Is it ereally much easier to win Cash, Fantasy, Pick 5 versus Mega or Power?Prev Topic Next Topic

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NeedyNotGreedy

The land of fantasy 5 and other daily draws
United States
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Feb 20, 2017, 11:58 pm

I'm sure the answer is obvious. But I'm just not getting the astronomical differences between the 2. For example, I've been watching (and playing) fantasy 5 and cash 5 in my state. There's a winner usually every day. Sometimes 2 - 4 winners. Usually between $50,000 and $200,000.

The first time I played I made $24. But since I've not been able to hit more than 2 numbers (free ticket). I'm just like, what am I doing wrong? Am I not buying enough tickets or wheeling the numbers correctly? I've gone and bough 10 tickets, but being the draw is daily, sometimes it gets silly to drop so much on 1 draw $10 isn't a lot it seems, but I've spent $35 when its all said in a week..,which is too much for me).

So I'm kinda debating whether it's really much of a difference, and if the odds are better..how much better? Besides the odds listed in the back of the ticket, what can make one game more or less likely to be won?
RJOh

100

mid-Ohio
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March 24, 2001
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Feb 21, 2017, 4:27 am

Winning PB or MM jackpot doesn't compare with winning a jackpot of a game with better odds however winning a dollar playing MM is easier than winning a dollar playing some state games for example the odds of matching 3of6 for $2 in Ohio's Classic Lotto are 1:57 while the odds of matching 1/75 + 1/15 for $2 in MM are 1:56 not to mention the odds of just matching the bonus number for $1 are 1:21.

* you don't need to buy every combination, just the winning ones *
amber123

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March 12, 2015
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Feb 21, 2017, 8:26 am

Quote: Originally posted by NeedyNotGreedy on Feb 20, 2017
I'm sure the answer is obvious. But I'm just not getting the astronomical differences between the 2. For example, I've been watching (and playing) fantasy 5 and cash 5 in my state. There's a winner usually every day. Sometimes 2 - 4 winners. Usually between $50,000 and $200,000.

The first time I played I made $24. But since I've not been able to hit more than 2 numbers (free ticket). I'm just like, what am I doing wrong? Am I not buying enough tickets or wheeling the numbers correctly? I've gone and bough 10 tickets, but being the draw is daily, sometimes it gets silly to drop so much on 1 draw $10 isn't a lot it seems, but I've spent $35 when its all said in a week..,which is too much for me).

So I'm kinda debating whether it's really much of a difference, and if the odds are better..how much better? Besides the odds listed in the back of the ticket, what can make one game more or less likely to be won?

Let me put it in perspective. The pick 3 is 1 in 1,000. The Florida Fantasy Five is about 376,000 to 1. It's 376 times harder to win the JP than the Pick 3.

People make a habit of looking at the winners but don't think about all those losing tickets for that one or two persons who win. Unfortunately it's an illusion to see the almost daily winners and think,,,,well...that person can be ME! How about bigger games like PB? Can you imagine all the hundreds of millions of losing tickets with PB?

I always hate to bust people's bubbles, but I can't help it. I live in reality but have hopes and dreams, but the reality is a fact. 99.9% of the people who play for JP win will never see that day in their ENTIRE LIFETIME.

Those odds are pretty bad. It's the same odds of getting struck by lightning. 99.9% won't get struck in their lifetime. With PB, the odds become even more ridiculous. As a scientist said a few years ago, it's the same as being struck by a meteorite while walking down the street.

I'd recommend starting out with the pick 3, and when you master that game, then move on. If you don't, then you're basically throwing your money away with the big games.
KY Floyd

NY
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October 16, 2005
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Feb 21, 2017, 10:44 am

Some games aren't as incredibly hard to win as MM and PB, but no lottery game is easy to win. The states generally keep 50% of the money that's spent on tickets, so if it hasn't already dawned on you, you should expect to lose at least half of what you spend on tickets.

It's even worse for jackpot games because so much of what does go to players goes to the major prizes that extremely few people win. For PB just 23.5 cents from every 2 dollar ticket goes to prizes other than the jackpot and 2nd place. Since it's so very unlikely that you'll ever win one of the top two prizes you should expect to lose more than 88% of what you spend on PB tickets in your entire life.
NeedyNotGreedy

The land of fantasy 5 and other daily draws
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Feb 21, 2017, 11:38 am

Yeah i was really taken aback by the odds of 6 number games. The Florida lotto and Colorado lotto have overall odds between 1:35 and 1:62. Horrible. A $1 scratch off has better than that lol.

Well based on the information so far, i think i might lean back to scratch offs. I just haven't been winning anything on these number draws. I do it for the convenience and for awhile i got tired of the metallic shavings from scratch offs. Sometimes I just wanna scratch only the barcode, scan and see if I won lol. Save the suspense. But so many people are buying them. Hard to tell if they're buying the winners or buying the losers.

I thought fantasy 5 was "easy", but I'm not even hitting 3 numbers anymore. There's another game here called lucky money...only 4 numbers needed to win a few thousand. 4+1 gets jackpot. I haven't given up on that one yet...but i don't play as often.

Virginia has the best cash 5 game I've seen. 5 numbers, .25 cents to $1 per draw. 2 times a day. I think that significantly speeds up the process.
gregs241

Grantsburg, WI
United States
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July 21, 2016
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Feb 21, 2017, 11:51 am

Quote: Originally posted by NeedyNotGreedy on Feb 20, 2017
I'm sure the answer is obvious. But I'm just not getting the astronomical differences between the 2. For example, I've been watching (and playing) fantasy 5 and cash 5 in my state. There's a winner usually every day. Sometimes 2 - 4 winners. Usually between $50,000 and $200,000.

The first time I played I made $24. But since I've not been able to hit more than 2 numbers (free ticket). I'm just like, what am I doing wrong? Am I not buying enough tickets or wheeling the numbers correctly? I've gone and bough 10 tickets, but being the draw is daily, sometimes it gets silly to drop so much on 1 draw $10 isn't a lot it seems, but I've spent $35 when its all said in a week..,which is too much for me).

So I'm kinda debating whether it's really much of a difference, and if the odds are better..how much better? Besides the odds listed in the back of the ticket, what can make one game more or less likely to be won?

I haven't looked into other states pick-5 games but in WI. the Badger-5 5of31 averages around 100 jackpot wins per year (daily draw). Thought I'd throw that one out there. Thanks
Raven62

25

New Jersey
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June 28, 2005
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Feb 21, 2017, 11:59 am

Quote: Originally posted by gregs241 on Feb 21, 2017
I haven't looked into other states pick-5 games but in WI. the Badger-5 5of31 averages around 100 jackpot wins per year (daily draw). Thought I'd throw that one out there. Thanks

How many of the 100 Winners Won more than Once?

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rcbbuckeye

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Texas
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Feb 21, 2017, 5:16 pm

Quote: Originally posted by NeedyNotGreedy on Feb 21, 2017
Yeah i was really taken aback by the odds of 6 number games. The Florida lotto and Colorado lotto have overall odds between 1:35 and 1:62. Horrible. A $1 scratch off has better than that lol.

Well based on the information so far, i think i might lean back to scratch offs. I just haven't been winning anything on these number draws. I do it for the convenience and for awhile i got tired of the metallic shavings from scratch offs. Sometimes I just wanna scratch only the barcode, scan and see if I won lol. Save the suspense. But so many people are buying them. Hard to tell if they're buying the winners or buying the losers.

I thought fantasy 5 was "easy", but I'm not even hitting 3 numbers anymore. There's another game here called lucky money...only 4 numbers needed to win a few thousand. 4+1 gets jackpot. I haven't given up on that one yet...but i don't play as often.

Virginia has the best cash 5 game I've seen. 5 numbers, .25 cents to $1 per draw. 2 times a day. I think that significantly speeds up the process.

Scratchers have the best odds of winning at least a million dollars. However, to buy one of those tix means dropping $20 or more. The price you pay for those better odds.

So, for a measly buck, you have a shot at multiple millions, but now you must fight much, much higher odds.

Pick your poison. LOL.

JUST LOOK AT THE ODDS OF ANY JACKPOT GAME, THAT WILL TELL YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
mdc1022

Auburndale FL
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February 6, 2017
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Feb 21, 2017, 7:26 pm

I wonder if there are ways to buy scratch offs online? Fla lotto told me they are working on having the ability to buy and play instants online>I know Georgia lotto has online play but you have to prove residency

I have about 30 tickets from the Florida goldrush I can only hope I win on the 2nd chance drawing. I am also glad I am not hundreds in the rears by playing. I think I ma somewhere in the loss area of 150.00? but no pun intended here , I did save about 40 a month by switching to Geico... so that helps off set some of the cost and I am trying to not exceed 40 a month on lotto.. so will see.............
savagegoose

adelaide sa
Australia
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April 11, 2006
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Feb 22, 2017, 12:21 pm

to compare games i like to convert the odds into a percent chance of not winning u know %99.9 to not win a pick 3, % 99.999999..,. for powerball then just count up all the 9's after the decimal point

" Still swinging, still missing "
2014 = -1016; 2015= -1409; 2016 = -1171; 2017 = -1257 ; 2018 = - 1380 = TOT = - 6233

keno historic = -2291 ; 2015= -603; 2016= -424; 2017 =-427; 2018= -223 TOT = -3968

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wander73

Philadelphia, PA
United States
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March 24, 2014
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Feb 22, 2017, 12:35 pm

On my experiences on this website you're better off with the pick games Cash 5 and anything smaller than the bigger jackpot games. I think it also depends on if you win a big prize where you can get the money from sometimes the beer distributors the gas stations not really the Wawa's let's say.
Ricklou

South Africa
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June 28, 2012
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Feb 22, 2017, 2:20 pm

MegaM and Pb is erratic...your chances in winning your State lottery are 10 x better....then again dumb luck has shown the power of a QP.Goodluck with your Pb draw tonight
Uluska

United States
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November 2, 2012
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Feb 27, 2017, 2:55 pm

I believe that playing Pick 3 is not as easy, since numbers can come up as repeats or triplets, and this is because they use 30 balls for 10 numbers. Plus they can cancel certain number unknown to you on their own accord during some unsuspected games. That is really yucky. Another thing that disturbs me is Pick 3 game shows amount of paid wins, but does not show how many people actually won $500, and if anyone won $500. See, it could be the wins only by Pairs or BOX, or anything else. They leave us out of knowledge. That way it is hard to trust such game.

It's not so easy to try and come up with some method, it feels more like luck with Pick 3.

Other games, I believe, do not change numbers on you, so if you decide to come up with a method, it will benefit you depending on how good is the method.