ny lotto

by **TChicken** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 8:03 pm

What is the format of the lottery, ie. choose 6 of 49 numbers or what?

by **JimmyTango** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 8:04 pm

Originally posted by LeVar Burton
It amazes me how some people can't grasp the concept of probability. How in the hell would it not increase your odds of winning by buying more tickets? If you say the increase is so small its not worth it, then why buy even one? That makes no sense.

Ironic.

I thought as you did. Then I took the dreaded probability(what you mention above) and statistics honors class a long time ago in high school. I had no clue what was going on, nor how I somehow passed with flying colors. In fact, the only thing I remember is this(because of passed time and plain confusion at the time):

Each ticket has the same chance of winning as any other ticket. You are just playing the same chance over and over which does not increase your chances of winning, it just has you playing the same chance over and over.

Like you mention flipping the coin. I flip it once, I have a 50/50 chance of heads. I flip it a second time I have a 50/50 chance of heads.

Anyone here still in high school or college? If you are offered to take probability and statistics and do not need it yell NO. If they do not understnad punch them until they do. There are better things to do with your time and energy, like drink drain-o, wich will at least clean out your system where P&S will give you constant migrains.

by **LeVar Burton** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 8:07 pm

Jimmy, you're talking about independant trials. If you challenge me to flip a coin once for heads, I have a 50% chance. If you challenge me to get heads and you give me two flips, I go into it with a 75% chance of getting heads. If I get tails the first time, then yes I will have 50% chance the second time. The lotto is no different.

Edit: I'm not wrong... resistance is futile.

by **Pierce** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 9:11 pm

My comment was not to be taken all that seriously. I was just stating that the person isn't going to get all 280 million. Sure, 25 million is hella more than enough for anyone I would suppose, let alone a student like me. Trust me, I'm not a greedy bastard - at least I don't think?!?:confused:

I was just joking around that the government takes a lot.

by **LordShard** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 10:25 pm

Originally posted by JimmyTango
Ironic.

I thought as you did. Then I took the dreaded probability(what you mention above) and statistics honors class a long time ago in high school. I had no clue what was going on, nor how I somehow passed with flying colors. In fact, the only thing I remember is this(because of passed time and plain confusion at the time):

Each ticket has the same chance of winning as any other ticket. You are just playing the same chance over and over which does not increase your chances of winning, it just has you playing the same chance over and over.

Like you mention flipping the coin. I flip it once, I have a 50/50 chance of heads. I flip it a second time I have a 50/50 chance of heads.

Anyone here still in high school or college? If you are offered to take probability and statistics and do not need it yell NO. If they do not understnad punch them until they do. There are better things to do with your time and energy, like drink drain-o, wich will at least clean out your system where P&S will give you constant migrains.

Yup. That was proven with the coin fliping by the world's smartesr women. She then proved it mathmaticaly. Doesn't increase your odds.
You could flip a coin once a second for 10000 years each flip will have 50% chance of landing heads but you might never get heads until your 10,001 year.

by **LeVar Burton** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 10:33 pm

Dammit... you guys are all missing the point.

You're talking about INDEPENDANT TRIALS... if you say, "what are the odds of me flipping this coin 5 times in a row and it ending up being heads every time?" the answer is not 50%.

Now if you say the same thing, flip the first time and it ends up heads, then the second flip will be 50%, same with the 3rd, 4th, 5th.

You guys aren't seeing the big picture. By that I mean not looking at each independant flip, but the total number of flips. If you challenge me to get heads and give me 20 attempts, don't you think the odds are in my favor?

Buying multiple lottery tickets increases your odds of winning. Claiming otherwise is not only counter-intuitive, its downright idiotic. How do you respond to my suggestion about buying almost every combination of numbers in the lottery? Are your odds of winning not increased?

I'm not going to let this go... I want both Colonel Ingus and Jimmy Tango to post that they're wrong. I think it would be good for both of you.

by **LordShard** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 10:37 pm

Originally posted by LeVar Burton
Dammit... you guys are all missing the point.

You're talking about INDEPENDANT TRIALS... if you say, "what are the odds of me flipping this coin 5 times in a row and it ending up being heads every time?" the answer is not 50%.

Now if you say the same thing, flip the first time and it ends up heads, then the second flip will be 50%, same with the 3rd, 4th, 5th.

You guys aren't seeing the big picture. By that I mean not looking at each independant flip, but the total number of flips. If you challenge me to get heads and give me 20 attempts, don't you think the odds are in my favor?

Buying multiple lottery tickets increases your odds of winning. Claiming otherwise is not only counter-intuitive, its downright idiotic. How do you respond to my suggestion about buying almost every combination of numbers in the lottery? Are your odds of winning not increased?

I'm not going to let this go... I want both Colonel Ingus and Jimmy Tango to post that they're wrong. I think it would be good for both of you.

I see what your talking about, if you did buy every single combination of numbers for 1 trail you'd have a 100% chance to win.

by **LeVar Burton** » Wed Jun 30, 2004 10:42 pm

Ok, I'm glad you see that, but thats taking it to extremes. What Jimmy and Ingus are claiming is that buying two tickets doesn't increase your odds. Do you not agree that the more tickets you buy the greater your chances?

This is taking way too much convincing... or maybe I'm just a statistical genius.

by **JimmyTango** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 7:33 am

To give you a boost for yourself LeVar, you are very right and the smartest man I know.

by **jnkcrp** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 8:18 am

So where do I buy a ticket for this coin flip thing... :rotflmao:

by **Jim0322** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 8:18 am

Originally posted by LeVar Burton
Ok, I'm glad you see that, but thats taking it to extremes. What Jimmy and Ingus are claiming is that buying two tickets doesn't increase your odds. Do you not agree that the more tickets you buy the greater your chances?

This is taking way too much convincing... or maybe I'm just a statistical genius.

I agree with you Levar. They are both wrong. They should just admit it.

That said, I have to admit that I never buy more than one ticket at a time because the probability of losing is so vast. The probability of losing is still overwhelming whether buying 1 or 100. However, if you do not buy one ticket there is no possibility of winning. That is why I buy one.

Jim

by **Mighty Mazz** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 8:26 am

What are the odds that you guys will drop this?

Both of you are right, your just looking at in a diffrent way.

by **Jim0322** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 10:46 am

Originally posted by LeVar Burton
It amazes me how some people can't grasp the concept of probability. How in the hell would it not increase your odds of winning by buying more tickets? If you say the increase is so small its not worth it, then why buy even one? That makes no sense.

I buy one for fun but would never waste more money and buy more. It is worth it for me to spend $1 to think about the possibility (however incredibly remote) of winning. I would never spend $100 on 100 tickets because even though it increases my chances 100x, it is still amazingly long odds.

Jim

by **LeVar Burton** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 2:18 pm

What are the odds that you guys will drop this?

Both of you are right, your just looking at in a diffrent way.

No chance when you say something like we're both right. Theres no two ways about it. What they were arguing was dead wrong.

by **Mighty Mazz** » Thu Jul 01, 2004 3:19 pm

What your talking about is stacking the odds which is diffrent then probability, I beleive. :freak:

If you want to take it to an even weirder level I dont think probability even exists or rather its total bs. Take for instance getting struck by lightning (I don't know the given probability for this so lets just make up a number) is say 1 in a million. Now if I decide to go play in a field with a big metal pole during a Thunder storm I'm pretty sure I could get hit by lightning and it wouldnt be 1 in a million chance. Probability is just something scientists did to put numbers on things to make them feel more secure and powerfull in a universe they really can't even begin to understand. :help:

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