100xOdds
100xOdds 
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January 14th, 2017 at 8:44:34 AM permalink
Lets say each ticket is $1 and the odds of winning is 1 in 150k.
fed + state taxes = 40%
so a jackpot of $250k = breakeven

Lets says the jackpot rolls over to $275k.
I'd buy $50 worth because it's a nice round #.

How many tickets would you buy?
Why that amount?
Craps is paradise (Pair of dice). Lets hear it for the SpeedCount Mathletes :)
prozema
prozema
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January 14th, 2017 at 9:19:53 AM permalink
Variance is sky high with lotto and there is the possibility of multiple winners. Another thing to keep in mind is a lot of the mid level prizes in some games are not fixed wins...

With all that said, I would only spend enough so that I can have a little fun with the "what would I do if I won" conversation with someone. I do really enjoy telling people that I'd keep every dime and share with no one, especially after they get done talking about buying houses for their family or giving a big chunk to charity. People look at me like I'm the second coming of Clinton, or Trump, or Satan, or whoever they most hate. It's basically the same feeling I get when I trigger someone to full tilt mode playing a 3/6 holdem game.

I'm starting to smile just thinking about all this!

Anyway, I can't imagine there is any meaningful difference in buying $1 in tickets vs $100 dollars in tickets until you get to a point where you've covered a significant number of possible combinations.

That does make me wonder... How fast does that ticket printing machine print? How long would it theoretically take to print 100% of the number combinations? For little lotto games that draw daily, or multi state games that draw 2x per week, is there even enough time to print enough tickets to cover all winning combinations?

I feel like I'm starting to go off the deep end now.
MathExtremist
MathExtremist
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January 14th, 2017 at 9:31:02 AM permalink
Quote: 100xOdds

Lets say each ticket is $1 and the odds of winning is 1 in 150k.
fed + state taxes = 40%
so a jackpot of $250k = breakeven

Lets says the jackpot rolls over to $275k.
I'd buy $50 worth because it's a nice round #.

How many tickets would you buy?
Why that amount?


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lottery_wheeling
"In my own case, when it seemed to me after a long illness that death was close at hand, I found no little solace in playing constantly at dice." -- Girolamo Cardano, 1563
TomG
TomG
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January 14th, 2017 at 11:07:29 AM permalink
Quote: 100xOdds

How many tickets would you buy?
Why that amount?



1) 150,000
2) it would lead to a $15,000 profit
DJTeddyBear
DJTeddyBear
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January 14th, 2017 at 11:43:33 AM permalink
Quote: TomG

Quote: 100xOdds

How many tickets would you buy?
Why that amount?

1) 150,000
2) it would lead to a $15,000 profit

What if someone else did the same thing? How's your profit now?

What if it was several somebodies?

---

I might throw $10 at it. Last time, I did $10, my bother did $20. I told him he was twice the loser I was...
I invented a few casino games. Info: http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ ————————————————————————————————————— Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
TomG
TomG
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January 14th, 2017 at 11:52:36 AM permalink
Quote: DJTeddyBear

Quote: TomG

Quote: 100xOdds

How many tickets would you buy?
Why that amount?

1) 150,000
2) it would lead to a $15,000 profit

What if someone else did the same thing? How's your profit now?

What if it was several somebodies?



Still $15,000, according to the original criteria. If a jackpot could be split, it would be a -EV lottery
prozema
prozema
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January 14th, 2017 at 1:18:16 PM permalink
If only we knew the results before we made the bet...
ahiromu
ahiromu
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January 14th, 2017 at 3:27:42 PM permalink
You're basically asking us if we want to be an insurance provider. No, there's a reason I'm the one paying the premiums.

Edit: Ok, not exactly, the principle is there. I would not be willing to lay 150-200k because I can't afford it. However, I'd love to give you 250k for a guaranteed profit.
Its - Possessive; It's - "It is" / "It has"; There - Location; Their - Possessive; They're - "They are"
DRich
DRich
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January 14th, 2017 at 3:33:22 PM permalink
Assuming these are lottery scratch off tickets, I would corner the market and buy all 150,000 of them before Joan Ginther finds out.
At my age, a "Life In Prison" sentence is not much of a deterrent.
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