Lucky Numbers
By pgn
@pgntwo (22408)
Derry, Northern Ireland
July 8, 2017 9:53am CST
A story I read today got me thinking about how inventive people can be when it comes to ways of making a living without having to work hard for it.
A guy in the US pleaded guilty to making changes to the computer system that picked the numbers drawn in certain US state lotteries, in such a way that the numbers drawn on particular days and dates could be "predicted". Having made the changes over a decade or more ago, all he had to do was get one or more accomplices to buy a ticket bearing certain numbers in any of several state lotteries for draws that happened at certain times on those days and dates, in return for a share of the winnings.
I don't know enough about the case to say how the guy and his buddies got caught, but it did make me wonder how many other such "random" events might actually not be as random as you might think...
The UK national lottery uses sets of numbered balls in one of a number of special tumbling machines to draw the numbers, making it more difficult to sway the results. A computer, however, is actually quite difficult to program so that it gives truly random numbers - as I found out years ago in my undergraduate days.
If you play a lottery game, how do you select your numbers? And does your system work in your favour ever? If you found a way to tip the odds in your favour, would you use it?
As this is my 200th post here, I had to write about numbers... 
Eddie Tipton, who helped write the computer code behind several U.S. lotteries, including some of its biggest, pleaded guilty Thursday to masterminding a scheme through which he rigged the winning
12 people like this
12 responses
@TiarasOceanView (70035)
• United States
8 Jul 17
I do and I hope to win it tonight.
I will let you know pgn.
Do you play? Good luck to you if you do.
I use the same numbers all the time and they did come up for a small win once only $44.
3 people like this
@TiarasOceanView (70035)
• United States
8 Jul 17
@pgntwo Thanks pgn..you know where I would be headed don't you?
2 people like this
@pgntwo (22408)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
8 Jul 17
@TiarasOceanView À flying visit to Ireland, perhaps? 
2 people like this
@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
26 Aug 17
It would be almost impossible to guess the numbers for a Lottery here in the US. I know back when I used to play I had set set of numbers I would use, but Best I ever did back when I used to play was 4 out of 6.
1 person likes this
@silvermist (19702)
• India
8 Jul 17
Good to know that this is your discussion no.
200.No I do not play any lotteries .
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
20 Jul 17
Congratulations on your 200th post, pgn
! I hope MANY more are in your future!
I've never played lotto or any of the games like that. (I may have told you I once started to buy a lottery ticket when I was working at a convenience store. I tore the ticket off the roll but a customer told me he wanted one, so I handed him the ticket I tore off. (I had not rung the ticket up yet.) I started to ring up a ticket for myself when that customer yelled he won $200
. I put my money back into my pocket
!)
! I hope MANY more are in your future!
I've never played lotto or any of the games like that. (I may have told you I once started to buy a lottery ticket when I was working at a convenience store. I tore the ticket off the roll but a customer told me he wanted one, so I handed him the ticket I tore off. (I had not rung the ticket up yet.) I started to ring up a ticket for myself when that customer yelled he won $200. I put my money back into my pocket!)1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
20 Jul 17
@pgntwo I hope your numbers do come up, pgn! I will wish you much better luck than I had! (Not sure if that will work or not, but at least I tried! LOL!)
How have you been doing? Anything new going on?
1 person likes this
@pgntwo (22408)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
20 Jul 17
@DaddyEvil If my numbers come up, you will hear about it... heck, I might even come knock at your door if I got a jackpot win... ;)
1 person likes this
@pgntwo (22408)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
9 Jul 17
@peachpurple Humans are very good at biting the hand that feeds them. 
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@peachpurple (13884)
• Malaysia
9 Jul 17
@pgntwo
Yeah, humans are alike scorpion, just have to sting the flesh
1 person likes this
@moneychaser (813)
• Baguio, Philippines
30 Aug 17
He must have been jailed for life! Can't do any other work being honest.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (73777)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
8 Jul 17
Over here we play the Euro Jackpot once a week. My hubby has special numbers he always play but so far nothing. Perhaps one day with luck from above.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
9 Jul 17
The odds of winning the lottery are phenomenally high these days since a Canadian firm took over increased the price and added even more numbers. I would say a fool and his money are soon parted. I do not do the lottery as you can probably tell so it won't be me as the advert goes!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326225)
• Rockingham, Australia
8 Aug 17
Congrats on your 200th post. I don't have any systems when it comes to betting or whatever but I seem to have a bit of luck when it comes to bingo.
