# 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:** 7\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2016, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-buy-a-powerball-ticket/742364/101 "2016-01-10T14:49:53Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > I bought one today. As a help to others, avoid the numbers 12-22-25-51-68-14; those are my numbers and I’ve never gotten so much as ONE number right on a ticket. Your streak continues. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2016, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-buy-a-powerball-ticket/742364/102 "2016-01-10T22:12:52Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Your streak continues. 🙂 It’s actually sort of awesome. Not ONE number - ever! 😃 I often think of that scene from Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose when I look at my tickets. I’d buy some tickets with every single number, but I suspect we’d get hit by a comet or something before the drawing just to prevent me getting one lottery number. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-buy-a-powerball-ticket/742364/103 "2016-01-11T19:20:41Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > A few do, but most make it a matter of public record. In some states you have to _appear_ publicly so the media can photograph you and give the lottery agency free publicity. You can still skirt those requirements by having a trust win the lottery, and having a law firm represent the trust. At least in Texas, anyway. [http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Trust-keeps-24-million-jackpot-winner-anonymous-3848371.php](http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Trust-keeps-24-million-jackpot-winner-anonymous-3848371.php) ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-buy-a-powerball-ticket/742364/104 "2016-01-11T20:35:22Z")
> [@quiltguy](#): > > Only takes a couple’ bucks to win, my friend. It’s a cheap high for a few days, where’s the harm? There is no harm. Every time someone brings up the lottery, someone _always_ has to insert that it’s a “tax” (they always use the word “tax” specifically, too) on people who aren’t smart, can’t do math, need to take a stats course, etc. The thread cannot truly begin until we have it. That said, I haven’t bought a ticket and won’t because I can’t be bothered. It’s harmless to throw a dollar at it, but it’s too damn cold to go to the store when I know I’m not going to win anyway. Anyone else who buys a ticket, though, good for them. A nice little bit of fantasy for $2. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-buy-a-powerball-ticket/742364/105 "2016-01-11T20:52:57Z")
The Powerball goes above 250M about three or four times a year, so that’s when I buy a ticket–one with the numbers I’ve always used, and one QP. That comes to no more than $20/year, which I’m comfortable with. Odds are phenomenally slim, but if I spent $200/year, my odds wouldn’t improve significantly but I could actually do something meaningful with that $180 difference. An Andrew Jackson means skipping going out for dinner once. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-buy-a-powerball-ticket/742364/106 "2016-01-11T22:11:16Z")
I was so busy bemoaning not getting the big prize I didn’t notice that I won at powerball! That’s right, I won a whole $4 which gets me the price of my ticket back which means I can afford 2 more tickets for Wednesday’s drawing. I just hope I haven’t used up all of my luck. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-buy-a-powerball-ticket/742364/107 "2016-01-12T00:48:57Z")
I think the luckiest man ever is the guy who just won $165 million in the Mega Millions. Nobody is going to bother to hit him up for money. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-buy-a-powerball-ticket/742364.md?page=5)