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it's just a great big tease
Jun. 4th, 2008 11:59 pmTwice a week I voluntarily pay the math-tax and play the Powerball lottery. I think part of why I do this is because the lottery fits in so neatly with my personal theory that nearly every government program is either a scam, a tease, or both; the lottery is very most likely both. Tonight, it was a tease.
The Powerball is played across multiple states, and involves a drawing of 5 random numbers from 1 to 50-something, and then a special "powerball" number (they used the floating pingpong ball method of doing the drawing, hence the name), also from 1 to 50-something. Matching numbers pays out, and the more numbers your ticket matches with the "winning" numbers, the more money you win. Matching the powerball number increases your winnings.
Tonight I bought two tickets. My first ticket matched two numbers. Payouts start at 3 numbers matched, unless you've also matched the powerball number. The powerball number on my first ticket was an 8, which was a match. Unforunately, it was a match for this past Saturday's powerball number, as tonight's was 3. My second ticket had no matching numbers, and just to rub it in, the powerball number was 33.
I only win every so often, and it's usually of the $3 or $7 payout variety. Once, four years ago I think, I got 4 numbers matched (but not the powerball) and won $100. So mostly, playng the lottery is an exercise in creative losing. Sometimes the numbers are interesting, like every one being either one number high or one number low from the winning numbers, and sometimes it's just a great big tease.
The Powerball is played across multiple states, and involves a drawing of 5 random numbers from 1 to 50-something, and then a special "powerball" number (they used the floating pingpong ball method of doing the drawing, hence the name), also from 1 to 50-something. Matching numbers pays out, and the more numbers your ticket matches with the "winning" numbers, the more money you win. Matching the powerball number increases your winnings.
Tonight I bought two tickets. My first ticket matched two numbers. Payouts start at 3 numbers matched, unless you've also matched the powerball number. The powerball number on my first ticket was an 8, which was a match. Unforunately, it was a match for this past Saturday's powerball number, as tonight's was 3. My second ticket had no matching numbers, and just to rub it in, the powerball number was 33.
I only win every so often, and it's usually of the $3 or $7 payout variety. Once, four years ago I think, I got 4 numbers matched (but not the powerball) and won $100. So mostly, playng the lottery is an exercise in creative losing. Sometimes the numbers are interesting, like every one being either one number high or one number low from the winning numbers, and sometimes it's just a great big tease.
