The Lottery

[archibaldcrane]

There are avid cocaine users poo-pooing the lottery in here?

[Day]

Well you are from CA, everyone there does coke right?

[Valisk]

then you get into math and look dumb

which is why math keeps coming up

because there's a lot of dumb

It's just as dumb to keep claiming you know math and calling people who play it idiots. You may feel it's an idiotic thing but not all the people who play are idiots. It's fucking $2-3 and most people here said they either don't play or only on occasion. No one (here) is obsessed and spending thousands of dollars a year on lottery tickets. Math is obviously the most important factor, but it doesn't account for where luck pops up. If you have a 1 in 175,000,000 chance at winning something, luck can make that "1" appear sooner than later. And that's all the lottery is, luck. People play for luck, not because of math.

It's 3 dollahs!

[Silviya]

I bought one ticket on eighteenth birthday with a cigar and a nudie magazine at a gas station after filling up my tank on the way to school. Didn't win.

If I randomly found a 100 million winning ticket on the street or some shit, I would probably buy/rent some property in places all over the world. Then I'd get my pilots license and buy a jet. Cruise around and just do whatever I felt like. Call up my friends and family and be like "Want to go to such-and-such place today? Ok, be at the airport at 5:00."

Also I would wear a new pair of socks everyday. Maybe underwear too.

[NynJa]

There are avid cocaine users poo-pooing the lottery in here?

Way to miss the obvious point that people clamoring about how the lottery is a waste of 1-3 dollars are turning around and wasting even more money on something equally dumber.

[archibaldcrane]

Way to miss the obvious strawman that nobody in this thread clamoring about how the lottery is a waste of 1-3 dollars are turning around and wasting even more money on coke

no, i caught it fine

[archibaldcrane]

Well you are from CA, everyone there does coke right?

it's kinda nuts, but i've actually never even seen coke

and i'm from wisconsin, just live here

[Kerberoz]

Way to miss the obvious point that people clamoring about how the lottery is a waste of 1-3 dollars are turning around and wasting even more money on something equally dumber.

Doesn't make buying lottery tickets any less stupid. That's like a second-grade logical fallacy. "Nuh uh, you do it toooooooo!" Does that make you stupid? Not necessarily. Smart people often do stupid things, and invent ways to justify those stupid things to themselves. You guys get really, really defensive over this shit, because your subconscious knows it's stupid. Cognitive dissonance. You lash out and project your failings on others to avoid admitting the truth to yourself. It's like religious people calling science a religion.

Back to the fantasy world circle-jerk!!

[Valisk]

it's kinda nuts, but i've actually never even seen coke

and i'm from wisconsin, just live here

You've never had to edit out a coke scene in a reality show? Blashpemy!

You guys get really, really defensive over this shit, because your subconscious knows it's stupid.

I think it's more lashing out towards the people who say stupid people play the lottery instead of saying playing the lottery is stupid. There have been a few throughout the thread indicating the former in so many words.

Smart people often do stupid things, and invent ways to justify those stupid things to themselves.

You mean like buying cigarettes and alcohol? It's all subjective isn't it?

[Kerberoz]

You mean like buying cigarettes and alcohol? It's all subjective isn't it?

Well, yes... that's the point. Most people realize those are a money-sink, though. There's nothing wrong with small amounts of gambling if it brings you enjoyment and doesn't cut into necessary expenses. The stupidity comes with pretending that you have more than a loli's chance on a subway at winning or that any system (including "I only play above $___" etc) makes a meaningful difference. Doing stupid things doesn't make one stupid; it keeps one sane. The problem is with not realizing or admitting it.

[Day]

You have more of a chance of winning if you buy a ticket than if you do not. No matter how minuscule there is a chance they could win, and that's where people get their enjoyment from, the tiniest chance they could win. Never seen so many people on a pedestal about what people are spending a dollar or two a day on. Unless you only buy necessities and save every single penny possible then get over yourself. You probably waste more than a dollars worth of time on this forum everyday.

[Valisk]

The stupidity comes with pretending that you have more than a loli's chance on a subway at winning or that any system (including "I only play above $___" etc) makes a meaningful difference.

Don't think anyone was arguing that... Everyone who plays is aware of the 1 in 175,000,000 chance of winning. It says so right on the ticket. Only playing above a certain dollar amount isn't based on increasing chances because that's not the case and no one has said it is. I explained that I only play above a certain amount to limit how much I spend on said unfathomable chances. Instead of playing 4 times a week (MegaMillions/Powerball), I play when the jackpot is over a certain amount so that equates to 10-15 times a year versus 208. That has nothing to do with thinking chances increase as the jackpot does. You misinterpreted the reasons people (in this thread) playing only when the jackpot is above $____.

Also, I don't think anyone has said playing the lottery is smart. If we all only did smart things, the world would be a pretty boring place don't you think?

[Rulke]

-What do you think about the lottery? (voluntary tax, goverment scam, etc.) :: Since its not "required" I have no beef with it. Play if you want, if you don't; don't.
-Do you play the lottery? (MegaMillions, Powerball, scratch offs, etc.) :: This year, to change it up, I am playing mega millions. A coworker and I buy 1 set of numbers each a week (so $1 a piece)
-What would you do if you won? (Who would you tell? How would you spend it?) :: If I won, fuck my job and fuck working again, ever. Maybe volunteer at someplace I enjoy though. Would only tell family and close friends, but you know that info gets out eventually so reguardless of what you want, more people end up knowing. I honestly wouldn't live too differently than I do now, just a little more flashy maybe.

[volcanicweather]

Odds of winning the Powerball are 175 million to 1, considering taxes would take anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 depending on where you live and it doesn't make statistical sense to play unless the jackpot is well over 200 million. Not going to crunch all the numbers right now but there is a point when the jackpot reaches a high enough level that you actually SHOULD play the Powerball as the sum you would win (along with the other sums for small combinations) given your chances of winning is worth the risk.

[barber2006]

I've played twice a year for about 10 years. I've never even gotten one number right. At 5 bucks a try thats $100 and never even matched a single number. I don't expect to win, but I do play if for no other reason than to spend 2-3 days imagining what I would do if I did win. That's worth the price of the ticket to me. Plus the day the casinos opened in Louisiana I won 350 bucks and never went back so I tell myself I'm still playing with 'house money'.

[volcanicweather]

Great read on Powerball and gambling statistics: http://www.amstat.org/publications/j...2/mecklin.html

Relevant excerpt:

So, at first glance, we may think that it is beneficial to play Powerball whenever (the jackpot is equal to or greater than) $99,638,177. Unfortunately, the following issues all work to reduce the value of the jackpot:
-Federal and state taxes
-The fact that the jackpot winning is much less than the advertised value if one chooses to take the prize in a single lump-sum cash payment rather than a multi-year annuity
-The chance of multiple jackpot winners

So I was somewhat wrong, there is no true "must play" point due to multiple winners, although this is very unlikely to occur.

[Dimmauk]

If I won the Lottery, I would donate enough to BG and ban all the Lottery haters! I'm making my list just in case.

[Zetanio]

People in this thread are statistically analyzing the fucking lottery.

That's all.

[hey]

Odds of winning the Powerball are 175 million to 1, considering taxes would take anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 depending on where you live and it doesn't make statistical sense to play unless the jackpot is well over 200 million. Not going to crunch all the numbers right now but there is a point when the jackpot reaches a high enough level that you actually SHOULD play the Powerball as the sum you would win (along with the other sums for small combinations) given your chances of winning is worth the risk.

Actually there is no point where it becomes worth it.

And realistically, there's no real difference between 200 million and 10~100 million (depending on lifestyle, of course), as either case is enough to buy everything someone might realistically want, and never need to work again.

[Dimmauk]

Two years ago a coworker won 2.2 million on a $20 scratch off. She called in and said I won the lottery! Not going into work anymore. Found out last week that it's all gone already LOL