# Did you buy a Powerball ticket? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 6, 2016, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-buy-a-powerball-ticket/742364 "2016-01-06T22:01:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-buy-a-powerball-ticket/742364/1 "2016-01-06T22:01:18Z")
I did for shits and grins. ETA: and a very insignificant chance to win $500 million. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-buy-a-powerball-ticket/742364/2 "2016-01-06T22:01:55Z")
Nope. Lottery is a tax on people who can’t do math. ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e47774/32.png) [@quiltguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-buy-a-powerball-ticket/742364/3 "2016-01-06T22:10:14Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Nope. Lottery is a tax on people who can’t do math. Only takes a couple’ bucks to win, my friend. It’s a cheap high for a few days, where’s the harm? ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-buy-a-powerball-ticket/742364/4 "2016-01-06T22:10:55Z")
How much longer do I have, or is it shut down already? ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-buy-a-powerball-ticket/742364/5 "2016-01-06T22:12:14Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Nope. Lottery is a tax on people who can’t do math. Not necessarily. I spent $1 to get a lottery ticket, full well knowing that my chance of winning is infinitesimal. At the same time, SOMEONE will win, and I get more than a dollar’s worth of enjoyment out of the idea that there’s a (however tiny) non-zero chance that someone could be me, and imagining what I might do with that much money. ---
**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 6, 2016, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-buy-a-powerball-ticket/742364/6 "2016-01-06T22:12:32Z")
Yes. Of course. It’s a 250 million to 1 payoff. The cost is insignificant to me. The potential yet incredibly unlikely payout would be significant. I don’t expect to win, so in a way it’s a waste of money, but I won’t regret it tomorrow, it’s just $4 (I doubled my chances of winning). ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-buy-a-powerball-ticket/742364/7 "2016-01-06T22:13:18Z")
I’ll let you know tomorrow when I post on the CSDMB. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-buy-a-powerball-ticket/742364/8 "2016-01-06T22:13:56Z")
It’s a one dollar investment in hope. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-buy-a-powerball-ticket/742364/9 "2016-01-06T22:21:27Z")
Pocket change for a fantasy. Works for me, and it’s cheaper than most. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-buy-a-powerball-ticket/742364/10 "2016-01-06T22:23:13Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > It’s a one dollar investment in hope. _Two_ dollar investment, actually. Powerball doubled the price a few years back. I bought a few quick picks. It’s money I can afford to waste, and I almost certainly won’t win, but if I did, oh how glorious it would be. ---
**Author:** ![NVME702-redux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a183cd/32.png) [@NVME702-redux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NVME702-redux)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-buy-a-powerball-ticket/742364/11 "2016-01-06T22:26:42Z")
I play lotto regularly and only in state, unless the jackpot on the bigger ones (Powerball or MegaMillions) goes crazy up. I don’t smoke, I rarely drink. This is my one vice other than hanging out on the internet. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-buy-a-powerball-ticket/742364/12 "2016-01-06T22:49:02Z")
Yes. If I win, I win; if I don’t win, I’m a proud taxpayer. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2016, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-buy-a-powerball-ticket/742364/13 "2016-01-06T23:19:05Z")
When it gets high I buy one (1) random pick ticket. It’s two, three dollars – I’ll just skip a fancy cofee I don’t need anyway, and I’ll joke around with the other people in the line and at the office. No harm done. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2016, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-buy-a-powerball-ticket/742364/14 "2016-01-07T01:21:46Z")
I always look at my ticket for the big Powerball drawings as a life insurance policy. I’ve played the same numbers for years, so if I didn’t buy a ticket and those numbers won, I’d have to kill myself! Hence, by buying a ticket each time, I’m in no danger whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2016, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-buy-a-powerball-ticket/742364/15 "2016-01-07T01:27:56Z")
I buy a lottery ticket once in a while. What I buy depends on what day of the week it is, and how much cash I feel I can spend. Today I have one quick pick for both Powerball and Ohio classic. I won’t win, but looking up the winning numbers will kill a little time in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2016, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-buy-a-powerball-ticket/742364/16 "2016-01-07T01:47:41Z")
dropped a 20 tonite - hell, its half a billion dollars - know its highly, highly, highly unlikely I’ll win, but for tonite, I can sleep well and dream of big boats. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2016, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-buy-a-powerball-ticket/742364/17 "2016-01-07T01:52:46Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I’ll let you know tomorrow when I post on the CSDMB. I for one welcome our new Czarcastic Overlord… 😃 (Good Luck!) ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2016, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-buy-a-powerball-ticket/742364/18 "2016-01-07T01:52:54Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Nope. Lottery is a tax on people who can’t do math. I can do the math well enough to know that a one-in-500 million chance of ever having that kind of money is bigger than a zero-in-500 million chance (which is what my chances are if it comes down to relying on my own initiative). ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2016, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-buy-a-powerball-ticket/742364/19 "2016-01-07T02:04:03Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > It’s a one dollar investment in hope. So what’s the other dollar for? Is THAT the “bad at math” tax? (Powerball tix are two bucks. :p) ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2016, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-buy-a-powerball-ticket/742364/20 "2016-01-07T02:10:19Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I’ll let you know tomorrow when I post on the CSDMB. > [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > I for one welcome our new Czarcastic Overlord… 😃 > > (Good Luck!) Nice of you to be so generous with my money, your Excellency. Was it **Czarcasm** who called “Dibs” on this jackpot? No, in point of fact it wasn’t. Was it me? Why bless my soul, so it was! I don’t have much interest in running this place, so I’ll probably buy it for my good friend **Czarcasm** , anyway… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-buy-a-powerball-ticket/742364.md?page=2)