How is MM so fast in determining if someone won?

Reply #12

GiveFive — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 19:58:50 GMT

Yeah, back in the '80's is when you had to fend for yourself, simply because there werent many app's in existance that could be purchased. I wasnt into programming, and Pong games werent my thing. At the time, I really couldnt figure out why anyone thought they'd need a PC. I'd never heard the term The Internet until maybe 1994 or 1995. Even then, when people talked about the Internet, they werent really talking about what's now known as The Web . Mostly what I read about the internet back then... [ More ]

Reply #11

RJOh — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 16:14:29 GMT

I too was a blue collar factory worker when I bought a TI99 and read the manual on how to program it using TI Basic. Later I moved on to a Vic20, a Commode64, and then a Tandy 1000 all which used some form of BASIC. Those were machines that lots of blue collar workers learned to program in 80's. Back then if you wanted your computer to do something, you had to program it yourself, you couldn't just buy an app. It seemed easier to teach yourself in those days, but then I was younger.

Now the... [ More ]

Reply #10

GiveFive — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 15:43:24 GMT

While I do appreciate your respose to the orginal post RJOh, I think you'd agree with me when I say you arent the average bear lottery player! My own personal belief is the majority of players are just like me: blue collar hard working people that have zero programming skills.

I'd also agree, MM probably does use high end servers with sophisticated database software running on them. Although I've never written a single line of code, I dont think it would take much of a program to search a da... [ More ]

Reply #9

time*treat — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 15:04:44 GMT

That's 'cause Solitare is rigged.

Reply #8

Stack47 — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 15:00:02 GMT

Each state has a data base showing every combination sold; similar to LP's data base showing past results. We can access the LP data base by using search results just like the state's sold combo data base can be accessed by using another command prompt. All the winning combos are sorted into individual prize categories and the reports are sent to MM headquarters. The one hour before publishing the results is what MM determined and not the actual time it takes to access the data bases, sort the r... [ More ]

Reply #7

RJOh — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 11:27:49 GMT

In this case it's probably the computer more than the user because when I originally wrote the program in the 90's for a Tandy 1000, it would have taken a second or two to do the samething and the data file wasn't nearly the size it is today. Over the years I made some changes in the program and compiled it using a Quick Basic compiler and as I upgraded computers and operating systems the computers got faster and so did it. Unfortunately, Windows XP was the last upgrade that would run old DOS pr... [ More ]

Reply #6

maximumfun — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 05:24:37 GMT

It's not the computer as much as it's the user. It sounds like you could make a chalk board jump through a flaming hoop, while I could have a Cray super computer and still lose at Solitare. So your analogy isn't quite fair. You sound way beyond the normal 'Lottery-Person-Who-Is-Hired-At-Budgetary-Restraining-Salary'. Could **I** get the numbers that fast? Yes, if I had a staff of VERY talented people who are data base and programing savy. On my own? I could not come close to what you do, much le... [ More ]

Reply #5

RJOh — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 04:46:30 GMT

With in the blink of an eye after entering the winning numbers in my home computer I know if that combination has ever come up in any PB or MM drawings and if it ever won any prizes in either going back into the 90's and I'm using Windows XP to run an old program written in GWBasic back in the days of MSDOS. Don't you think MM have a bigger and faster computer to do the same with millions of combinations sold for each drawing

Reply #4

Pinkpansies — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 02:13:30 GMT

It seemed to me that it just took a few hours longer. I would imagine that they have gotten faster computers or better servers.

Reply #3

dallascowboyfan — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 01:30:44 GMT

Welcome to the LP winitbig....

Reply #2

maximumfun — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 01:25:18 GMT

How can they know so fast? Magic

Reply #1

egantt88 — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 01:23:24 GMT

I doubt they can guarentee a win on any jackpot simply because the drawing is held live and unless the balls are rigged... they would have no control of the outcome...... like you said.. all number and combinations are in the computer.. hence the machines in all of the stores that are run through their network... so yes they would know fairly quickly because they have access to the info...

How is MM so fast in determining if someone won?

winitbig — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 01:15:03 GMT

Just 1 hour or so after the numbers are drawn, MM already knows if the jackpot was hit. If they know so quickly, they must have all the millions of ticket combinations people chose stored in a central computer. Given this, it makes me wonder if the number combinations are funneled intot the jackput drawing machine prior to drawing and lottery officials can guarantee whether someone wins on any given draw. From what I read jackpot is supposed to be completely random and it is not allowed to take