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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 08/23/2008 : 15:12:32
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Now here's something interesting; a couple has hit the lottery multiple times and claim to have a "system." MADISON, Wis. -- A double-lottery-winning couple in Dane County doubled their winnings again.
Verlyn and Judith Adamson of Mount Horeb each claimed a $350,000 jackpot this week for having the winning numbers in the state SuperCash drawing last Saturday.
But they didn't mention at the time that they also held two more of the winning tickets.
They claimed two more $350,000 jackpots Thursday. All four were purchased at different locations, but with the same numbers and for the same drawing.
The total winnings increased to $1.4 million, or about $955,000 after taxes. |
Farther down the article, I note that they want to patent the "system," and the fragrance of rodent, already present, wafts more strongly toward me.
A mathmatition at the bottom of the article stated that there is no way to regularly predict the outcome of a random number generator such as a revolving drum dropping balls, as is done for most lotteries. While it is not impossible, the odds of lining up several winning combinations that close together are simply too staggering. So, what then do we at least tentativly conclude?
That the whole thing is a scam to sell the patented "system" to the rubes? That the lottery was rigged? Both?
I once won 30 bucks in the NC lotto. I spent it foolishly.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
Posted - 08/23/2008 : 18:01:25 [Permalink]
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A patent would mean exposing the "system" to the public, so the scam would be that once the patent is in place, they sue everyone who wins that lottery (or any similar lotteries), claiming patent infringement. They would undoubtedly get a few people to settle for tidy sums, at least, just through manipulating ignorance with letters like, "you may not have known you were using our system, but that still constitutes infringement, even if you could prove (but you can't) that you were not using our system, the details of which are a part of the public record in patent 123,456,789. We will accept half your winnings in settlement of your theft of our intellectual property." Might work for a while, until they run across someone who is willing to go to trial on the basis that the method doesn't work. If they're really smart about it, a clause in the early settlements would prohibit countersuits at any time, so that when the jig is up, they won't get inundated with lawsuits seeking back all the money they steal.
Wow, I'd be really rich if I didn't have all these damnable scruples. |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 08/23/2008 : 18:17:04 [Permalink]
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Ain't scruples a bitch? Always gettin' in the way of fun & profit....
Just for the hell of it, and to see exactly how preposterous this claim is, I looked up a little lotto math. It's even worse -- or better, your choice -- than I'd thought.
"Lottery Math
Is it better to play 50 dollars one week, or one dollar for fifty weeks?
The odds of a "Lotto" style lottery can be found with the formula: n! / (n - r)! r! where n is the highest numbered ball and r is the number of balls chosen. This is called in math a combination. An easier way to think about it is if there are 40 balls and 6 are chosen, there are 40 possible numbers that can come up first, leaving 39 that can come up second, then 38, 37, 36, and finally 35 on the final number. To find out how many numbers that is you multiply 40 ×39 ×38 ×37 ×36 × 35 = 2,763,633,600 making the odds 2 and a half billion to one.
Pretty slim odds, but luckily the order of the balls does not matter, so we can divide this number by how many ways these numbers can be arranged. There are six possibilities for the first ball, five for the second, 4 for the third, 3, 2, and one left over. That is 6 × 5 × 4 × 3 × 2 × 1 = 720 So, the odds are 2,763,633,600 ÷ 720 = 3,838,380 to one.
If I put $50 on one lottery, the odds of winning are 3,838,380 ÷ 50 = 76767.6 to one. That is the easy part."
Anyone who seriously goes up against those odds is either really stupid, crazy, or a thief with an inside hook.
It gets even better (or worse) in the hard part. Enjoy!
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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Please pass the salt, I need a grain or two.
