Imagine how you'd feel if you came to work on a Monday morning and found the office empty.
Not because the company had down-sized to a department of one. But because you were the only one who said no to the office Mega Millions pool. Ten co-workers bought 20 tickets and won - don't be greedy - say, a mere $175 million. They took a lump sum and walked away with $6 million after taxes. And then they walked right out the door into retirement.
At 30, or 40, or 50, they're off the treadmill. They've said adios to the old grindstone. No more coming to the office every day. No more bad coffee from the 10-year-old communal Mr. Coffee. No more mortgage payments. No more worrying about college tuition. No more miles on the '88 Caravan.
They'll be cruising the Caribbean. You'll be cruising I-490, for another 20 years.
They'll be worrying about their investments; you'll be worrying that you'll never be able to retire.
You're still at your desk, alone amid a roomful of darkened cubicles, still staring at the photos of your kids and drinking the bad coffee.
For the rest of your life, you have to live with the fact that for $2 you could have joined your colleagues on Easy Street. But you said, "We'll never win" - words they'll put on your headstone.
Talk about scary thoughts.
This is why I'm always in the Mega Millions pool. I am completely aware that our chances are about one in a quadrillion. I do not expect to win. Obviously.
I hate state-sponsored games of chance as a matter of principle. The state should not promote gambling, knowing that some people who can barely afford it, will spend the kids' lunch money on the longest of long shots. Not to mention that some of those buyers are addicted to gambling.
I do not buy into the pool because I like to gamble. It is a purely defensive move. If my co-workers win, I don't want to be left behind. I buy just in case.
You no doubt saw the eight happy Nebraska meatpackers who shared the winning $365 million Powerball jackpot last month. Each of them kicked in $5; they bought 40 tickets, including the winner. After taxes, each of them received $15.5 million.
None of them had any real plans for the money, although People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals asked them to spend some of their fortunes providing shelter for pigs rescued from the slaughterhouse. The winners were supposed to feel guilty about their jobs.
One of the winners said he'll quit his job, get a business degree and buy some stuff for his wife and baby daughter. Another, a native of Vietnam, said he'd send some money back home.
"Everybody has dreams," said Mike Terpstra, a plant supervisor. "Buy an island. Buy an airplane. In reality, I'm not a fan of flying and don't really like water."
Nobody expects to win. So nobody really knows what they'd do with more money than they ever imagined.
Who knows how much lottery income derives directly from defensive office buy-ins?
Asked if employees who did not chip in might be resentful, Alain Maboussou, 26, said, "I don't think they have a reason to be jealous because when it's pool day, we ask people to put in five bucks, so if you wasn't there or didn't put in the five bucks, sorry."
Right. I'm sure there'd be no hard feelings.
If you believe that, go ahead and sit it out. Me? I'm not taking any chances.
Very good 'eye opening article'.....I'm proud to say, I would never be so blind, as to turn down the opportunity of getting in on the 'pool'.....I would never say no to that. No matter how much was in the Prize Kitty. There's no way, I'm coming back to the Office, while everyone else is jumping into the Limo 'low-flying' to the Main Lottery HQ..to lay claim to all that $$$$$$$$$$$$.......
When the Governor of Maryland, presents the ckecks...My Name will proudly be on one of them.
Good article. I agree with libra. I would welcome the opportunity of joining a pool. I've never been able to form one where I've worked. The people I know never take the lottery seriously and it only works if everyone adheres to the rules and understands them. Although this subject has been discussed before, if I joined a pool I would not want to give up my regular numbers and would hope there'd be a clause in the group agreement that individual ticket purchases would be completely separate. The one rule I would insist on is that you're either in or you're out. No "maybe not this week" players. Like if there are 10 in the group, the first of the month you each pitch in $20 which makes the pool $200 for 8 draws. It gets to be too time-consuming and chaotic when people are running around every Wed trying to collect money. Hmm..maybe that's why nobody every formed a pool with me. I'm difficult, but I admit I'm a stickler when it comes to rules.
I have a couple of long terms members in one of my lottery groups that claim they can never quit. They are sure that the day after they quit we will win. They have been a member for over 10 years.
The fact is that there will be lots of people playing in lottery groups or pools until the day they die or the game is discontinued and will never win big. Even when you play in a group, the odds don't change enough to make it worth sharing your one lucky day with a bunch of other people unless they are friends or family.(unless you figure you are actually sharing some else lucky day) As I see it, playing in a group or pool allows someone else to spend a lot of money on lottery tickets at your expense. Pool managers are usually too lazy to come up with any strategy for winning other than buying lots of tickets which they usually are not willing to do with their own money.
IMO it's not the resentment that makes the "defense buying" - it's the fear of being stuck with all the winners' work ("what do you mean I have to do the work of 11 people - there's only 24 hours in each day...") if you leave yourself out.
The pools are usually set up when the jackpot is near or over 100MM. I play my own tickets but set aside a few $ for the pool, if there is one. I don't want to hear the next morning that it was won by a group of people that I could have been part of. My extra few $ may even have added in the one extra ticket that had the winning numbers and positively changed the lives of several people.
the only pool i'm going to join is the one with all the females lounging in it outside.......
HAPPY SUNDAY ...."LOTTO"
YOU ARE SOOOOO BADDDD....YOU REALLY NEED TO WIN.....lololololololololol.....I've been on this thread before, and I don't know how I missed your answer......lolololololol.....I got you this time around..........lolololol.....
hahahah great article
That's a great article. If I win a jackpot and take cash value, try to win enough money in a jackpot to retire.
Sometimes the best offense is a good defense.
HAPPY WEDNESDAY EVERYONE........3/22
Very good 'eye opening article'.....I'm proud to say, I would never be so blind, as to turn down the opportunity of getting in on the 'pool'.....I would never say no to that. No matter how much was in the Prize Kitty. There's no way, I'm coming back to the Office, while everyone else is jumping into the Limo 'low-flying' to the Main Lottery HQ..to lay claim to all that $$$$$$$$$$$$.......
When the Governor of Maryland, presents the ckecks...My Name will proudly be on one of them.
Good article. I agree with libra. I would welcome the opportunity of joining a pool. I've never been able to form one where I've worked. The people I know never take the lottery seriously and it only works if everyone adheres to the rules and understands them. Although this subject has been discussed before, if I joined a pool I would not want to give up my regular numbers and would hope there'd be a clause in the group agreement that individual ticket purchases would be completely separate. The one rule I would insist on is that you're either in or you're out. No "maybe not this week" players. Like if there are 10 in the group, the first of the month you each pitch in $20 which makes the pool $200 for 8 draws. It gets to be too time-consuming and chaotic when people are running around every Wed trying to collect money. Hmm..maybe that's why nobody every formed a pool with me. I'm difficult, but I admit I'm a stickler when it comes to rules.
Interesting article.
I have a couple of long terms members in one of my lottery groups that claim they can never quit. They are sure that the day after they quit we will win. They have been a member for over 10 years.
Yes, a very good article, yes in deed! I'd still say not me this time or anytime, No pools for me!
The fact is that there will be lots of people playing in lottery groups or pools until the day they die or the game is discontinued and will never win big. Even when you play in a group, the odds don't change enough to make it worth sharing your one lucky day with a bunch of other people unless they are friends or family.(unless you figure you are actually sharing some else lucky day) As I see it, playing in a group or pool allows someone else to spend a lot of money on lottery tickets at your expense. Pool managers are usually too lazy to come up with any strategy for winning other than buying lots of tickets which they usually are not willing to do with their own money.
IMO it's not the resentment that makes the "defense buying" - it's the fear of being stuck with all the winners' work ("what do you mean I have to do the work of 11 people - there's only 24 hours in each day...") if you leave yourself out.
Well, if 10m and 300m makes no difference to you in term of retirement, than play in a pool would be a good idea.
Buy $30 ticket by youself, you might win 300m and tickets cost you $1 each.
Spend $1 in a 30 people pool, you get the same odd to win 10m, but now tickets cost you 3c each.
the only pool i'm going to join is the one with all the females lounging in it outside.......
The pools are usually set up when the jackpot is near or over 100MM. I play my own tickets but set aside a few $ for the pool, if there is one. I don't want to hear the next morning that it was won by a group of people that I could have been part of. My extra few $ may even have added in the one extra ticket that had the winning numbers and positively changed the lives of several people.
the only pool i'm going to join is the one with all the females lounging in it outside.......
HAPPY SUNDAY ...."LOTTO"
YOU ARE SOOOOO BADDDD....YOU REALLY NEED TO WIN.....lololololololololol.....I've been on this thread before, and I don't know how I missed your answer......lolololololol.....I got you this time around..........lolololol.....
the only pool i'm going to join is the one with all the females lounging in it outside.......