Powerball is up to 205,000,000

[xmas74]

Is anyone playing w/ their office?

[Pithlet]

1. No, but I'm going to buy a ticket.

I know, the odds and all. I usually don't play. But, 205 million will be fun to dream about. Imagine what you could do with that kind of money.

[xmas74]

2. I'm buying a ticket for the Sat drawing too.

I've spent my money on crap before. And 205 would be an incredible dream.

[Zomby Woof]

4. Even after taxes

Federal and state (if your state has an income tax), it would still be in the neighborhood of 100 million.

Nice early retirement account. :-)

[xmas74]

6. As in retire the moment the first installment comes in!

[Zomby Woof]

7. LOL!

Just don't forget your friends on DU (even the non-Packer fans). ;-)

[xmas74]

10. I won't.

DU would get a verrrrrrry nice donation as would a number of charities. I'd also buy some land in the country (lots of acres) and build houses for my group of friends so that we could have a nice place to live and no real neighbors to bitch at us.

[Zomby Woof]

3. I recommend going it alone

Office pools open themselves to all kinds of legal repercussions, and then you need money on good lawyers and all to sort it out.

Do it yourself, because truly, the odds are more or less the SAME when you are talking Powerball.

[xmas74]

5. I know.

I usually buy one alone but then we also have office pools on it. We do the same w/ the IL lottery. Everyone puts in a couple of bucks and someone drives to IL for the tickets when they have a big jackpot.

[Pithlet]

9. Yeah, there have been some nasty battles

When someone takes the whole shebang instead of splitting it with the pool. One guy claimed the winning ticket was a separate one he bought for himself, and his co-workers sued.

[Zomby Woof]

11. Oooo!

You have a little grey mod thingie!

Guess I better stay out of the flame wars for awhile. ;-)

Congrats! :toast:

(and beat Boston!)

[Pithlet]

16. Thanks!

I have to be on my best behavior now, too. :)

[xmas74]

13. Everyone in the pool initials each ticket.

We also write down the serial number. Keeps the fighting down.

[Pithlet]

19. That's a good idea n/t

[xmas74]

20. When each person initials it personally

it's more distinctive and harder to fight about. Pretty obvious if someone tried to turn in a ticket w/ 20 different initials on it. Someone might ask why.

[Pithlet]

26. I wonder how the courts usually rule

I've heard of these fights, but never hear the outcome.

[xmas74]

29. Neither have I.

I know someone who used to work for the lottery commission in MO. He made a comment about office pools. I asked him about maybe making an identifying mark on the ticket. He said that it would have to be obvious that numerous people were sharing the ticket. That's when I decided to have everyone personally initial the tickets. With so many initials in different handwriting it might raise a flag to the commission that there are a few people who played that ticket.

[Rainbowreflect]

37. We photo copy the office tickets & everyone gets a copy.

No questions & no problems.

[xmas74]

44. Same idea.

We want to make sure there is no conflict.

[redqueen]

8. No

I just can't get into the lotto games. Husband loves them.

[xmas74]

15. I'm not into them for the most part.

But I will buy one or two when the pot is really big. It's nice to have a dream.

[redqueen]

27. Oh I'm the same way when they're big.

Thanks for the notice... I'll pick up a ticket.

:hi:

[WCGreen]

12. Hell, I'm goin' out and drop my life savings on the Powerball

Yee, Haa

[xmas74]

17. I think I'll put a buck on it.

I put in two on the office pool.

[WCGreen]

That is my life savings...

[xmas74]

22. It closely mirrors mine.

[WCGreen]

31. Ain;t it the truth....

[xmas74]

32. Too close to the truth.

[Xithras]

40. If you had $140 million in savings, you SHOULD

Technically there are just over 140 million possible winning numbers, so if you had that many dollars you could cover every possible combination. When you have a prize of $200 million plus dollars, it's easy money.

I wonder why wealthy people don't try this. Is it just because it's unseemly, or are there rules against it?

[KamaAina]

42. An Australian syndicate tried that once, in Virginia, I believe

It's a logistical nightmare to make sure you have every combination covered. Then the monkeywrench is that someone from off the street could pick the winners, too, thereby cutting your winnings in half.

[CBGLuthier]

53. if one other person hits then you would lose money

Plus, let's say it takes just 2 seconds to get a card.

I did some rough math and I think it would take over 3000 days to buy all the tickets.

And of course it takes more than 2 seconds to buy a card.

:-)

[GOPisEvil]

14. I'd love to have 1% of that.

I don't need much.

So, if anyone here wins, help a brother out. ;)

[xmas74]

18. We'll let you know.

[GOPisEvil]

23. Thanks.

I appreciate it.

I think we have a multi-state lotto, too. I might grab a couple of tickets today. If I win, I won't forget my friends.

[xmas74]

25. Cool!

[kmla]

48. Hello, friend.

:)

And with that much scratch, you could do some damage to your enemies as well...

[Wapsie B]

21. I am for this one.

Even split 6 ways after taxes taken out I think I can manage. ;-)

[xmas74]

24. So could I.

[Wapsie B]

28. My hope is that whoever wins it is someone deserving.

I don't want it to be someone like a retired banker.

[xmas74]

30. It usually is someone who doesn't really need the money.

[Wapsie B]

33. Yeah that's what really gets me.

Makes me wonder if there is karma in the world sometimes.

[xmas74]

34. You never here about someone who really needs it.

In my area we had someone who won 66 million. She had a really good job, he was retired w/ excellent benefits, etc.
They were considered well-off already.

[Wapsie B]

35. That makes me so sad.

Do you know what they did with all that $$$? Probably put it in a trust or some such thing.

[Deja Q]

36. If the people gave that money to each other instead of a joke...

That'd be $205 MILLION dollars, assuming the game is $1 per ticket.

$205 mil is a lot.

Why do people keep freely spending into this farce?

Lotteries are for fools, idiots, the indolent, and the narrowminded.

Think outside the box.

Don't let others who think outside the box make you think into their definition of it. At least until you've thought about it.

[Blue_Tires]

38. eh...it's just a sucker's game for people that don't know basic statistics

n/t

[kwassa]

39. When is the next drawing?

[xmas74]

41. Saturday.

I figured I've spent my money on worse crap. We have office pools so my donating makes for good office politics.

[KamaAina]

43. This is the last drawing on my ticket from DC

actually I was there just before the protest, for a conference.

The weird thing is that I'd be Hawai'i's second multimillionaire this week (see under Wie, Michelle)!

[xmas74]

47. That would be cool!

[In_The_Wind]

45. I would have missed it!

Thanks xmas74! If I win I'll share it with you!

[xmas74]

46. Thank you!

[Reciprocity]

49. I wish I could afford the gas money ....

To pop over the border to get a few tickets.

This is a great site that breaks down the prize amount according to what state you live in.

Home page.
http://www.usamega.com/

Powerball Jackpot Analysis
http://www.usamega.com/powerball-jackpot.htm

Mega Millions Jackpot Analysis
http://www.usamega.com/mega-millions-jackpot.htm

[xmas74]

50. Maybe you can find someone who is already heading over.

[Pithlet]

51. So, lump sum cash or annuity?

Right now, I'm thinking take the annuity. But the lump sum in cash would sure be tempting.

[xmas74]

52. I'll go annuity.

I like the idea of having it spaced out over the years. If I had the lump sum my relatives would hit me up all at once instead and they'd find ways to guarantee the money is gone in a couple of years.

[Parche]

54. Powerballs

I have 2, but I just bought $20 worth!!!!