the lottery

[Skeletor]

so for lottery tickes like mega millions and quinto and so on, do you have a better chance of winning when you pick out the numbers or when the computer picks out numbers for you? Or does it not matter since they are both randomly chosen (sort of).

[AndrewB]

I once picked the numbers myself and I didn't win so the chances must be better if they're random.

[insertwackynamehere]

The numbers picked are random, unknown numbers within a range. It does not matter how you choose your numbers (whether by computer or yourself) because they are still "random" in the sense that there is equal chance that either of them will be the ones chosen. If you want to technically define "random" however, neither you nor the machine are actually picking "random" numbers.. machines cannot generate random numbers, and humans generally arent saying truly random numbers when they choose ones because they think about it before saying it. Unless of course you roll dice or something and take those numbers. However most people just think of numbers or put down "lucky" numbers.

In short, it doesn't matter who or what picks your numbers, they still have as good of a chance of winning or losing as numbers picked some other way, because the numbers that will be picked are unknowable.. the only thing known is the range they are in.

[SYS]

Some people have won by playing the same set of numbers every draw. For the most part it doesn't make a difference unless you like to play the same numbers.

[Enjay]

I find it interesting and sad that we can get huge telethons like "Children in Need" or "Comic Relief" etc etc and after months of cajoling and persuading the population to part with just a few pennies, accompanied by official singles, collections at people's work, people sitting in baths of baked beans and other sponsored events, all culminating in a full night of non-stop celebrity pleading on television they only manage to raise less than 50 pence per head of population in this country. Yet offer people the chance of getting rich - even if that chance is less likely than being hit by lightning - and people hand over so much money that the lottery can afford to give away the same kind of sum as the telethons raise every fucking week and still make a profit.

Humanity sucks.

[Bloodshedder]

Philanthropy doesn't motivate people, greed does.

[Fredrik]

Actually, people try to win the lottery just so they'll be able to donate more to charities.

[Enjay]

Bloodshedder said:

Philanthropy doesn't motivate people, greed does.

Enjay said:

Humanity sucks.

Fredrik said:

Actually, people try to win the lottery just so they'll be able to donate more to charities.

Ahhh, thay all say that. ;)

[ducon]

Skeletor said:

so for lottery tickes like mega millions and quinto and so on, do you have a better chance of winning when you pick out the numbers or when the computer picks out numbers for you? Or does it not matter since they are both randomly chosen (sort of).

If you have studied the way the computer calculates the random number and compared it to the way the same computer calculates the winning ticket, so you may know which ticket you should play.
Of course, it’s the same if the machine is not cheated. In fact, you should better study what the other play, and play what they do not play so that if you win you will win more.

[Ninja_of_DooM]

Well I cna't get my charitable side from ym parents. They've been playing the lottery ever since it started and they don't like to give away money too much.

but as for me, I've usually got better uses for a pound than on some hope of winning millions and if I ever have any spare change on me I tend to give it to the odd collection when I'm in town.

Funny how I can do this but when It comes to buying something for myself like clothes and stuff I tend to be very tight about how much I spend. :p

[insertwackynamehere]

ducon said:

If you have studied the way the computer calculates the random number and compared it to the way the same computer calculates the winning ticket, so you may know which ticket you should play.
Of course, it’s the same if the machine is not cheated. In fact, you should better study what the other play, and play what they do not play so that if you win you will win more.

heh well there is no machine that picks numbers, its just ping pong balls or something with numbers on them that are blown around in a tube. However i suppose if it was a computer picking the winning numbers, you could find out the exact time the numbers would be picked, the base seed used to create a random number and of course the exact process the computer goes through to generate a random number in the first place.. of course this is assuming the lottery people used default random number functions in the first place which for this exact reason they probably wouldnt.