Should I buy 5 QP in one ticket or 5 QP in 5 separate tickets?Prev Topic Next Topic

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redhot7

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May 8, 2013, 11:13 pm

It looks like that if I buy 5 QP in one ticket, I would be more likely to have numbers repeated on different lines while if I buy 5 separate tickets, the numbers are more likely to be unique with no repeats.

Has anyone noticed it?

I think I would put a dollar and print it, put a dollar and print it and repeat the process as necessary.
RedStang

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May 9, 2013, 1:39 am

Does'nt matter, but a win on a single ticket always feel better. Usually buy single lines. Never hit a repeating number on a ticket with multiple lines.
dallascowboyfan

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May 9, 2013, 7:21 am

Seperate

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Stack47

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May 9, 2013, 9:34 am

I was told the lottery terminals creates a random list and distributes the QP lines from it. If that's true, players will get the same five lines whether they are five on one ticket or on five separate tickets. We probably notice more repeat numbers when all the lines are on one ticket, but if I had more success having multiple lines on one ticket, I'd play that way. And the same is true for just one line on multiple tickets.
Jon D

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May 9, 2013, 10:02 am

Quote: Originally posted by Stack47 on May 9, 2013
I was told the lottery terminals creates a random list and distributes the QP lines from it. If that's true, players will get the same five lines whether they are five on one ticket or on five separate tickets. We probably notice more repeat numbers when all the lines are on one ticket, but if I had more success having multiple lines on one ticket, I'd play that way. And the same is true for just one line on multiple tickets.

I was told the lottery terminals creates a random list and distributes the QP lines from it.

Where/who did you hear that from? I kinda suspected that, and it might make sense from the network perspective.

I always remember the news story of Mike Barth, where someone cut in line in front of him, but the winning number for the $319M Mega Millions was on the next tickets after that:

https://www.lotterypost.com/news/229674

So when someone cuts in line and "takes your numbers" then that would literally be true. Or in the case of Mike Barth, they take the losing numbers, and leave the winning number for you!
rdgrnr

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May 9, 2013, 11:05 am

It don't make no nevermind.
Stack47

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May 9, 2013, 11:25 am

Quote: Originally posted by Jon D on May 9, 2013
I was told the lottery terminals creates a random list and distributes the QP lines from it.

Where/who did you hear that from? I kinda suspected that, and it might make sense from the network perspective.

I always remember the news story of Mike Barth, where someone cut in line in front of him, but the winning number for the $319M Mega Millions was on the next tickets after that:

https://www.lotterypost.com/news/229674

So when someone cuts in line and "takes your numbers" then that would literally be true. Or in the case of Mike Barth, they take the losing numbers, and leave the winning number for you!

When Ohio began selling MM tickets, they could not be voided. It was a clerk that told me the terminal created the list and she could view it. That made sense because of the no void policy. I hadn't thought about until it I saw this thread so I'll try to find out.
redhot7

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May 9, 2013, 6:01 pm

Quote: Originally posted by Stack47 on May 9, 2013
I was told the lottery terminals creates a random list and distributes the QP lines from it. If that's true, players will get the same five lines whether they are five on one ticket or on five separate tickets. We probably notice more repeat numbers when all the lines are on one ticket, but if I had more success having multiple lines on one ticket, I'd play that way. And the same is true for just one line on multiple tickets.

You mean the list is predetermined and fixed?

What if the winning numbers are not in the list?

Does it mean that no matter how many people in the entire country buy the tickets, no matter where they buy them or how many tickets they buy, if they all buy QP and the winning numbers are not in the list they are not going to win?

Is the list the same at every terminal?
redhot7

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May 9, 2013, 6:07 pm

Quote: Originally posted by Jon D on May 9, 2013
I was told the lottery terminals creates a random list and distributes the QP lines from it.

Where/who did you hear that from? I kinda suspected that, and it might make sense from the network perspective.

I always remember the news story of Mike Barth, where someone cut in line in front of him, but the winning number for the $319M Mega Millions was on the next tickets after that:

https://www.lotterypost.com/news/229674

So when someone cuts in line and "takes your numbers" then that would literally be true. Or in the case of Mike Barth, they take the losing numbers, and leave the winning number for you!

I think the exact microsecond where you buy the ticket also matters.
redhot7

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May 9, 2013, 6:29 pm

This is the winning ticket Jon D is talking about. Notice the repeat numbers on different lines. The 2nd line has the winning numbers.
Jon D

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May 9, 2013, 7:41 pm

Quote: Originally posted by redhot7 on May 9, 2013
You mean the list is predetermined and fixed?

What if the winning numbers are not in the list?

Does it mean that no matter how many people in the entire country buy the tickets, no matter where they buy them or how many tickets they buy, if they all buy QP and the winning numbers are not in the list they are not going to win?

Is the list the same at every terminal?

With a computer PRNG, you could say the numbers generated ARE in effect predetermined (by algorithm) and not truly random, if you know the starting conditions. The question is if an actual list is generated and kept per game.

Technically, the "winning numbers" do not exist until the bouncing balls are pulled through the poop chute at draw time.

As long as there is some number diversity and decent coverage, it should all work out OK. They'd have to have some difference between terminals otherwise that would stick out like a sore thumb as poor results.

But we don't know exactly how *good* the coverage of terminal QPs is compared to optimal, at least I don't know anyplace that reports that.

Anyway, as I noted in a different thread, the balls do not care.
redhot7

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May 9, 2013, 9:29 pm

Quote: Originally posted by Jon D on May 9, 2013
With a computer PRNG, you could say the numbers generated ARE in effect predetermined (by algorithm) and not truly random, if you know the starting conditions. The question is if an actual list is generated and kept per game.

Technically, the "winning numbers" do not exist until the bouncing balls are pulled through the poop chute at draw time.

As long as there is some number diversity and decent coverage, it should all work out OK. They'd have to have some difference between terminals otherwise that would stick out like a sore thumb as poor results.

But we don't know exactly how *good* the coverage of terminal QPs is compared to optimal, at least I don't know anyplace that reports that.

Anyway, as I noted in a different thread, the balls do not care.

>With a computer PRNG, you could say the numbers generated ARE in effect predetermined (by algorithm) and not truly random, if you know the starting conditions.

What are the starting conditions? Does it include the exact microsecond when the ticket is purchased?

>They'd have to have some difference between terminals otherwise that would stick out like a sore thumb as poor results.

If the location of the terminals plays a role, wouldn't it make it more like scratchers? With scratchers, where you buy the ticket is a determining factor whether you win or not.

And finally, is the algorithm the same whether you buy from a self service machine or from a machine operated by a clerk?
Jon D

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May 9, 2013, 11:24 pm

Quote: Originally posted by redhot7 on May 9, 2013
>With a computer PRNG, you could say the numbers generated ARE in effect predetermined (by algorithm) and not truly random, if you know the starting conditions.

What are the starting conditions? Does it include the exact microsecond when the ticket is purchased?

>They'd have to have some difference between terminals otherwise that would stick out like a sore thumb as poor results.

If the location of the terminals plays a role, wouldn't it make it more like scratchers? With scratchers, where you buy the ticket is a determining factor whether you win or not.

And finally, is the algorithm the same whether you buy from a self service machine or from a machine operated by a clerk?

The terminal doesn't really play any role in whether you win for draw games, location doesn't really matter like it does for scratch games. But if we go way off tangent and you wanna talk philosophically, then you could think that only a certain subset of numbers would come out of any given machine on any given day, regardless of random seed like system noise and clock, etc.

But back to the original subject: does it help to buy 5 QP in separate tickets 1 line each, as opposed to all 5 lines on one ticket?

I don't think it really matters. But you can't actually test it, even though you may think you have seen a pattern. Unless you try QPs with one method, and then go back with a time machine to the exact time and starting conditions for the RNG and then select QPs with the other method, you'll never know the difference.
onlymoney

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May 9, 2013, 11:37 pm

Quote: Originally posted by redhot7 on May 8, 2013
It looks like that if I buy 5 QP in one ticket, I would be more likely to have numbers repeated on different lines while if I buy 5 separate tickets, the numbers are more likely to be unique with no repeats.

Has anyone noticed it?

I think I would put a dollar and print it, put a dollar and print it and repeat the process as necessary.

It doesn't matter. There's a 99.9 % chance you won't win in your lifetime. It's really that simple when contending extremely high odds.

Unlike the masses who've been told that "if someone wins almost every week", so it makes sense to play. lol, There are so many losing for that one person to win.

You have to be in it to win, I get it, but the odds are the odds. They never quiver.
Masone

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May 9, 2013, 11:50 pm

Quote: Originally posted by Jon D on May 9, 2013
The terminal doesn't really play any role in whether you win for draw games, location doesn't really matter like it does for scratch games. But if we go way off tangent and you wanna talk philosophically, then you could think that only a certain subset of numbers would come out of any given machine on any given day, regardless of random seed like system noise and clock, etc.

But back to the original subject: does it help to buy 5 QP in separate tickets 1 line each, as opposed to all 5 lines on one ticket?

I don't think it really matters. But you can't actually test it, even though you may think you have seen a pattern. Unless you try QPs with one method, and then go back with a time machine to the exact time and starting conditions for the RNG and then select QPs with the other method, you'll never know the difference.

If I had a time machine, running that little test is the last thing I would do.