Powerball

Of course you do. If you're playing a slot machine, you play max coin. Same thing here.

 

I saw some of those folks in my degenerate gambler days. The people who sit down at the $3 blackjack table and plunk down about $20 in $1 and $5 bills. Or the ones who go on a losing streak and you can just tell they're wondering what lie they're going to tell the wife, or how they're going to pay the rent that's due at the end of the week.
The worst part is trying to take a risk or do anything unorthodox when those people are at the table. Hit on a 15 or 16 and bust, even if you're supposed to, or hit a 2 or 3 vs. 12 or 13 and it doesn't work out, and you legitimately wonder if they're going to shoot you in the parking lot.

 

I'm actually surprised lines aren't longer, although I suppose about 4:00 Central time Wednesday night, they'll be going out the door and around the corner. But on Saturday while I was getting some grub at Dillon's, I was surprised not to see even a short line.

Makes me wonder if it's at a point where people are scared to win because an ungodly amount such as this might be too much to deal with.

 

The stupid is out in force on Facebook.

http://factually.gizmodo.com/powerball-math-1-3-billion-divided-by-300-million-is-1752269297

 

I did some math earlier today. And since I've heard the pot is up to $1.4 billion now, I'll rework it with that number.

Take the cash option. Last I saw, it was $868 million

Divide by your take-home pay per check. For me that comes up as 1,105,732 paychecks.

Divide that by 26, assuming you're paid once every two weeks (24 if you're paid on the 1st and 15th).

In order to make $868 million in take home pay, it would take me 45,528 years. (The number of years has increased by more than 6,000 today alone.)

 

Some more fun math:

Say you take the $868 lump sum. Taxes are taken out, so let's say it's 40 percent, leaving you with roughly $520 million.

Let's assume you work full-time for 45 years, at 2000 hours a year (yes, you may accumulate more vacation time, sick time, etc. Just add those hours to whatever part time work you had in high school, college, etc.) So, let's say you've worked 90,000 hours in your life.

If you won, by yourself, that would be the equivalent of making $57,777.77 per hour worked.

Another fun math: let's say you live to 80 years old. That is 700,800 hours of your life, from birth, to your 80th birthday.

You win by yourself, it's $742 for every hour of your life.

 

What if you work overtime, off the clock?

 

What if you never work again except at what pleases you?

 

Does it please you?

 

I feel left out of the fun. My wife works for an ad agency whose client is one of the state lotteries partnered with PowerBall. Maybe if I change my legal address for this week that'll be kosher. Or would I have to file for separation to officially be in a separate household? The clock is ticking ...

 

Aw, hell, Donnie, just go buy a couple. You aren't going to win any more than we are.

If you do hit, I'll cash the ticket for you for a nominal surcharge.

 

Agency employees are ineligible?