Unlucky Split

Reply #2

cottoneyedjoe — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 21:27:34 GMT

I buy PB and MM so infrequently I can't remember the last time I won anything, let alone the unlucky split. When I buy a pair of lines of Superlotto Plus I always get different numbers and think what if it happens? But have to remind myself I'm more likely to be struck by lightning

Reply #1

db101 — Tue, 14 Feb 2023 16:04:40 GMT

There's 252 ways to get the unlucky split with the first two set of tickets so the probability is 252/292201338. Pretty easy counting problem.

Second question: Probability of either unlucky split or jackpot happening at least once over 151 drawings is

1 - (1 - 254/292201338)^151 = 0.000130217

Quite a rarity, odds are about 1 in 7679.

Bonus: This was a harder counting problem with one of the numbers repeated. I counted only 168 ways for the unlucky split to happen with the er... [ More ]

Unlucky Split

cottoneyedjoe — Sat, 11 Feb 2023 18:50:33 GMT

Every Powerball drawing, Georgia sends her son to the gas station to buy exactly two lines with these numbers

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 + 50

6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 + 60

An unlucky split is when one of the following happens

one line wins 0+1 and the other wins 5+0 one line wins 1+1 and the other wins 4+0 one lines wins 2+1 and the other wins 3+0

What is the probability she gets the unlucky split in a single drawing? If she plays the same way for 151 Powerball drawings in a one-year perio... [ More ]