Taking a chance on the luck of the draw
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What is your first reaction when you hear that the Powerball or Megamillions jackpot is at a record high? If you are like most people, you will probably make arrangements to grab a couple of tickets. Whether you are a regular lottery aficionado or new to the lottery world, you will do what you can to buy into the dream with the purchase of a ticket.
Have you ever wondered why we do this? Do we really think we will win? At the risk of sounding like Mr. Spock from “Star Trek,” the odds would be astronomical. And yet, we do it.
While I cannot speak for anyone else, I can say that for me, I’m buying a dream. I’m buying a few days in an imaginary world that I know will never actually become my reality. But the cost of the lottery ticket is most definitely worth those days of fantasizing just what I’d do with those winnings. The people I’d help, the donations I’d make, the good I’d be able to do… all those plans rely on the outside chance the my ticket has the right numbers.
So, what is your strategy? Do you choose numbers that have meaning in your life, perhaps birthdates of family members? Or maybe numbers that represent important facts from your life — house numbers, phone numbers or ages of loved ones?
My personal favorite is to let the computer pick my numbers. After all, if I were to play the same numbers each time the lottery hit record highs, then decided to skip it just once, I am convinced that would be the time that my numbers would hit. No, I couldn’t risk that! So, as you can see, my strategy is based on sound logic… or lack thereof
There is strategy in all games of chance, I think. Recently, we had a large raffle event at my workplace, where 15 impressive raffle baskets were created to raise money for a charity. For eight days, these baskets were on display, and residents, staff and family members were all invited to participate.
As one of the event coordinators, I witnessed many people approach these raffles with clever and unique game plans. I became fascinated with this! Some purchased lots of tickets but only placed a certain amount into the boxes associated with the baskets they most desired that first day. They subsequently returned several times in the following days, to place their remaining tickets in those same boxes.
Then there were those that stacked the deck as it were, all at once. They bought lots of tickets and loaded them all into one box. Still others opted for the baskets that were not the most popular, thinking that fewer people would try for them, and their odds of winning would increase.
And of course, there are those who believed that it only takes one ticket to win, so they placed one in each of the baskets. After all, if God intended for them to win, it would happen… right? (I admit, I am of that ilk.)
We had many who came each day to view the baskets, study their contents and really ponder which they would win. Most of those waited until the last day to purchase their tickets and place them carefully in the boxes. I had to smile. I’m sure they knew that each drawing would find those tickets mixed up and shuffled thoroughly before the winner was pulled. But it did not change their strategy. It was definitely an interesting study of human behavior.
Many people told us what they would do with their winnings. We had several baskets that were made up of cash (in the form of a clever money tree or beautifully wrapped up as a present) or gift certificates. To me, it was impressive to see the number of people who said if they won either of those, they would donate it back to the charity for which we were raising money. And in fact, one of the winners did just that.
So, into which category do you fall? Or doesn’t it matter? From the time you purchase that ticket…that chance (albeit a small one), that dream, is certainly worth the cost of admission. So … what will you do when you win?
