The DU Lounge

CTyankee

(63,912 posts) Sat Sep 7, 2013, 09:34 AM Sep 2013

Any math wizards here? I need help calculating odds...

OK, my very favorite travel organization has a lottery once a month. If I refer a friend to them, I get an automatic entry for the drawing which gives me $2,000 toward a trip of my choice. Are my odds of winning better if I enter one name each month for as long as I have someone to refer, or better if I enter several names once every 3 months? You can't repeat the names, so that limits how many shots you are going to get. BTW, I don't enter a friend's name without asking if they would like to receive the information. And I can vouch for the organization (it's nonprofit) since I will be taking my fifth trip with it next March...

I don't know how big the pool of entries is at any given time, but my guess is that it's fairly large...

2 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Any math wizards here? I need help calculating odds... (Original Post) CTyankee Sep 2013 OP

Your odds are very slightly better if you enter one name each month. Nye Bevan Sep 2013 #1

Thanks. I kinda thought it wouldn't make that much difference but I wanted to check. CTyankee Sep 2013 #2

Nye Bevan

(25,406 posts)

1. Your odds are very slightly better if you enter one name each month.

Reply to CTyankee (Original post)

Sat Sep 7, 2013, 09:52 AM

Sep 2013

But the improvement is very small.

CTyankee

(63,912 posts)

2. Thanks. I kinda thought it wouldn't make that much difference but I wanted to check.

Reply to Nye Bevan (Reply #1)

Sat Sep 7, 2013, 10:33 AM

Sep 2013

It actually works out better to do this once each month, since I can ask any new friends and neighbors I meet down the road.

Reply to this discussion