# Explain these lottery statistics, please
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-these-lottery-statistics-please/143648
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 18, 2002, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-these-lottery-statistics-please/143648 "2002-12-18T21:04:08Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2002, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-these-lottery-statistics-please/143648/1 "2002-12-18T21:04:08Z")
OK, I might be missing something, but here’s what I understand:
In my state (and maybe others, too), the lottery works this way:
Choose five unique numbers from 1 thru 53, and one number from 1 thru 42 (the Powerball number).
If you get the get the Powerball number, and _none_ of the previous 5, you still win $3.
If you get the Powerball number, and match any of the five, your prize goes up–up to matching all 5 and winning the big jackpot.
OK, no problem, so far.
The lottery “cards” explaining the odds say that the odds of matching the Powerball number are 1 in 70.
That’s where I get lost. I have 42 numbers to choose from, but my chances of winning are 1 in 70.
Any ideas???
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2002, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-these-lottery-statistics-please/143648/2 "2002-12-18T21:16:01Z")
I would guess that the odds are based not on pure chance but on the fact that some numbers get picked (by the people buying the cards) more often than others.
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### Author:  [@Cabbage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabbage)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2002, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-these-lottery-statistics-please/143648/3 "2002-12-18T21:25:01Z")
They’re not giving you the odds of matching the Powerball, they’re giving you the odds of matching the Powerball AND missing all of the other numbers.
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### Author:  [@Jabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jabba)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2002, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-these-lottery-statistics-please/143648/4 "2002-12-18T21:28:58Z")
**Cabbage** is correct: 1 in 70 ( in fact, roughly 1 in 70.39) are the odds of getting the $3 prize.
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### Author:  [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2002, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-these-lottery-statistics-please/143648/5 "2002-12-18T21:30:36Z")
Thanks!
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2002, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-these-lottery-statistics-please/143648/6 "2002-12-18T21:41:44Z")
I should have said, “WAG quotient of my post: 42 out of 70.”
😉