The Powerball administrators have announced that no ticket was sold that matched the winning numbers of the January 9th drawing. So the grand prize for the next drawing will be about $1.3 Billion. With each drawing where there is no winner there are more tickets sold for the next drawing and the total payout increases.

Me -- I didn't buy the $2 ticket. It was raining during the afternoon and I didn't feel like walking in the rain. Maybe I will buy a ticket for the next drawing. It's not often that I have a chance to become a billionaire.

I have done some thinking about the matter of possibly winning the Powerball lottery. I understand that my chance of winning is extremely small (essentially non-existent). So I fully expect to NOT win. That way I am not disappointed when, in fact, I don't win.

But it is fun to take a few minutes to consider what extravagant items I would buy if I did win: 1) a Learjet 75 airplane, 2) a Hallberg-Rassy 48 sailboat. I could live on the sailboat and go pretty much anywhere in the world that I want to go. But I don't expect to win the lottery so I will not have to seriously think about the airplane or sailboat.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/10/2016 03:31AM by saviorself.

La Saucie and I had a long discussion, and it was fun. She thinks winning would not change her, that she'd still be the same person, while I am of the opinion that while one might strive to remain unchanged, winning that much money would ruin an ordinary person's life.

I proposed arm wrestling today determine which of us would have his/her way.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/10/2016 06:39AM by elderolddog.

I think I would be like Sauciekins. I would fret less after the first assault (people I had not spoken to in decades) but it would come with so many other problems I am not prepared for. I would, straight off the bat replace our 20something year old car because I worry about Hubby so much in this weather. Other than that, I would ask my friend that knows about $ to find a lawyer and a money guy that HE vets and I would pay him for that because even though he loves me I would not take advantage. Next I would pay off my sewing machine. It is my DREAM but that monthly payment is like a rock in your shoe or a pea under your bed. Other than that, lol, simple as it is, I just don't want to worry all the time.

I bought a single $2 ticket.
I didn't win the big prize (obviously), but I did win my $2 back.
so I'll buy another one for the $1.3 billion. :)

I'm curious how you won just $2 back. The minimum payout in New York was $4 for a Powerball number. Or did you mean you won that much?

Maybe states have different payouts. There were 36 New Yorkers who got 4 of 5 numbers in a row plus Powerball, for $50,000 each. And 3 winners who got 5 numbers, minus the Powerball for 1,000,000 each.

Someone at work today mentioned her brother ran a math equation on how long it would take someone to play the Powerball every combination possible, and it would take one person 27 years to play every combination of numbers back to back, if they played one right after another.

I won two. Re-invest for entertainment purposes.

Using the same numbers?

I am.

I bought three numbers for $6.00. Won $14.00!! Re-invested my winnings on seven numbers!!! Woo Hoooooo!

If someone on the board wins, will you please take us on a exam cruise? That would be fun.

if you meant 'exmo' cruise, yes! I won't take you, but I'll happily send you. That's cuz I'll be too busy with all my new friends on the "my shit don't stink" board.

elderolddog Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> if you meant 'exmo' cruise, yes!

Oh, no, clearly 'exam cruise' was meant.
I'll make up some exhaustive tests.
If you don't pass, it's overboard with you.
It'll be a hoot! :)

Somebody has probably already said this, but I'll say it again anyway for my benefit: As far as rate of return goes, it is probably better to spend your money on gambling than on tithing!

Edited to add: I suspect the reason Mormons and religion generally are against gambling is because of course, for the obvious reasons, but also because it takes away from their tithing. Tithing and gambling are based on the same human psychology: Give the casino/church your money and if you're lucky/righteous they will pour out so much blessing/winnings that you will not be able to receive it!

Anybody tell me how temples, cathedrals, etc, look any different than the casinos in Vegas!



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 01/10/2016 05:52PM by zero.

Good point. A lost bet is as good as a lost salvation that wasn't there anyway.

I won $4 on the Powerball last night. That was from the "lucky" 13.

The odds were changed up in October, making it ever more unlikely someone is going to win the darn thing, and also more unlikely to win smaller numbers.

I'll play something, because I get Lotto fever when the stakes are this high. Knowing how skewered lottery officials have made winning it just makes me angry at the system for messing with our minds and our wallets this way.

If they keep it at the odds it's been since October, then record breaking billion dollar lottos will become the new norm. I just find the whole racket demoralizing in some respects because they're really ripping us off, big time. With our permission.

It's state sponsored racketeering, at least that's what it reminds me of. It's just legalized is the only difference.

The best thing that happened to me buying my Powerball tickets last night was finding 22 oz containers of Chilean blueberries at the supermarket, that weren't there on my last visit. And for only $6.99! Usually, out of season, blueberries in that size a container sell for $10, easily. I don't pay that much, but @ $6.99 I did.

Love fresh blueberries! Eat em on cereal, and use em for fruit smoothies. Or all by themselves for a tasty, healthful snack. Ever had a bowl of berries topped with half and half? It's the best.

Any way you fix em, they're a surefire winner!

:D



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/10/2016 08:02PM by Amyjo.

I'm wondering what this going to do to lottery psychology. When they increased the size of the pool of numbers that Powerball is drawn from, they may have lowered the odds of winning too much. At what point are potential customers/marks going to say screw it, the odds are excellent that nobody is going to win in a particular drawing? That's pretty much where I am at the moment.

That's where I'm at too, after learning about how the lottery officials skewered the numbers this past October just so it would increase the jackpot size exponentially resulting in bigger wins for them in ticket sales.

We're the peons to them. And someone asked me today, where's the money they "say" they're spending on education? Last time we checked it still isn't a bargain, and tuition goes up all the time for state higher ed. Primary and grammar schools haven't seen any of these windfalls either.

So... what's up with that? Somebody's slush fund, but it isn't what they say it's going for.

What to do with the winnings?.... Give it to the Lard's church, spend it on Hookers and Blow, or head to Vegas and put it all on 'Red'.

With the jackpot now estimated at $1.4 Billion (and it could go higher), DW and I decided to buy some Powerball Tickets.

Yes, the odds of winning are extremely small, but if we don't buy any tickets the odds of winning are zero. How's that for rationalizing?

So I drive to my friendly neighborhood liquor (Lottery) store and buy 30 tickets (for a total cost of $60), letting the computer choose the numbers. We agreed that this would be the last time this year that we spend any money on gambling.

In an earlier post on this thread I mentioned that if we win I would like to buy the Hallberg-Rassy 48 sailboat ($1.2 million) and the Learjet 75 ($11.5 million). So at least we have something to dream about for the next 53.5 hours, until we find out for sure that we didn't win the jackpot.

Here is a Youtube Vidio about sailing that boat in heavy weather in the Atlantic ocean off the coast of France.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GqosjN3Yho

Were you to win, I suggest you step it up a notch and get the H-R 64... Why the hell not?


And then I say the Oyster 100...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq1gnlIKxeU


That would be an awesome way to go from golf course to golf course!!

If you do play spring the extra dollar for the power play.

I was looking at some statistics from the latest drawing and thousand could have won three times as much from the lesser prizes if they had played the power play.

At the current rates of ticket sales, the 44 states who sell Powerball tickets are raking in $150,000 every 30 seconds in sales alone.

Something to ask: Who are the real winner/s here?????

We spent about about $20 on the powerball because my non-Mormon in-laws asked us to join their pool -- SINNERS! (I of course told them that they should spend their money on tithing! : ) )

Anyway, when I was getting the tickets I thought instead of getting the quick pick I should pick my lucky numbers right???

And then I thought maybe I should pick 1-2-3-4-5-6! But then I was thinking, what are the chances that those numbers in any order would be picked? Basically zero! So what are the chances that any other random series of numbers would be picked?...

In the end I'm pretty sure I won the extra money I was thinking about spending to buy tickets for myself by not using it to buy any more tickets outside of the family pool.

But the money spent for the family, I guess, will be worth the family social involvement. At least my mon-Mormon in-laws are not pressuring me to pay 10% tithing!

I'm pretty sure any person would lose less if they spent their tithing money every month gambling....

There really should be some sort of scientific study on this subject!

gambling losses are as tax deductible as tithing donations! Of course, if you win during your monthly trips to your local casino, those winnings deduct from your losses.

Are there any Indian casinos in Utah?

zero Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> And then I thought maybe I should pick
> 1-2-3-4-5-6! But then I was thinking, what are
> the chances that those numbers in any order would
> be picked? Basically zero! So what are the
> chances that any other random series of numbers
> would be picked?...

Actually, the odds of 1-2-3-4-5-6 are exactly the same as the odds of any other numbers coming up. You have the *exact* same odds of that sequence as you do for 2-55-46-30-22-5 :)

I would split it with family and co-workers -- at least 50 other people. That much money would ruin your life.

Citizen Kane had it all. At the end of his life, the last words he uttered were "Rose bud" for the sled he had as a boy he used to have fun with family and friends.

He died a lonely, old recluse with everything money could buy...but what he really needed/wanted the most...to love and be loved.

Lord, grant me the opportunity to prove that winning the powerball won't change me.

I wouldn't change............

I'd be very generous except with tithe payers.

I might buy the Play Boy mansion..............& have it a exmo party place.

And I'd definitely buy a beach front family compound.

Next I'd luv to have a private plane..........

Wish me luck.
And I'm more than happy to be just one of several winners.

What if the lottery this huge was evenly distributed amoung our nation's citizens instead!? You know "redistribute the wealth"? It'll sure help a lot of people instead of a person or a few people...

When the California lottery started in 1984 I bought a $2 ticket; won $6. Haven't bought a ticket since then, thought I would quit while I was ahead.

Over a lifetime I suppose I've spent $500 dollars on lotto.

Either one number sequence or 5 quick picks. Sometimes 10.

I've probably won $200 too. Not great.

The risk is low, the odds are bad, and I have the money to do it on big jackpots so I do.

As of Tuesday afternoon (January 12th) the jackpot has reached $1.5 Billion. That is some serious money.

While ya'll talk about it, I'm going to go add my 2 dollars to the pot while I still can.

Got any favorite numbers you'd like me to play? :)

New York Post says the director of powerball is under scrutiny for jackpot fixing. They're investigating him. In the meantime bank of Scotland is saying pull everything out and put in high quality bonds because 2016 is going to be as catastrophic as 2008.
Joy.