# Basic Lottery Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 24, 2010, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-lottery-question/526260 "2010-01-24T19:01:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-lottery-question/526260/21 "2010-01-25T20:59:44Z")
A group of 11 where I once worked won the big jackpot. Usually there are 1 or 2 winners for the lottery, a million or several apiece. This time there were 6 winners. So the 11 people got 1/6 of the prize to divvy up. The each got $30,000 or so. Still nothing to sneeze at, but pretty small for THE BIG ONE. Any prize is equally likely, and unless otherwise stated, a quick pick ticket is totally random. For the 6 of 49 pick lotteries, you odds are about 1 in 13.8 million, IIRC. ODDS = factorial(number of choices)/ ( factorial(number of choices minus number of picks) times factoprial (number of picks) ) For 6 of 49, that’s ODDS = F(49)/(F(43)F(6)) = (49x48x47x46x45x44)/(6x5x4x3x2) The logic is: first number can be one of 49 Next can be one of 48 remaining, etc. Divide by all permutations of 6 numbers (F(6)) since order of pick does not matter. The 42 ping pong ball followed by the 25 is the same as 25 followed by 42… ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-lottery-question/526260/22 "2010-01-25T21:46:29Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > A group of 11 where I once worked won the big jackpot. Usually there are 1 or 2 winners for the lottery, a million or several apiece. This time there were 6 winners. So the 11 people got 1/6 of the prize to divvy up. The each got $30,000 or so. Still nothing to sneeze at, but pretty small for THE BIG ONE. > > Any prize is equally likely, and unless otherwise stated, a quick pick ticket is totally random. For the 6 of 49 pick lotteries, you odds are about 1 in 13.8 million, IIRC. > > ODDS = factorial(number of choices)/ > ( > factorial(number of choices minus number of picks) times > factoprial (number of picks) > ) > > For 6 of 49, that’s > ODDS = F(49)/(F(43)F(6)) = (49x48x47x46x45x44)/(6x5x4x3x2) > > The logic is: first number can be one of 49 > Next can be one of 48 remaining, etc. > > Divide by all permutations of 6 numbers (F(6)) since order of pick does not matter. > The 42 ping pong ball followed by the 25 is the same as 25 followed by 42… You can also calculate this really quickly in Google by typing “49 choose 6” into the search bar. ---
**Author:** ![Sanity\_Challenged](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@Sanity\_Challenged](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sanity_Challenged)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-lottery-question/526260/23 "2010-01-26T02:56:00Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > I assume you meant there’s a “lesser chance of picking the same numbers as someone else” if you use truly random numbers. Yep, mistyped that. Thanks for the correction. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-lottery-question/526260/24 "2010-01-26T03:45:04Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > It is perfectly legitimate to form a blind trust and have the lottery win accepted by a designated representative of the trust, thus maintaining your anonymity. There are certain rules with doing it that way, of course, but if it’s that big of a win it won’t be too much for you to deal with, and it might not be legal in all states. There’s no reason the lottery corporation would have to allow such a thing; certainly in Ontario the rules stipulate such machinations aren’t permissible. It’s in the lottery corporation’s interests to publicize the names of winners if for no other reason to prove that the game is on the level. Otherwise, they could just never hand out any jackpots and say all the winners preferred to remain anonymous. ---
**Author:** ![socalgal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@socalgal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/socalgal)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-lottery-question/526260/25 "2011-01-04T14:15:39Z")
> [@janeslogin](#): > > Are those people who win big and show up for press conferences and photo ops required to do so? Or - can they remain anomalous if the choose? I actually just called the Calif lottery office yesterday. This was one of the questions I asked. The lady said that you would need to speak to Security if you don’t want to do a press conference. So, I guess you have that option. But they still need to disclose your name as the winner. > [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > It is perfectly legitimate to form a blind trust and have the lottery win accepted by a designated representative of the trust, thus maintaining your anonymity. There are certain rules with doing it that way, of course, but if it’s that big of a win it won’t be too much for you to deal with, and it might not be legal in all states. The lady at the Calif lottery office said you cannot use a blind trust to claim your prize. They have to disclose your name and anyone can call them to ask who won. Ohio does allow blind trust. There’s another state but I don’t know which one. These are the only two that allow blind trust. The rest dont. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-lottery-question/526260/26 "2011-01-04T14:26:18Z")
> [@muttrox](#): > > I was told that once the California lottery was in fact won by the number primted on fortune cookies. There were 300 winners. Lottery officials suspected fraud until the truth came out. (The truth being that they were all idiots, having to split the pot 300 ways). > > Can anyone confirm or deny? I deny that they are idiots. Anyone who did not pick those numbers didn’t win a goddam thing. Anyone who did pick those numbers won _something_, even if it was only a 1/300th share of the big jackpot. ---
**Author:** ![muttrox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a8b319/32.png) [@muttrox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muttrox)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-lottery-question/526260/27 "2011-01-04T16:25:36Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > I deny that they are idiots. Anyone who did not pick those numbers didn’t win a goddam thing. Anyone who did pick those numbers won _something_, even if it was only a 1/300th share of the big jackpot. You are confusing luck with intelligence. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-lottery-question/526260/28 "2011-01-04T16:45:05Z")
There is a guaranteed, sure-fire way to double your chances of winning the lottery. ---
**Author:** ![muttrox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a8b319/32.png) [@muttrox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muttrox)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-lottery-question/526260/29 "2011-01-04T17:10:25Z")
Buying a second ticket? (Technically, it’s a little bit less than doubling your chances…) ---
**Author:** ![RedSwinglineOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@RedSwinglineOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSwinglineOne)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-lottery-question/526260/30 "2011-01-04T17:16:32Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > … guy didn’t even get a $1 refund for the redundant ticket. If he won, he would have to split it with himself. I would assume however, that if there had been 1 other winner, he would have gotten 2/3 rather than half. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-lottery-question/526260/31 "2011-01-04T17:56:58Z")
> [@muttrox](#): > > You are confusing luck with intelligence. I only claim they were no less intelligent (or more idiotic) than anyone else who plays the lottery. ---
**Author:** ![muttrox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a8b319/32.png) [@muttrox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muttrox)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-lottery-question/526260/32 "2011-01-04T18:02:45Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > I only claim they were no less intelligent (or more idiotic) than anyone else who plays the lottery. Your claim is simply wrong. If number picking strategy A has the exact same odds of winning as number picking strategy B, but B pays dramatically less money than A in the unlikely event it wins, A is unambiguously the better strategy. You are simply being less intelligent to employ number picking strategy B. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-lottery-question/526260/33 "2011-01-04T21:22:33Z")
> [@Rumor\_Watkins](#): > > No, they can’t remain anonymous. It’s stipulated in the lottery ticket that you agree to abide by the contest rules - one of which is making yourself publicly available for promotional crap. > > However, there’s no requirement that you behave a certain way, so if you act like a jackass sourpuss I’m sure they won’t bother with you. No one wants to see someone frowning and drooping their shoulders at a photo op when they’re receiving a 20 million dollar check. Actually, there are four states where you can claim anonymously: Delaware, Kansas, North Dakota and Ohio. [Link to Powerball FAQ](http://www.powerball.com/pb_contact.asp). It’s about halfway down the page. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basic-lottery-question/526260.md?page=1)