Powerball odds compared to sports gambling

[dawgball]

Math guys - the odds of winning the powerball jackpot are 1 in 195,249,054.

If you were to play all straight picks at -110, how many games would you have to hit in a row to be at the same odds as the above jackpot?

Bonus: if you were to start with $22 to win $20 and kept parlaying your winnings to the next pick. How much would you have won total by the end?

 

[KotysDad]

If you're looking at 50/50 bets, you'd have to hit about 28 in a row to match those odds.

 

[dawgball]

If you're looking at 50/50 bets, you'd have to hit about 28 in a row to match those odds.

I knew it would be you!! :0074

Yes. 50/50 wagers on lines. Thanks!

And starting with a $1 wager and hitting 28 games in a row, your payout would be $536,870,910
(if, of course there was someone who could pay that out).

Yet another reason why playing the lottery is referred to as the idiot tax.

:facepalm:

 

[dawgball]

2
4
8
16
32
64
128
256
512
1,024
2,048
4,096
8,192
16,384
32,768
65,536
131,072
262,144
524,288
1,048,576
2,097,152
4,194,304
8,388,608
16,777,216
33,554,432
67,108,864
134,217,728
268,435,456

536,870,910

 

[tball]

If you're looking at 50/50 bets, you'd have to hit about 28 in a row to match those odds.

thats it!?

28 times???

that sounds do-able :0074

 

[yyz]

But you only need a dollar and a dream for the Powerball!

 

[PocketAces]

2
4
8
16
32
64
128
256
512
1,024
2,048
4,096
8,192
16,384
32,768
65,536
131,072
262,144
524,288
1,048,576
2,097,152
4,194,304
8,388,608
16,777,216
33,554,432
67,108,864
134,217,728
268,435,456

536,870,910

What about the juice?

2 to win 4?

 

[PocketAces]

Plus with the lottery you can win smaller "jackpots".

For the record I am not saying that the lottery is a good value or better that sports inversting in any way.

 

[dunclock]

What about the juice?

2 to win 4?

no juice if you win every bet:shrug:

 

[PocketAces]

no juice if you win every bet:shrug:

Right but if I give the sports book 2 dollars they don't give me back 4 on a winning -110 play.

 

[dunclock]

they do if you bet $2.20 to win $2...$4.40 to win $4 etc


but I see your point if you just keep doubling

:toast:

 

[PocketAces]

:toast:

If either of us went 28-0 we wouldn't be too worried about the math would we?

:00hour

 

[dunclock]

:toast:

If either of us went 28-0 we wouldn't be too worried about the math would we?

:00hour

no doubt....and I do buy a $1 ticket for the Powerball every so often too:mj07:

:0008