# A reverse auction **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 8, 2021, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-reverse-auction/939585 "2021-04-08T02:13:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2021, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-reverse-auction/939585/62 "2021-04-10T14:45:08Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > I hope you realize _I_ understand that 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 is just as likely to win as any other combo. I did. It wasn’t clear to my poor reading skills that you followed what I was thinking of as a consequence of that fact. And yes, as you say avoiding numbers 31 & below is another useful tactic to ensure your pick is less likely to be shared with somebody else. All of which is a semi-red herring for the game we’re playing here in this thread. And I was the guy who raised this red herring, so that’s not meant as a criticism of your response either. You can’t win here if you dupe another player, but the definition of a “good” number in this game is universally understood to be “as small as happens to be unique.” IMO the bluff/double bluff thinking is always a fruitless way to analyze any game beyond the first level. ~~Morons~~ Non-thinkers will simply pick the lowest legal number, and everybody else is pretty much equally capable of thinking > I’d do X, but they know I’ll do X and I know they’ll do X, so I better do X+1. But they know I know that, so they’ll do X+1, so I need to do X+2. But they know I know _that_ too, so … Folks may not be good at formal inductive proofs, but most can recognize an infinite regress when they see the start of that slippery slope. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2021, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-reverse-auction/939585/63 "2021-04-10T16:50:54Z")
I read an article once that was basically “There’re no ways to improve your odds of winning, other than buying lots and lots of tickets, but there are ways to maximize your payout if you do win,” and it discussed the strategy of picking numbers over 31. It also suggested playing right after a big payout, because almost no one plays the week after a big payout. Some people think it’s “not worth it,” (as though gambling a dollar to win 100 million you might have to share is more “worth it” than gambling a dollar to win 1 million you probably won’t share, when the odds are about the same) and other people think that there’s a lesser chance of having a winner two weeks in a row. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2021, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-reverse-auction/939585/64 "2021-04-10T17:06:11Z")
Welcome ! …What does “Blurred bid for new user” mean ?! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2021, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-reverse-auction/939585/65 "2021-04-10T17:54:48Z")
> [@pjd](#): > > What does “Blurred bid for new user” mean ?! I’m guessing a mod edited EyePaintFaces’ post to add the spoiler tags. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2021, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-reverse-auction/939585/66 "2021-04-10T20:23:51Z")
2. Figure most will game out to the teens and beyond. Someone else more contrarian than me will do 1 … so 2. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2021, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-reverse-auction/939585/67 "2021-04-10T20:28:08Z")
I don’t understand the point of all this, but sure. 2 ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2021, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-reverse-auction/939585/68 "2021-04-11T17:02:05Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’m guessing a mod edited EyePaintFaces’ post to add the spoiler tags. These mods have far too much power. ---
**Author:** ![EyePaintFaces](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyepaintfaces/32/7538_2.png) [@EyePaintFaces](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EyePaintFaces)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-reverse-auction/939585/69 "2021-04-12T19:31:53Z")
lol someone did do it for me I wish they would’ve also told me how to do it and not feel like a total forum noob im still trying to figure out all these abbreviations lol Thank you for the welcome BTW I feel very excited to be among this community Also looking back at my original post they must’ve edited part of my message as well because I swear I put i don’t know in front of how to blur msg ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-reverse-auction/939585/70 "2021-04-12T19:48:23Z")
> [@EyePaintFaces](#): > > I wish they would’ve also told me how to do it Open a reply window (you know how to do that.) Look up at the top of the little reply window; there are a batch of symbols that somebody probably thought have intuitive meaning, but which don’t. If you hover over them, though (at least on a desktop, I don’t know about on a phone) a bit of text will appear for some of them, not all, that gives you some idea. The one on the far right looks a bit like a gear and I think is meant to mean “tools”. Click on that, and a box will pop up, in which one of the choices is “blur spoiler”. Highlight some text in your post, then click on the that icon and click on “blur spoiler”. Like this. ---
**Author:** ![EyePaintFaces](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyepaintfaces/32/7538_2.png) [@EyePaintFaces](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EyePaintFaces)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-reverse-auction/939585/71 "2021-04-12T19:53:49Z")
Blurred thanks thorny\_locust ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-reverse-auction/939585/72 "2021-04-12T22:08:42Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > click on the that icon and click on “blur spoiler”. Yes, Thanks @thorny_locust. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-reverse-auction/939585/73 "2021-04-12T23:00:27Z")
My number is The Number Is XXX1XXX As In “One” Well Somebody Had To Do It This reminds me of a similar contest Games Magazine ran years ago, where the winner was the person to send in the lowest number (from 1 to 1,000,000) that nobody else sent in; the prize was the winning number in dollars, except that (a) with one exception, if it was not between 100 and 999, it would be multiplied or divided by 10 as many times as necessary until it was (i.e. if the winning number was 8, the winner got $800; if it was 12345, the winner got $123.45), and (b) the exception was, if the winning number was 1,000,000, the prize was $10,000. One small problem: the rules said that the entries had to be on a stamped postcard or the back of an envelope. However, USPS sells postcards with postage printed directly on the card, and a lot of people entered that way, so the magazine ended up running two contests; one that accepted those postcards, and one that did not. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-reverse-auction/939585/74 "2021-04-12T23:32:08Z")
If we wanted to open a side contest, the number that gets most mentions is one so far.. ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-reverse-auction/939585/75 "2021-04-12T23:45:44Z")
It’s funny how many people think they’ll be the first to say one. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-reverse-auction/939585/76 "2021-04-13T00:26:35Z")
Yes, but only one person can be the first one to say one. THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-reverse-auction/939585/77 "2021-04-13T00:32:08Z")
We’re all unique snowflakes in _one_ way. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-reverse-auction/939585/78 "2021-04-13T00:33:10Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > If we wanted to open a side contest, the number that gets most mentions is one so far.. Although two is getting a bunch of love as well. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-reverse-auction/939585/79 "2021-04-13T12:06:02Z")
Your strategy is working so far! > [@EyePaintFaces](#): > > Also looking back at my original post they must’ve edited part of my message as well because I swear I put i don’t know in front of how to blur msg You did, so they did. I guess as otherwise the edited addition of the spoiler would have looked even stranger. You can also blur text by putting these around the part you want blurred: (spoiler)text you want blurred(/spoiler), just use square brackets instead of regular ones. Also, welcome! Always good to see new faces, painted or otherwise. Hope you stick around - don’t worry if you don’t ‘get it’ straightaway. > [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > One small problem: the rules said that the entries had to be on a stamped postcard or the back of an envelope. However, USPS sells postcards with postage printed directly on the card, and a lot of people entered that way, so the magazine ended up running two contests; one that accepted those postcards, and one that did not. I’m obviously misunderstanding something - why did they feel the need to split it into 2 contests? Could they not just treat the pre-paid postcards as ‘stamped postcards’? Unless they were afraid of being sued by someone with a very literal interpretation of the rules. Do you remember what number(s) won the contest(s)? I think their $10,000 was safe for sure. I bet their total outlay over both contests was close to $1,000. > [@LSLGuy](#): > > Although two is getting a bunch of love as well. Unless I missed it (quite possible), just 1 vote (and therefore currently the winning one) so far though. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-reverse-auction/939585/80 "2021-04-13T14:50:53Z")
> [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > > [@LSLGuy](#): > > > > Although two is getting a bunch of love as well. > > Unless I missed it (quite possible), just 1 vote (and therefore currently the winning one) so far though. No, 1, 2, 3, 14, and 17 have been duplicated and eliminated. Spoilers have turned this post into a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2021, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-reverse-auction/939585/81 "2021-04-13T14:58:14Z")
Thanks - somehow I missed post #66, which amusingly was a duplicate bid for post #65. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-reverse-auction/939585.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-reverse-auction/939585.md?page=5)