Mega Millions going up & up

[KS Toronado]

There was no new billionaire from Tuesday night's Mega Millions lottery, but there were plenty of folks who won at
least some kind of money from the $1.1 billion drawing. That includes 16 tickets that won at least $1 million each.

The Mega Millions jackpot for 01/13/23 has now increased to a mind-boggling $1.35 billion, which is the
second-largest jackpot in the game's history. The next drawing will be held at 11 p.m. ET on Friday.

Here are the winning numbers from Tuesday night's (01/10/23) drawing.

First Five: 07-13-14-15-18
Mega Ball: 09
Mega Plier: 3x

https://www.newsweek.com/mega-millions-had-61-million-winning-tickets-16-millionaires-tuesday

[markie]

1. just think...

hmmm

our individual greed is what perpetuates societal problems... that is why we need government, a healthy government

[Marthe48]

2. I'd like to see more frequent winners

even if the pay out is lower. I read that both power ball and mega millions changed the number picking options to lower the odds of winning, so the jackpots would grow. It'd be nice if 20 or so people hit big each draw

[KS Toronado]

4. Well if that is true

" changed the number picking options to lower the odds of winning," and it probably is,
then picking our own numbers might be beneficial instead of their "quick pick" option.
I'll pick my own numbers for Friday, thanks for the heads up.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

7. Picking your own numbers vs. quick picking makes no difference statistically

This is why casinos started showing the number for the last 10 spins on a roulette wheel. Instinctively, people start to feel like a specific number is "due." But that's not how random number selection works. The odds of numbers coming up in the current draw are completely independent of the last draw.

You'd think knowing this, I'd be smarter than to waste my money on lottery tickets, yes?

[Thunderbeast]

13. There IS reason to let the computer pick your numbers.

When people pick their own numbers, a bias toward the numbers 1-31 appears. Players often use birth dates as their picks.

If you also select numbers with the same bias, the winning pot has a slightly higher probability of being split with one or more players who picked the same sequence.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

15. True - you are likely to have multiple winners if the numbers skew lower for that reason

- Dates
- Ages of kids
- Ages of grandkids

All tend to skew the odds for lower numbers.

[Marthe48]

14. Every drawing is independent of every previous drawing

and every future drawing.

I play to have something to look forward to with my coffee. If Mega Millions adds another draw to their lineup, I'll probably quit playing 2 times a week, unless there's a big jackpot.

Another wise person, or wise guy, said 'You have a 100% better chance of winning if you play.'

Interesting about the casinos showing the numbers. Thanks for sharing Good luck!

[Marthe48]

9. People who offer tips to play

recommend always choosing your own numbers for a better chance of winning. I use a frequency chart to pick mine. I don't win, but it's scientific

[KS Toronado]

12. LOL What an education I'm getting today

Was unaware of frequency charts for Powerball & Mega Millions, done a www search and the first lines...

You might find these MegaMillions number frequencies helpful when trying to choose your next set of numbers to play.
Will it be one of the hot numbers which seem to be on a roll right now or are one of the cold numbers overdue an
appearance?

That second sentence is the real question with no real answer. Think I'll just get a couple blank tickets
in fill in numbers that have some special meaning for me.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

5. The counter argument is that there are many other lottery games with higher odds and lower jackpots

Powerball and MegaMillions are aimed at the people with dreams of becoming sudden tycoons.

But one interesting thought along your lines: if you saw the film "Jerry and Marge go Large" they mad money buying many tickets in a game with a "roll down" feature. If the top prize in the WinFall game wasn't won after a certain timeframe, it "rolled down" to the next tier of winners. So maybe one of the two games should adapt a $1B top limit and roll the excess down to 5/6 numbers.

[underpants]

3. I've had an incredible streak recently of not getting a single number match

Both Mega and powerball

[Algernon Moncrieff]

6. Same here

I used to hit 3/6 1 to 2 times a year. It's just a small prize, like $10 - but none recently.

Also - when the ticket checker machine says "sorry, not a winner" it feels like it's judging me.

[underpants]

11. 😆

[getagrip_already]

8. same here since they expanded the number range.....

I only buy a ticket when the kitty gets high, but still I would expect at least one $2 win once in a while.

[Marthe48]

10. If I match, it isn't a winner

I got 2 numbers on the last drawing, but no money.