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Blackapple

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Jul 26, 2024, 11:41 pm

In the early 1920s, Casper Holstein, a black man from the Danish West Indies who worked as a porter for a Fifth Avenue store, liked to study the “Clearing House” totals published in a year’s worth of newspapers he’d saved. The Clearing House was an operation that managed the exchanges of money among New York City banks on a daily basis. It occurred to Holstein that the numbers printed were different every day.

According to the 2010 book “Playing the Numbers,” Holstein came up with an ingenious solution. Using the Clearing House totals to produce a random combination between 000 and 999, he came up with a daily three-digit winning number for a new kind of lottery game. His invention became known simply as the numbers.

It was an immediate hit and quickly created a sprawling underground economy that moved through Harlem and other black communities in the U.S. For 60 years, the numbers reigned supreme as New York City’s pre-eminent daily lottery game — until 1980, when the state decided it wanted in.

>
Kola

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Jul 27, 2024, 12:12 am

Quote: Originally posted by Blackapple on Jul 26, 2024

In the early 1920s, Casper Holstein, a black man from the Danish West Indies who worked as a porter for a Fifth Avenue store, liked to study the “Clearing House” totals published in a year’s worth of newspapers he’d saved. The Clearing House was an operation that managed the exchanges of money among New York City banks on a daily basis. It occurred to Holstein that the numbers printed were different every day.

According to the 2010 book “Playing the Numbers,” Holstein came up with an ingenious solution. Using the Clearing House totals to produce a random combination between 000 and 999, he came up with a daily three-digit winning number for a new kind of lottery game. His invention became known simply as the numbers.

It was an immediate hit and quickly created a sprawling underground economy that moved through Harlem and other black communities in the U.S. For 60 years, the numbers reigned supreme as New York City’s pre-eminent daily lottery game — until 1980, when the state decided it wanted in.

>

As someone who loves the game, because of the challenge it presents, I'm a tad embarrassed to say I had no knowledge of the Pick 3 game's history.

Thanks Blackapple!

The Ancient Lottery LoreKeeper replied, "A past draw lies at the centerpoint of a circle - a black hole. Two overlapping circles whose centerpoints sit on the circumference of the other share a Common Radius. This Radius is a Wormhole, a Time Machine. It allows the past draw (info) to safely travel into and beyond the present draw's event horizon without negative distortion, thereby creating an entanglement (synchrony) between the two communicating draws. This entangled space or portal is the Vesica Piscis - the white hole or Stargate through which the next draw is born."
Blackapple

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Jul 27, 2024, 12:24 am

My Grandmother played "the street number in Philly" and loved playing it.

It literally was a way of life.

Better odds and tax-free.

It was a fascinating community of hope and dreams.
Blackapple

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Jul 27, 2024, 1:31 am

Philo of Alexandria (fl. early first c. CE), a Jewish writer and political leader who was called a Pythagorean in antiquity,

he argues for the intellectual coherence, even superiority, of Moses’ account of the creation. Near the beginning of the treatise Philo explains why God is said to have created the world in six days. It is not as if God, who conceived and executed everything all at once, needed the extra time. Rather, in those six days God supplied order and rank to created beings. According to the laws of the nature of numbers, six is the number most conducive to begetting. Philo explains:

The text is talking about the number six and why it’s special:

Perfect Number: Six is called a perfect number because it equals the sum of its parts (1, 2, and 3).

Male and Female: In ancient beliefs, odd numbers were seen as male and even numbers as female. So, three (odd) is male, and two (even) is female. Six, being made of both three and two, is a mix of male and female.

Creation: The world was thought to be created with the number six because it represents a perfect mix of male and female qualities, necessary for creation and reproduction.

My Father gifted me with a book about this concept when I was 8 years old.
PstvEnrgy

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Jul 27, 2024, 1:43 am

Quote: Originally posted by Blackapple on Jul 26, 2024

In the early 1920s, Casper Holstein, a black man from the Danish West Indies who worked as a porter for a Fifth Avenue store, liked to study the “Clearing House” totals published in a year’s worth of newspapers he’d saved. The Clearing House was an operation that managed the exchanges of money among New York City banks on a daily basis. It occurred to Holstein that the numbers printed were different every day.

According to the 2010 book “Playing the Numbers,” Holstein came up with an ingenious solution. Using the Clearing House totals to produce a random combination between 000 and 999, he came up with a daily three-digit winning number for a new kind of lottery game. His invention became known simply as the numbers.

It was an immediate hit and quickly created a sprawling underground economy that moved through Harlem and other black communities in the U.S. For 60 years, the numbers reigned supreme as New York City’s pre-eminent daily lottery game — until 1980, when the state decided it wanted in.

>

As with everything they want in on it...Greed!!!

Thanks for posting B.A. I tell people I know about this and they be so shocked but oh how I wish things were like they used to be with the street numbers💞
Lotterologist

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Jul 27, 2024, 6:43 pm

Deep...I didn't know that!
Coin Toss

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Jul 27, 2024, 10:41 pm

In many places that game was called 'policy'.

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.
str8ca$hhomie

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Jul 28, 2024, 9:41 am

Quote: Originally posted by Blackapple on Jul 26, 2024

In the early 1920s, Casper Holstein, a black man from the Danish West Indies who worked as a porter for a Fifth Avenue store, liked to study the “Clearing House” totals published in a year’s worth of newspapers he’d saved. The Clearing House was an operation that managed the exchanges of money among New York City banks on a daily basis. It occurred to Holstein that the numbers printed were different every day.

According to the 2010 book “Playing the Numbers,” Holstein came up with an ingenious solution. Using the Clearing House totals to produce a random combination between 000 and 999, he came up with a daily three-digit winning number for a new kind of lottery game. His invention became known simply as the numbers.

It was an immediate hit and quickly created a sprawling underground economy that moved through Harlem and other black communities in the U.S. For 60 years, the numbers reigned supreme as New York City’s pre-eminent daily lottery game — until 1980, when the state decided it wanted in.

>

How does Stephanie St. Clair (Harlem's Numbers Queen) fit into this Black invention story ???

Sometimes it's extremely difficult if not practically impossible to get people to disregard the smoke and mirrors. Instead, they seem to enjoy the ride down the proverbial Garden Path....... helpless to extricate themselves from being totally deceived by known forces in their midst who would argue that they have come here for the sole purpose of helping people. These forces would also argue that they have a winning MIRACLE system; that is, until asked to post numbers before the drawing !

Str8ca$hhomie
Cashier$

The No Longer Forgotten Quadrant
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Jul 28, 2024, 11:15 am

Thank you! Going to try to track down the movie and the book.

May you have a splendid day!
Cashier$

The No Longer Forgotten Quadrant
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Jul 28, 2024, 11:22 am

Quote: Originally posted by Blackapple on Jul 27, 2024

Philo of Alexandria (fl. early first c. CE), a Jewish writer and political leader who was called a Pythagorean in antiquity,

he argues for the intellectual coherence, even superiority, of Moses’ account of the creation. Near the beginning of the treatise Philo explains why God is said to have created the world in six days. It is not as if God, who conceived and executed everything all at once, needed the extra time. Rather, in those six days God supplied order and rank to created beings. According to the laws of the nature of numbers, six is the number most conducive to begetting. Philo explains:

The text is talking about the number six and why it’s special:

Perfect Number: Six is called a perfect number because it equals the sum of its parts (1, 2, and 3).

Male and Female: In ancient beliefs, odd numbers were seen as male and even numbers as female. So, three (odd) is male, and two (even) is female. Six, being made of both three and two, is a mix of male and female.

Creation: The world was thought to be created with the number six because it represents a perfect mix of male and female qualities, necessary for creation and reproduction.

My Father gifted me with a book about this concept when I was 8 years old.

Would appreciate it if you could tell me the name of the book. Definitely want to track down Playing the Numbers. Thanka!

May you have a splendid day!
Kola

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Jul 29, 2024, 1:27 am

Quote: Originally posted by Blackapple on Jul 27, 2024
My Grandmother played "the street number in Philly" and loved playing it.

It literally was a way of life.

Better odds and tax-free.

It was a fascinating community of hope and dreams.

I sometimes leave the corner store in doubt after hearing some old-timer swearing with certainty that the winning number will come out that afternoon from the small set he's asking the cashier to punch-in, while the numbers I chose don't remotely resemble anything that old-timer said. Nah - he can't be right, I say to myself, because I just spent some time on some deep new-school analysis for this draw, lol.

An hour later, draw comes out, I just have to shake my head and laugh my ass off. Of course, the old-timer and people like your grandmother were right again. Nothing but respect, lol, me and my high falutin' methods and techniques have nothing on them. And I love it!

The Ancient Lottery LoreKeeper replied, "A past draw lies at the centerpoint of a circle - a black hole. Two overlapping circles whose centerpoints sit on the circumference of the other share a Common Radius. This Radius is a Wormhole, a Time Machine. It allows the past draw (info) to safely travel into and beyond the present draw's event horizon without negative distortion, thereby creating an entanglement (synchrony) between the two communicating draws. This entangled space or portal is the Vesica Piscis - the white hole or Stargate through which the next draw is born."
Kola

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Jul 29, 2024, 2:20 am

Quote: Originally posted by Coin Toss on Jul 27, 2024
In many places that game was called 'policy'.

I didn't know what you were talking about Coin Toss and was going to ask you to please unpack what you meant by "Policy", but I just looked up your interesting reference on Wikipedia: "Numbers Game"

It said, "Policy was a popular game, particularly in African-American communities, in cities across the United States such as Chicago and New York City (Harlem specifically). The name "policy" is based on the similarity to cheap insurance, which is also a gamble on the future".

Thanks Coin Toss!

The Ancient Lottery LoreKeeper replied, "A past draw lies at the centerpoint of a circle - a black hole. Two overlapping circles whose centerpoints sit on the circumference of the other share a Common Radius. This Radius is a Wormhole, a Time Machine. It allows the past draw (info) to safely travel into and beyond the present draw's event horizon without negative distortion, thereby creating an entanglement (synchrony) between the two communicating draws. This entangled space or portal is the Vesica Piscis - the white hole or Stargate through which the next draw is born."
Kola

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Jul 29, 2024, 2:36 am

Quote: Originally posted by str8ca$hhomie on Jul 28, 2024
How does Stephanie St. Clair (Harlem's Numbers Queen) fit into this Black invention story ???

Just looked her up. Wow - she was quite a lady.

Thanks str8ca$hhomie!

The Ancient Lottery LoreKeeper replied, "A past draw lies at the centerpoint of a circle - a black hole. Two overlapping circles whose centerpoints sit on the circumference of the other share a Common Radius. This Radius is a Wormhole, a Time Machine. It allows the past draw (info) to safely travel into and beyond the present draw's event horizon without negative distortion, thereby creating an entanglement (synchrony) between the two communicating draws. This entangled space or portal is the Vesica Piscis - the white hole or Stargate through which the next draw is born."
GiveFive

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June 10, 2010
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Jul 29, 2024, 7:35 am

In the movie "The Godfather", Sonny Corleone has a line where he talks about "the policy banks up in Harlem". Until I read your post I had no idea of what Sonny was talking about. Thanks. G5

Play Smart! That's IF there is such a thing as playing smartly!!
str8ca$hhomie

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August 22, 2013
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Jul 29, 2024, 8:57 am

Quote: Originally posted by Kola on Jul 29, 2024
I sometimes leave the corner store in doubt after hearing some old-timer swearing with certainty that the winning number will come out that afternoon from the small set he's asking the cashier to punch-in, while the numbers I chose don't remotely resemble anything that old-timer said. Nah - he can't be right, I say to myself, because I just spent some time on some deep new-school analysis for this draw, lol.

An hour later, draw comes out, I just have to shake my head and laugh my ass off. Of course, the old-timer and people like your grandmother were right again. Nothing but respect, lol, me and my high falutin' methods and techniques have nothing on them. And I love it!

I've heard stories that the old-timers had developed a formula to determine as they used to call it "next day's play." Still searching mathematically speaking as to how they did it.

Sometimes it's extremely difficult if not practically impossible to get people to disregard the smoke and mirrors. Instead, they seem to enjoy the ride down the proverbial Garden Path....... helpless to extricate themselves from being totally deceived by known forces in their midst who would argue that they have come here for the sole purpose of helping people. These forces would also argue that they have a winning MIRACLE system; that is, until asked to post numbers before the drawing !

Str8ca$hhomie