mega millions or powerballPrev TopicNext Topic

• LOTTOMIKE

  

  Tennessee
  United States
  Member #7,853
  October 15, 2004
  11,352 Posts
  Offline
  Feb 4, 2006, 7:17 am

  ▲▼

  which do you prefer mega millions or powerball and what is the reason behind your choice?

  
• LosingJeff

  

  Greenfield
  United States
  Member #3,587
  February 2, 2004
  557 Posts
  Offline
  Feb 4, 2006, 7:40 am

  ▲▼

  Like em both

  " FUN IS BAD " ----causes Bankruptcy
• fja

  

  100

  United States
  Member #91
  January 19, 2002
  16,125 Posts
  Offline
  Feb 4, 2006, 10:24 am

  ▲▼

  
  I gotta play where I stay!
  
  I choose MM
• Coin Toss

  

  Zeta Reticuli Star System
  United States
  Member #30,469
  January 17, 2006
  11,788 Posts
  Offline
  Feb 4, 2006, 10:35 am

  ▲▼

  I play both but would prefer Powerball. I'm in a Mega Millions state and the Powerball odds are a "mere" 140,000,000 :1 as oppossed to Mega Million's 176,000,000:1.

  A lot of peole don't realize these games are actually two lotteries in one, upper grid and lower grid. A lot of people also never repeat one of their five numbers in the upper as the lower number. Often when a huge jackpot is hit one of the same numbers from the five repeats as the Powerball or Mega number. 
• DirtyWrat

  

  Darlington, S.C.
  United States
  Member #3,691
  February 12, 2004
  133 Posts
  Offline
  Feb 4, 2006, 11:00 am

  ▲▼

  The powerball website list the odds of hitting the correct powerball number as 1:68.96

  How can the odds be that high with only 42 numbers to pick from?       

  With the lottery I get all the exercise I need.
  
                    In futility.

  
  
• calabs

  

  25

  United States
  Member #27,049
  November 26, 2005
  40,273 Posts
  Offline
  Feb 4, 2006, 11:07 am

  ▲▼

  I don't play either.  I wish I can say I play them, but with the odds so high, I don't believe there is ANY system that can help you choose these numbers correctly.  That being said, at 176M:1, I choose to put my money into the cash 5 which is a mere 658,000:1, and I haven't hit THAT yet.

  If I wanted to play a higher odds game, I would go with the Pick 6.  A few million is good enough for me!!!! 
• calabs

  

  25

  United States
  Member #27,049
  November 26, 2005
  40,273 Posts
  Offline
  Feb 4, 2006, 11:07 am

  ▲▼
  Quote: Originally posted by DirtyWrat on February 4, 2006

  The powerball website list the odds of hitting the correct powerball number as 1:68.96

  How can the odds be that high with only 42 numbers to pick from?       

  I'm not a math wizz, but you would think that the odds would be something like..............1:42??
• CASH Only

  United States
  Member #379
  June 5, 2002
  11,296 Posts
  Offline
  Feb 4, 2006, 11:27 am

  ▲▼
  Quote: Originally posted by calabs on February 4, 2006

  Quote: Originally posted by DirtyWrat on February 4, 2006

  The powerball website list the odds of hitting the correct powerball number as 1:68.96

  How can the odds be that high with only 42 numbers to pick from?       

  I'm not a math wizz, but you would think that the odds would be something like..............1:42??

  The 1:69 odds are for matching NO white balls, but matching the Powerball. Two different conditions (white balls and red ball) must be met.
• ryanm

  

  Morrison, IL
  United States
  Member #4,657
  May 13, 2004
  1,885 Posts
  Offline
  Feb 4, 2006, 12:26 pm

  ▲▼
  Quote: Originally posted by fja on February 4, 2006

  
  I gotta play where I stay!
  
  I choose MM

  Yep, that's why I choose Powerball!!
• calabs

  

  25

  United States
  Member #27,049
  November 26, 2005
  40,273 Posts
  Offline
  Feb 4, 2006, 12:37 pm

  ▲▼
  Quote: Originally posted by CASH Only on February 4, 2006

  Quote: Originally posted by calabs on February 4, 2006

  Quote: Originally posted by DirtyWrat on February 4, 2006

  The powerball website list the odds of hitting the correct powerball number as 1:68.96

  How can the odds be that high with only 42 numbers to pick from?       

  I'm not a math wizz, but you would think that the odds would be something like..............1:42??

  The 1:69 odds are for matching NO white balls, but matching the Powerball. Two different conditions (white balls and red ball) must be met.

  Pardon my ignorance Cash Only, but I still don't get the math, or perhaps I don't fully understand how Powerball is played.  If you have 42 powerballs, and they reside in a separate tumbler (my assuption), aren't the odds 1:42?  How do the white balls have anything to do with how often the powerball occurs?  This is confusing to me.  Again, a math whiz I'm not! 
• clunker

  

  United States
  Member #24,619
  October 25, 2005
  66 Posts
  Offline
  Feb 4, 2006, 1:04 pm

  ▲▼

  megamillions and super lotto plus !!
• Chewie

  

  Sparta, NJ
  United States
  Member #18,330
  July 9, 2005
  1,977 Posts
  Offline
  Feb 4, 2006, 1:09 pm

  ▲▼

  I've only played the Powerplay three or four times, and that is the only realy difference to me.  The ratio between cash and annuity, or the odds mean nothing to me - the other hundred million people don't matter when I win, or when I loose; they are just numbers.  I am going to win or not win.  Mega gives me a higher dollar value when I win.

  

  |||::> *'`*:-.,_,.-:*''*:--->>> Chewie  <<<---.*''*:-.,_,.-:*''* <:::|||

  I only trust myself - and that's a questionable choice
• csfb

  

  United States
  Member #15,309
  May 13, 2005
  307 Posts
  Offline
  Feb 4, 2006, 1:40 pm

  ▲▼

  I prefer powerball.  Though I don't play it regularly cause I have to drive 4 and 1/2 hours to the nearest border to buy tickets.  We have megamillions here in my state.

  Powerball has produced more jackpot winners in recent years than megamillions.

  2003 - 16 winners

  2004 - 13 winners

  2005 - 14 winners

  Megamillions:

  2004 - 11 winners

  2005 - 9 winners

   
• hypersoniq

  

  Pennsylvania
  United States
  Member #1,340
  April 6, 2003
  2,581 Posts
  Offline
  Feb 4, 2006, 1:46 pm

  ▲▼

  I prefer Powerball because I can walk down 3 blocks and play it at the local retailer...

  that reminds me... be back later ;-)

  Have an EXCELlent day!
• RJOh

  

  100

  mid-Ohio
  United States
  Member #9
  March 24, 2001
  20,272 Posts
  Offline
  Feb 4, 2006, 1:50 pm

  ▲▼

  Some think too many winners lower the jackpot amounts and prefer MegaMillions for that reason.  I like them both.  I play MegaMillions more because it's a local lottery but I'll make the two hours trip to Indiana when the PowerBall jackpot is $200M+.

   * you don't need to buy every combination, just the winning ones *