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ArtVandalay

Arizona
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Jun 17, 2007, 11:17 pm

I took over management of the lottery pool where I work. Whenever the Powerball Jackpot got above $70 million, most of us would throw in $5.00 each for a total of about $50.00. The guy who use to run the pool would just buy a bunch of quick picks, that is untill I showed them how to win at least $3.00 with a minimum of only $42.00, guaranteed. How many people know this trick, or is this too elemental? You'd be surprised at just how many people don't know.
guesser

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Jun 18, 2007, 1:36 am

Enlighten us.
I have my theories that will do that, but for some reason, to me, 42 to get 3 isn't good enough odds. Neither is 3 to get 7.
My absolute limit is $10/drawing.
BobP

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Jun 18, 2007, 2:17 am

Quote: Originally posted by ArtVandalay on Jun 17, 2007
I took over management of the lottery pool where I work. Whenever the Powerball Jackpot got above $70 million, most of us would throw in $5.00 each for a total of about $50.00. The guy who use to run the pool would just buy a bunch of quick picks, that is untill I showed them how to win at least $3.00 with a minimum of only $42.00, guaranteed. How many people know this trick, or is this too elemental? You'd be surprised at just how many people don't know.

In my opinion it's a trick Powerball plays on players to make the pot bigger. By giving a $3.00 prize for getting only the Powerball correct they sucker thousands of players into buying 42 plays. This makes it harder to win a jackpot because this guarantees you will have only one 5 number line with the Powerball. Optimal would be to play each Powerball against all the numbers, failing that budget breaker select the most likely Powerballs such as the three longest out and play all the numbers against those in the minimum number of lines. If you're doing exactly what the lottery wants you to do, you're doing it wrong.

BobP
Coin Toss

Zeta Reticuli Star System
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Jun 18, 2007, 2:46 am

Excellent post, BobP
Art VanDalay
"...that is untill I showed them how to win at least $3.00 with a minimum of only $42.00, guaranteed...."

Anyone who would willingly and consistently shell out $42 to 'win' $3 will be gladly welcome in any kind of game, anywhere.
I'm kind of surprised you thought people here wouldn't know you were talking about covering all the Powerballs.

Those who run the lotteries love it when players look for consistency in something that's designed not to have any. So many systems, so many theories, so few jackpot winners.

There is one and only one 'proven' system, and that is to book the action. No matter the game, let the players pick their own losers.
Todd

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Chief Bottle Washer

New Jersey
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Jun 18, 2007, 6:49 am

Quote: Originally posted by BobP on Jun 18, 2007
In my opinion it's a trick Powerball plays on players to make the pot bigger. By giving a $3.00 prize for getting only the Powerball correct they sucker thousands of players into buying 42 plays. This makes it harder to win a jackpot because this guarantees you will have only one 5 number line with the Powerball. Optimal would be to play each Powerball against all the numbers, failing that budget breaker select the most likely Powerballs such as the three longest out and play all the numbers against those in the minimum number of lines. If you're doing exactly what the lottery wants you to do, you're doing it wrong.

BobP

I don't think it statistically makes it harder to win the jackpot.
We also have not addressed the first five numbers, and buying 42 tickets is a great opportunity to play a good Pick 5 wheel that incorporates all the white numbers. I have talked about these wheels before, and I have personally had very good luck with them. When I play a large set of tickets, I always play every Powerball/ Mega Ball, and the five numbers are wheeled.

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RJOh

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Jun 18, 2007, 9:52 am

If I played 42 lines with all the powerballs, I would expect to do better than just the minimum $3 prize since the overall odds of winning a prize are 1:37. Playing that many lines and covering all the powerballs might make some feel more comfortable about gambling that much on a lottery but not me.
The last time MegaMillions jackpot was over $200M, I played 60 lines and thought about playing all 46 megaballs for a guaranteed $2 prize but opted instead to play what I thought were the 15 most likely megaballs to hit four times. I didn't hit the megaball but I did get a 4+0 for $150. When I gamble that kind of money on a lottery, winning $2 and winning nothing feels almost the same to me.

* you don't need to buy every combination, just the winning ones *
jarasan

Harbinger

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Jun 18, 2007, 10:01 am

Quote: Originally posted by Todd on Jun 18, 2007
I don't think it statistically makes it harder to win the jackpot.
We also have not addressed the first five numbers, and buying 42 tickets is a great opportunity to play a good Pick 5 wheel that incorporates all the white numbers. I have talked about these wheels before, and I have personally had very good luck with them. When I play a large set of tickets, I always play every Powerball/ Mega Ball, and the five numbers are wheeled.

Wheels are good. I'll do the wheels and keep the same PBall, Mball on all lines. Like RJ says the 5 Wbs. are the money.
42 for a 3 is not really a great bet.

FJB
ArtVandalay

Arizona
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Jun 18, 2007, 11:42 am

Quote: Originally posted by ArtVandalay on Jun 17, 2007
I took over management of the lottery pool where I work. Whenever the Powerball Jackpot got above $70 million, most of us would throw in $5.00 each for a total of about $50.00. The guy who use to run the pool would just buy a bunch of quick picks, that is untill I showed them how to win at least $3.00 with a minimum of only $42.00, guaranteed. How many people know this trick, or is this too elemental? You'd be surprised at just how many people don't know.

It's really a very simple "trick". Both the Powerball and the MegaMillions are two part lotteries, one part being chosing 5 "white balls" and the other part chosing a single multiplier "red" ball. On the Powerball ticket slips, I would play each of the Powerball numbers (1-42) once while chosing the quick pick option for the corresponding white balls. Any extra tickets purchased were entirely quick picks, both white and red balls. This ensures that the Powerball will be hit at least once, guaranteeing at least a $3.00 win. Of course critics of this system say that you're also guaranteeing at least 41 losing tickets (in-as-far-as the jackpot goes). But I've found that people in general actually prefer this system rather than just buying all quick picks.
spy153

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Jun 18, 2007, 11:54 am

Quote: Originally posted by ArtVandalay on Jun 18, 2007
It's really a very simple "trick". Both the Powerball and the MegaMillions are two part lotteries, one part being chosing 5 "white balls" and the other part chosing a single multiplier "red" ball. On the Powerball ticket slips, I would play each of the Powerball numbers (1-42) once while chosing the quick pick option for the corresponding white balls. Any extra tickets purchased were entirely quick picks, both white and red balls. This ensures that the Powerball will be hit at least once, guaranteeing at least a $3.00 win. Of course critics of this system say that you're also guaranteeing at least 41 losing tickets (in-as-far-as the jackpot goes). But I've found that people in general actually prefer this system rather than just buying all quick picks.

If I was in your pool, I probably would too. But, I don't have the 42 bucks to shell out every draw, so, I put a limit on it and guess the best I can. There are no pools around me that I am aware of for me to join.

voir-vous dans mes reves!
Coin Toss

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Jun 18, 2007, 1:23 pm

ArtVanDalay
"This ensures that the Powerball will be hit at least once, guaranteeing at least a $3.00 win. "
To each his own, but in my book - $42 and + $3 are hardly a 'win', let alone a 'guaranteed win''.
In gambling jargon, such an apporach is known as an "economic suicide" system given enough consecutive losses, which are bound to happen.

Those who run the lotteries love it when players look for consistency in something that's designed not to have any. So many systems, so many theories, so few jackpot winners.

There is one and only one 'proven' system, and that is to book the action. No matter the game, let the players pick their own losers.
DoubleDown

Coastal Georgia
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Jun 18, 2007, 1:31 pm

Art: Sounds like there are 10 people in your pool...
If I were in it I would tend to agree with Coin Toss. - $10 and +$3 = loss of $7, unless of course there are some other matches somewhere within the 50 tickets.
How long have you been pooling and what is your biggest win so far ?
Guru101

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Jun 18, 2007, 1:50 pm

Quote: Originally posted by ArtVandalay on Jun 17, 2007
I took over management of the lottery pool where I work. Whenever the Powerball Jackpot got above $70 million, most of us would throw in $5.00 each for a total of about $50.00. The guy who use to run the pool would just buy a bunch of quick picks, that is untill I showed them how to win at least $3.00 with a minimum of only $42.00, guaranteed. How many people know this trick, or is this too elemental? You'd be surprised at just how many people don't know.

I wouldn't do that. The chance of getting the PowerBall right is 1/42. The chance of getting all 5 white balls right is 1/3,478,761. When playing PowerBall, I'm more worried about getting the white balls right than the PowerBall.

Gonna win.
Coin Toss

Zeta Reticuli Star System
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Jun 18, 2007, 5:26 pm

Quote: Originally posted by DoubleDown on Jun 18, 2007
Art: Sounds like there are 10 people in your pool...
If I were in it I would tend to agree with Coin Toss. - $10 and +$3 = loss of $7, unless of course there are some other matches somewhere within the 50 tickets.
How long have you been pooling and what is your biggest win so far ?

DD
Good question about the length of time pooling and the bigggest win.
Let's take ths guaranteed + $3 for the Powerball a wee bit further.
Let's say there are 10 people in the pool. One ticket has the Powerball number and the guaranteed $3 win comes in. But the pool is splitting the $3, not one person. So the now the guaranteed $3 win is $.30 per person.
Sorry ArtVanDalay, but this guaranteed $3 win is something I'd expect to read in a sales letter from a not so reputable system seller.
Of course a lot of this has to do with how much somebody makes and how much of what they make they're willing to throw at lotto.
People trying things like this run into buzz saws playing 21 and roulette, let alone a lotto game with astronomical odds.
YMMV
(Your mileage may vary)

Those who run the lotteries love it when players look for consistency in something that's designed not to have any. So many systems, so many theories, so few jackpot winners.

There is one and only one 'proven' system, and that is to book the action. No matter the game, let the players pick their own losers.
jarasan

Harbinger

Maryland
United States
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Jun 18, 2007, 6:15 pm

I tend to think that "pool players" don't have the time to mess with picking WBS but can in a way feel some satisfaction in "beating the game at its own game". I guess what I am trying to say it is some form of hybrid QP with intervention like having some effect on the outcome. Like being a little in control avoiding a complete loss.

FJB
Todd

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Chief Bottle Washer

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Jun 18, 2007, 9:13 pm

Quote: Originally posted by RJOh on Jun 18, 2007
If I played 42 lines with all the powerballs, I would expect to do better than just the minimum $3 prize since the overall odds of winning a prize are 1:37. Playing that many lines and covering all the powerballs might make some feel more comfortable about gambling that much on a lottery but not me.
The last time MegaMillions jackpot was over $200M, I played 60 lines and thought about playing all 46 megaballs for a guaranteed $2 prize but opted instead to play what I thought were the 15 most likely megaballs to hit four times. I didn't hit the megaball but I did get a 4+0 for $150. When I gamble that kind of money on a lottery, winning $2 and winning nothing feels almost the same to me.

Well, I can't say I agree, because if you're guaranteed to win $3.00, that's like having a coupon for $3.00 off your lottery purchase -- with exactly the same odds of winning any prize, including the jackpot. That's $39.00 for 42 tickets. If the lottery ran that as a promotion, many people would go running for it. Meanwhile, all they need to do is play every Powerball.
For those who are tempted to think I am proposing playing for that $3.00, you're barking up the wrong tree. I said before that I wheel the first five numbers like a Pick 5 game. And that's how you should always play a 5+1 game. Don't go nuts trying to predict the Powerball, because as one number drawn from it's own drum, that's just random chance.
So if you get that 4+0, both of us would have exactly the same odds of adding the Powerball for a 4+1 win -- you playing the same single number for all lines, and me playing a different Powerball on every line. The difference is that I'm also guaranteed to get another $3.00 prize, and anyone who sticks to a lottery budget knows that the smaller prizes do matter.

Check the State Lottery Report Card
What grade did your lottery earn?

Sign the Petition for True Lottery Drawings
Help eliminate computerized drawings!

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