Buying Thunderball lottery tickets

[modeller]

Sorry I know this isn't news but we don't have a section which is applicable . However News ABers are an intelligent lot so I thought I would ask you this question . I run a little syndicate on the Nat/Lot Thunderball . This involves buying 42 lines each week .
However Thunderball is drawn 3 times a week Mon,Wed, & Frid . Therefore would there be any advantage in buying . 14 lines on each of those days . rather than the 42 on just one day.

[mike11111]

6 and 2 3s it seems to me

[sp1814]

modeller

Mathematically, it will make little difference to your chances of winning. Let's say have all your tickets set for one day (say Fridays), your chances of winning will be 42 in x million.

If you split your tickets to three days, your chances of winning will be divided by three, but then multiplied by three (for the three days), but on each day, the chances of you winning will be reduced by two thirds - but overall, the chances are so small as to be negligible.

The answer? Split your tickets to three days - you won't be losing out mathematically, but you'll have three times the fun.

Now...in return - what should I do? Vote 'No' to AV or 'Yes'?

[jno]

sp1814, I have already voted (by post) and my guiding light was: "What would David Cameron do? Then do the opposite."

[sp1814]

jno

Ah - yes...the Cameron principle. Let me just check out what he's CURRENTLY saying.

[VHG]

>>> "What would David Cameron do? Then do the opposite."

As opposed to what Gordon Brown would do, which was wreck the economy.

[Hopkirk]

Why Jno?

[rov1100]

It would pay to buy your tickets all in one lot. The reason is because in statistics just throwing a coin for heads and tails the odds are 50% for each throw no matter what turned up before.

Its the same with the lottery on a bigger scale. Your odds of getting the winner with 14 lines is the same on 3 days whereas with 42 lines the odds are reduced.

[Hopkirk]

Uh? Run that past me again.

[mike11111]

If the total of all possible combinations is x then the odds of winning the jackpot on each of the three days is x:14 against. Playing them all on the same day gives you odds of x:42 against, statistically better, though still improbable.

[modeller]

Thanks for all your comments . I believe it would be more fun to do it 3 times a week but the greater spread of different lines on one day would improve the chances of some winnings albeit as we all know the chance of a big win is millions to one.