The Odds of Winning - ZEFRANK.COM

Smartypants · 06-22-2005, 08:40 PM

California just joined 11 other states that offer the "Mega-Millions" lottery, where the odds of winning are a whopping 175 million to 1. The SF Chronicle published the following in a sidebar to the main article to paint a picture of what those odds mean. I love the analogy about Canadians:

Shooting for the moon

If every time you drove a mile, you bought a Mega Millions lottery ticket, it would take about 360 roundtrips to the moon to win the jackpot. Some other things you should know about your chances of hitting the jackpot in the Mega Millions lottery:

-- The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 175 million. (For California's Super Lotto Plus, they're 1 in 41 million.)

-- If you bought 50 Mega Millions lottery tickets a week, you would hit the jackpot an average of once every 68,000 years.

-- If you knew one person in Canada, and you had to draw at random one name out of a hat containing the names of every person in Canada, you would be 5.7 times more likely to draw your friend's name than hit the Mega Millions jackpot.

-- Fill up 2,500 Monster Parks (a.k.a. Candlestick) to capacity and give everyone in those parks a Mega Millions lottery ticket. Only one person will come up a winner.

Source: Mike Orkin, Ph.D., managing scientist at Exponent Corp., statistics professor at California State University East Bay

In the main article, they also state the following:

"Prudent people should note that the odds of being hit by lightning twice are one in 9 million. One has a better chance of being stung to death by a bee, hornet or wasp this year than winning the Mega Millions game -- one in 5. 332 million for the killer bees compared to one in 175 million for the lottery."

dinzdale · 06-22-2005, 08:42 PM

Like you want to know someone in Canada

Smartypants · 06-22-2005, 08:45 PM

I thought "you people" worship the same monarch.

bealeblues · 06-22-2005, 10:18 PM

what, warm beer?

dinzdale · 06-22-2005, 10:29 PM

The Nolan Sisters....keep up, lard-head.

bealeblues · 06-22-2005, 10:41 PM

ah yes, your mum and i had a discussion about your affinity for the nolans, jackhole

06-22-2005, 08:40 PM	#1
Smartypants MR. Smartypants to you. Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Oh, YOU PEOPLE go ahead and call it "Frisco." See if I care. Posts: 3,967	The Odds of Winning California just joined 11 other states that offer the "Mega-Millions" lottery, where the odds of winning are a whopping 175 million to 1. The SF Chronicle published the following in a sidebar to the main article to paint a picture of what those odds mean. I love the analogy about Canadians: Shooting for the moon If every time you drove a mile, you bought a Mega Millions lottery ticket, it would take about 360 roundtrips to the moon to win the jackpot. Some other things you should know about your chances of hitting the jackpot in the Mega Millions lottery: -- The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 175 million. (For California's Super Lotto Plus, they're 1 in 41 million.) -- If you bought 50 Mega Millions lottery tickets a week, you would hit the jackpot an average of once every 68,000 years. -- If you knew one person in Canada, and you had to draw at random one name out of a hat containing the names of every person in Canada, you would be 5.7 times more likely to draw your friend's name than hit the Mega Millions jackpot. -- Fill up 2,500 Monster Parks (a.k.a. Candlestick) to capacity and give everyone in those parks a Mega Millions lottery ticket. Only one person will come up a winner. Source: Mike Orkin, Ph.D., managing scientist at Exponent Corp., statistics professor at California State University East Bay In the main article, they also state the following: "Prudent people should note that the odds of being hit by lightning twice are one in 9 million. One has a better chance of being stung to death by a bee, hornet or wasp this year than winning the Mega Millions game -- one in 5. 332 million for the killer bees compared to one in 175 million for the lottery." __________________ "I don't think God wants us to believe in him. If he wanted us to believe in him he'd do something about it -- like exist perhaps!" --Linda Smith

06-22-2005, 08:45 PM	#3
Smartypants MR. Smartypants to you. Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Oh, YOU PEOPLE go ahead and call it "Frisco." See if I care. Posts: 3,967	I thought "you people" worship the same monarch. __________________ "I don't think God wants us to believe in him. If he wanted us to believe in him he'd do something about it -- like exist perhaps!" --Linda Smith

06-22-2005, 10:18 PM	#4
bealeblues where's my salt? Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: finally writing Posts: 6,929	what, warm beer? __________________ still jackasinine, make no mistake

06-22-2005, 10:41 PM	#6
bealeblues where's my salt? Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: finally writing Posts: 6,929	ah yes, your mum and i had a discussion about your affinity for the nolans, jackhole __________________ still jackasinine, make no mistake

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06-22-2005, 08:42 PM	#2
dinzdale King of the špatnýs Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: was that dog Posts: 9,411	Like you want to know someone in Canada

06-22-2005, 10:29 PM	#5
dinzdale King of the špatnýs Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: was that dog Posts: 9,411	The Nolan Sisters....keep up, lard-head.