# Another Lottery Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 10, 2000, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-lottery-question/19103 "2000-05-10T11:35:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WIGGUM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WIGGUM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WIGGUM)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-lottery-question/19103/1 "2000-05-10T11:35:28Z")
Well, I didn’t win the jackpot, but a bunch of people where I work and I all put in five bucks, and bought about 300 tickets. My question is, if we matched 3 numbers, and the powerball, which we did, how much are we going to win? I know you win _some_ money if you only match one number and the power ball, but we matched **3** numbers and the powerball. Even if I only get a couple of bucks, I’ll still feel like a winner. Just think, I was two numbers away from being a multi-millionare. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-lottery-question/19103/2 "2000-05-10T12:12:51Z")
According to the [Official Home of the Big Game](http://www.theofficialbiggame.com/), ```auto Match (+BMB) Prize ------------ ----- 5 + 1 Jackpot! 5 $150,000 4 + 1 $5,000 4 $150 3 + 1 $100 3 $5 2 + 1 $5 1 + 1 $2 Big Money Ball $1 ``` ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-lottery-question/19103/3 "2000-05-10T12:16:41Z")
Oops, forgot to continue my message… So your pool won $100. Assuming a pool of 60 people putting in $5, you’d each get $1.67. If I were you guys, I’d buy more tickets in some other lottery that has a growing jackpot. ---
**Author:** ![WIGGUM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WIGGUM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WIGGUM)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-lottery-question/19103/4 "2000-05-10T12:25:02Z")
Thanks. Boy 100 dollars, I would have thought we’d have won more than that. Oh, well, it’s better than nothing. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-lottery-question/19103/5 "2000-05-10T14:22:15Z")
Spending three hundred dollars to win one hundred dollars is attractive? ---
**Author:** ![WIGGUM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WIGGUM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WIGGUM)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2000, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-lottery-question/19103/6 "2000-05-10T15:04:42Z")
Not really, but it’s better than spending $300 and getting nothing back. I think rather than pay everyone their $2 we’re just going to invest it in our state lottery that’s at 28 million right now.