Silliness So what are you doing RIGHT NOW? - Page 2325

WT Sharpe · 11-07-2012, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

For you guys playing the lottery... My offer of a guaranteed 50% return on investment still stands.

It's better than 0%, right, and no guarantee?

Stitchawl

It'll probably beat my lifetime lottery winnings!

Stitchawl · 11-07-2012, 08:54 PM

I have a very dear friend who plays the Tri-State Lottery religiously. Every week at least one ticket. If no one wins that week, the following week he'll buy two tickets. If no one wins again, and the prize continues to increase, each week he will double or triple his purchases. He says he wins roughly 2-3 times a year... but never more than $2 at a time. But that's enough to keep him coming back for more. He figures he spends close to $ $350-$400 a year buying tickets. And wins $2-$4 a year. With the Mob-controled numbers racket, players had a better chance of winning. Perhaps that's why it was outlawed?

Stitchawl

issybird · 11-07-2012, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

I have a very dear friend who plays the Tri-State Lottery religiously. Every week at least one ticket. If no one wins that week, the following week he'll buy two tickets. If no one wins again, and the prize continues to increase, each week he will double or triple his purchases. He says he wins roughly 2-3 times a year... but never more than $2 at a time. But that's enough to keep him coming back for more. He figures he spends close to $ $350-$400 a year buying tickets. And wins $2-$4 a year. With the Mob-controled numbers racket, players had a better chance of winning. Perhaps that's why it was outlawed?

Stitchawl

This didn't sound right to me, so I checked into it. Either the universe has it in for your friend, or his recollection his faulty. I looked up the odds for the Tri-State Megabucks and they're about one in six for any prize, the lowest of which is $2. Since there are two drawings per week, even if he bought only one ticket per drawing, he'd win something on an average of once every three weeks. Since he's doubling down on his bet when he loses and since the prize pool includes bigger prizes, he should be doing far better than only $2 to $4 a year. Something is rotten in the state of Vermont, New Hampshire, or Maine!

Stitchawl · 11-07-2012, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by issybird

This didn't sound right to me, so I checked into it. Either the universe has it in for your friend, or his recollection his faulty. I looked up the odds for the Tri-State Megabucks and they're about one in six for any prize, the lowest of which is $2. Since there are two drawings per week, even if he bought only one ticket per drawing, he'd win something on an average of once every three weeks. Since he's doubling down on his bet when he loses and since the prize pool includes bigger prizes, he should be doing far better than only $2 to $4 a year. Something is rotten in the state of Vermont, New Hampshire, or Maine!

Then suffice it to say that something is rotten in the state of Vermont, New Hampshire, or Maine! You live there, right? Try it yourself and see if you win once every three weeks. It will only cost you $6 to find out if they are telling the truth. If one could win 'cash' once every three weeks, more people would be playing. Although $2 is the minimum cash prize, one can also win a free ticket. Besides the $2-$4 wins, he does win a free ticket more often. But you can't buy tea with a free ticket...

Trust... but verify.

Stitchawl

issybird · 11-07-2012, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Then suffice it to say that something is rotten in the state of Vermont, New Hampshire, or Maine! You live there, right? Try it yourself and see if you win once every three weeks. It will only cost you $6 to find out if they are telling the truth. If one could win 'cash' once every three weeks, more people would be playing. Although $2 is the minimum cash prize, one can also win a free ticket. Besides the $2-$4 wins, he does win a free ticket more often. But you can't buy tea with a free ticket...

Trust... but verify.

Stitchawl

The game has been tweaked. Tickets cost $2 (so it would cost $12 to buy a ticket per drawing for three weeks) and the minimum prize is $2. No more free tickets.

The odds of winning are as stated, easy enough to verify with a calculator. So, are the drawings fixed? The balls weighted, perhaps, to reduce the odds of picking lower numbers (since people play dates)?

I suspect your friend wins small amounts more often than he thinks, or else he's truly unlucky.

Stitchawl · 11-08-2012, 02:53 AM

So it only costs $12 to win $2... Maybe. Sounds like a good plan.
I'll stick with my method; 50% return on investment guaranteed.

Stitchawl

orlok · 11-08-2012, 04:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

I have a very dear friend who plays the Tri-State Lottery religiously. Every week at least one ticket. If no one wins that week, the following week he'll buy two tickets. If no one wins again, and the prize continues to increase, each week he will double or triple his purchases. He says he wins roughly 2-3 times a year... but never more than $2 at a time. But that's enough to keep him coming back for more. He figures he spends close to $ $350-$400 a year buying tickets. And wins $2-$4 a year. With the Mob-controled numbers racket, players had a better chance of winning. Perhaps that's why it was outlawed?

Stitchawl

Sounds like your friend is one of those unlucky ones that beats the odds, in a bad way. I won £250 a little while ago, and was one number away from a quarter of a mill. Some months I win 3 or 4 times, even 3 or 4 times in a week occasionally (we have a number of different games to play, several times a week), but some months not a bean. It no doubt averages out over longer periods.

Stitchawl · 11-08-2012, 05:34 AM

I have a feeling that no matter how often one wins, the House still winds up making more money than anyone else.

I've gambled for money four times; once in Las Vegas, where I kept $10 going for four hours, once in Vermont when I bought a Lottery ticket when there hadn't been a winner in several weeks, and twice in Japan playing Pachinko. The first time was my second day in the country and wandered into a Pachinko parlor. I won ¥20,000 (about $200 USD) and the next day going back into the same place and losing ¥1,000 (about $10 USD.) That was almost 25 years ago. I've never gambled for money since.

EDIT: Oops! I forgot one! I went to the track once on a date back in the '70s. I had 7 winners and came out losing $25 for the evening... I guess it helps to know 'how' to bet.

Stitchawl

orlok · 11-08-2012, 05:40 AM

I haven't "gambled" for many years, apart from the lottery, though I did once win £25 in the casino in Monte Carlo, when I was in my early 20s - it allowed me to get a hotel room for the night, which was great, as I had been mostly sleeping on the beach. Ah, student days...

pdurrant · 11-08-2012, 05:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

I guess it helps to know 'how' to bet.

I have an infallible* system for roulette. It's guaranteed† to win‡. I'll teach it to you for a modest fee.

* Given no house limit and an inexhaustible supply of money to bet with.
† Provided the conditions above are met and the instructions followed exactly
‡ Net return equal to the original stake

orlok · 11-08-2012, 06:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I have an infallible* system for roulette. It's guaranteed† to win‡. I'll teach it to you for a modest fee.

* Given no house limit and an inexhaustible supply of money to bet with.
† Provided the conditions above are met and the instructions followed exactly
‡ Net return equal to the original stake

Is it the "doubling up" method?

pdurrant · 11-08-2012, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orlok

Is it the "doubling up" method?

Are you trying to ruin my scam livelihood?

orlok · 11-08-2012, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Are you trying to ruin my scam livelihood?

Ha! I used to regularly break the bank on my home Roulette Wheel with that method. Would never have the guts to do it for real.

Latinandgreek · 11-08-2012, 01:16 PM

I think I'm due for a catnap.

Rumpelteazer · 11-08-2012, 02:44 PM

Copying files to my mediaplayer. I got the HDD today and installing it was as simple as opening a door on the side of the player, sliding it in and closing the door.

I had a long talk with my neighbour today, she also e-reads (or is it "reads e"?). It's not necessarily a bad thing we don't talk with each other that often because my (and her) book wishlist has just gotten a lot longer because we both like the same books.

11-08-2012, 05:34 AM	#34868
Stitchawl Opsimath Posts: 12,344 Karma: 187123287 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand Device: Sony PRS-650, iPhone 5, Kobo Glo, Sony PRS-350, iPad, Samsung Galaxy	I have a feeling that no matter how often one wins, the House still winds up making more money than anyone else. I've gambled for money four times; once in Las Vegas, where I kept $10 going for four hours, once in Vermont when I bought a Lottery ticket when there hadn't been a winner in several weeks, and twice in Japan playing Pachinko. The first time was my second day in the country and wandered into a Pachinko parlor. I won ¥20,000 (about $200 USD) and the next day going back into the same place and losing ¥1,000 (about $10 USD.) That was almost 25 years ago. I've never gambled for money since. EDIT: Oops! I forgot one! I went to the track once on a date back in the '70s. I had 7 winners and came out losing $25 for the evening... I guess it helps to know 'how' to bet. Stitchawl Last edited by Stitchawl; 11-08-2012 at 05:37 AM.

11-07-2012, 08:54 PM	#34862
Stitchawl Opsimath Posts: 12,344 Karma: 187123287 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand Device: Sony PRS-650, iPhone 5, Kobo Glo, Sony PRS-350, iPad, Samsung Galaxy	I have a very dear friend who plays the Tri-State Lottery religiously. Every week at least one ticket. If no one wins that week, the following week he'll buy two tickets. If no one wins again, and the prize continues to increase, each week he will double or triple his purchases. He says he wins roughly 2-3 times a year... but never more than $2 at a time. But that's enough to keep him coming back for more. He figures he spends close to $ $350-$400 a year buying tickets. And wins $2-$4 a year. With the Mob-controled numbers racket, players had a better chance of winning. Perhaps that's why it was outlawed? Stitchawl

11-08-2012, 02:53 AM	#34866
Stitchawl Opsimath Posts: 12,344 Karma: 187123287 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand Device: Sony PRS-650, iPhone 5, Kobo Glo, Sony PRS-350, iPad, Samsung Galaxy	So it only costs $12 to win $2... Maybe. Sounds like a good plan. I'll stick with my method; 50% return on investment guaranteed. Stitchawl

11-08-2012, 05:40 AM	#34869
orlok Close to the Edit! Posts: 9,797 Karma: 267994408 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis, Amazon Fire 8", Kindle 6"	I haven't "gambled" for many years, apart from the lottery, though I did once win £25 in the casino in Monte Carlo, when I was in my early 20s - it allowed me to get a hotel room for the night, which was great, as I had been mostly sleeping on the beach. Ah, student days...

11-08-2012, 01:16 PM	#34874
Latinandgreek Warrior Princess Posts: 5,038 Karma: 9724231 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: PRS-505; PRS-350, PRS-T1, iPad, Aura HD	I think I'm due for a catnap.

11-08-2012, 02:44 PM	#34875
Rumpelteazer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,209 Karma: 27117938 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Utrecht, the Netherlands Device: Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition	Copying files to my mediaplayer. I got the HDD today and installing it was as simple as opening a door on the side of the player, sliding it in and closing the door. I had a long talk with my neighbour today, she also e-reads (or is it "reads e"?). It's not necessarily a bad thing we don't talk with each other that often because my (and her) book wishlist has just gotten a lot longer because we both like the same books.