinx of the group.

Let me preach for a minute pls..... Sometimes in life we block our own financial blessings either by the things we say, do, or the company we keep and the people we try to hold on to, everyone has somebody around them that they know they should let loose but for some unknown reason the... [ More ]

Reply #37

rdgrnr — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 04:00:28 GMT

I liked to put my eye out when I was eatin Chinese food a couple weeks back with one of them dam sticks they eat with and I don't believe no dam butterfly flappin around had anything to do with it.

Why the hell people wanna eat with sticks is beyond me. It ain't like they just invented the spoon yesterday.

Reply #36

jimmy4164 — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 03:59:11 GMT

This movie dramatically portrays exactly what you're talking about.

Fascinating stuff.

(Trailer)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvU6qtu0mCs

Reply #35

ttech10 — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 03:57:41 GMT

The problem with that, which someone pointed out on the first page, is there were other people that were sometimes in the pool that didn't put in there money this time either. If they shared with him they would be easy targets of everyone else who didn't put money in but feel like they deserve money since this guy got some.

If it was just this guy, I would consider adding him as a member of the group, but I don't believe that is the case.

This is one reason I wouldn't want to be in a... [ More ]

Reply #34

ttech10 — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 03:48:58 GMT

If I was the judge I wouldn't give him a cut because of that, of course I've never said they should give him a cut. His actions were a part of a longer list of things that happened that day that led to the pool winning the jackpot. If they gave him a cut just for being a part of their life that day they would need to give a cut to other drivers and possibly other customers in the store.

My first post wasn't to try and say he deserves money for being a cause of them winning, just that you neve... [ More ]

Reply #33

Blackie — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 03:43:20 GMT

Maybe that group can ask this . Would he have given one of us a cut if it were one of us that didn't feel lucky that day. They may find an answer on whether or not to include him or give him something.

Just another thought on this.

Reply #32

TheGameGrl — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 03:33:43 GMT

Why even entertain or speculate. The facts are what they are. The IF only mentality is what brings folks down.

Here is my two cents- Not in the pool, no pay out. That simple.

I feel no sorrow for the guy who in retrospect had a mis opportunity, Sometimes things are a blessing in disguise....

I really think for media reasons they should have a stand up cardboard poster of Uncle Sam when they get presented with the check, afterall Uncle Sam is a given winner on these claims. ( and yeah

Reply #31

ttech10 — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 03:25:07 GMT

Thanks, nice to see I'm not the only one with this idea/view.

This group won because certain things happened a certain way, his opting out was one of those things.

I've gotten into a fender bender before because as I was going to my car I accidentally dropped my keys. Those few seconds that passed led to other things along my drive that put me in that location. Had I not dropped my keys I would have been in a different place due to maybe hitting a green/yellow light instead of a red or wou... [ More ]

Reply #30

ttech10 — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 03:14:43 GMT

I'm not saying anyone should get a hand out. But yes, I believe even how long the person in front of you takes has an affect on things. I'm just saying that multiple things happened for them to get the winning numbers and his opting out was a part of that, just as I'm sure many other things were.

I've even seen the same thoughts posted here by others about the whole clerk pushed the button at the right time sort of thing, I'm not a believer in giving a clerk some money just because they pushe... [ More ]

Reply #29

Boney526 — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 03:08:46 GMT

Which is what makes it truellly ironic. If I was a person in that pool, I THINK I'd throw him something just b/c that's my line of thinking.... but I wouldn't expect anyone else in the pool to agree to do so.

Honestly, it's pretty much true. I got a QP for P4 once after losing like 50 bucks on scrath offs when I first started playing. But had I not gone in and lost that 50, I never would have won 250 on the Pick 4 ticket.

Reply #28

Guru101 — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 02:41:39 GMT

Hahahahaha! This is great! I thought I'd be the first person to mention the butterfly effect. lol

Seriously though, the butterfly effect is very real. To say this guy lost out on millions technically would not be correct. It's really an afterthought. We see the numbers, we see what happened to this guy, and we can only think to ourselves what if . Those numbers were drawn because that's what the physical universe happened to be at that moment. Rewind everything and change the story to him sa... [ More ]

Reply #27

sully16 — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 02:20:40 GMT

this

Reply #26

tiggs95 — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 02:09:19 GMT

DING DING DING!!!! we have a winner

Reply #25

RJOh — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 02:07:19 GMT

Yeah, maybe he was the bad luck that held them back, once he got out of the way, they won.

Reply #24

tiggs95 — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 02:06:29 GMT

But then if someone held him up at the elevator or the bus was late then they should get a handout to..Maybe the woman in front of him in line buying tickets took to long and that may have helped should she get a handout to..He should have gave a couple bucks and that would have solved everything..

Reply #23

ttech10 — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 02:01:52 GMT

I don't know, I believe that something small affects everything. In this case this person opting out of the drawing affected the time the lottery pool leader was at the store to get tickets. The action of opting out may have caused many other actions throughout the day, thus definitely giving different numbers when the clerk hit the QP button.

I've had such small things affect things for me in the past, so it's not too crazy to think.

If they won via a self pick it would be a differen... [ More ]

Reply #22

rdgrnr — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 01:29:55 GMT

Yep, full flaps.

Reply #21

sully16 — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 01:27:43 GMT

The Butterfly effect

Reply #20

rdgrnr — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 01:27:42 GMT

Yeah, so they won because of him so they should give him his cut.

I wonder if the judge will agree.

Reply #19

tiggs95 — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 01:25:02 GMT

Man that's really reaching..

Reply #18

ttech10 — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 01:22:51 GMT

Here's my thoughts on this, and sort of winning in general. Had he participated in the pool the time the pool leader went to the store and the time the clerk pushed the putton would be different, almost certainly giving different numbers, meaning the group/pool wouldn't have won.

His refusal to participate in the pool is responsible for them winning, as well as everything else during the day, as if anything else happended differently they would not have had the same numbers.

Reply #17

Boney526 — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 01:22:21 GMT

That. Is. IRONY!!!! (Wait.... what's show is that from??? It just popped in my head.... I feel like it's Family Guy but I really can't remember

Reply #16

sully16 — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 01:21:02 GMT

YIKES, That guy has got to be sick at this point, plus he probably has to do all the work his former co-workers left him.

Reply #15

joker17 — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 01:18:17 GMT

I might add, had this guy been an avid player for let's say 2 years, not missing one time except for this one...OUCH....( I thought I had bad days at work...lol), the guilt of not giving this poor guy something...anything, would haunt my soul.

On the other hand, like i said before, if he's a part time player who only plays when he feel like it, then I wouldn't feel so bad. There's not enough info in the article showing which individuals played, or how often, so there's no way of knowing right... [ More ]

Reply #14

tiggs95 — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 01:14:50 GMT

Putz ...hahahaha..Reminds tiggs he should PM ridge soon..hahahaha...

Reply #13

rdgrnr — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 01:03:08 GMT

*************ALWAYS FEEL A WINNER EVERYDAY***************

I like that idea.

As long as they're female.

Reply #12

hearsetrax — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:57:43 GMT

further proof of when in doubt ....... play anyway !!!!!

I wish this putz many pleasent screams and dreams

Reply #11

island lady — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:44:30 GMT

Wow.....he had a million to gain and just a few buks to loose and he decided not to be a winner.....

**************LOTTERY COMMISSION SAID IT U GOTTA BE IN IT TO WIN IT*********

*************ALWAYS FEEL A WINNER EVERYDAY

Reply #10

Littleoldlady — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:22:01 GMT

The player who passed up the opportunity to play said I am not feeling lucky. He was right. He wasn't.

Reply #9

Blackie — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:19:26 GMT

I may be wrong here but the way I see it , if he wanted to share the wealth , he would have bought into it unless a prior arrangement was made to buy the ticket for that draw if he wasn't available when the collection from who was in was made.

Don't you just hate it when people win and say they never but a ticket until the jackpot is over 200 mil . I usually buy a ticket or two no matter what the prize is . I also play in a pool of 25 people every draw . the only thing is, they choose to p... [ More ]

Reply #8

mayhem — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:17:33 GMT

I bet he gets some money.

Reply #7

joker17 — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:13:53 GMT

I never said they shouldn't respect his wishes for not participating in the pool.

Reply #6

savagegoose — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:11:36 GMT

well he was right he wasnt feeling lucky, and he lucked right on out of a 1/8th share

Reply #5

RJOh — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:05:45 GMT

Why shouldn't they respect his wishes not to be in the pool and not share its winning? Do you think if he had played on his own and won all that money, he would have thrown all his former pool members a bone

Reply #4

MzDuffleBaglady — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:00:08 GMT

S P E E C H L E S S

Reply #3

joker17 — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 23:56:13 GMT

Under normal circumstances i would say that If the same folks played the pool every week, then I would hope the other 7 would chip in and throw this guy a bone, not millions but at a couple hundred thousand, but according to the article, since the pool participants varied from week to week, and that he USUALLY played, and not all the time, would indictate that nothing is owed to him. If that was the case, then the 7 folks would have to help out all the other part time players in that company as

Reply #2

Win$500Quick — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 23:50:25 GMT

This is why me lottery pool has 1 player. Me

Reply #1

Litebets27 — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 23:46:18 GMT

Oh no...I smell a law suit.

Worker skips office Mega pool, loses share of $319M

management — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 23:38:22 GMT

By PERRY CHIARAMONTE in Albany and BOB FREDERICKS in New York

Last Updated: 12:32 PM, March 30, 2011

Posted: 2:02 AM, March 30, 2011

He didn't think Lady Luck was on his side -- and now he's out millions.

A hapless state information-technology worker who usually joined his office lottery pool took a pass last week -- only to learn that seven positive-thinking pals nailed a whopping $319 million Mega Millions jackpot, said a deli owner who knows the winners.

The word is that when... [ More ]