Barney & Clyde by Gene Weingarten; Dan Weingarten & David Clark for December 13, 2020

The cool thing is they’re probably both right.

You have about one chance in seven billion for the big prize in power ball or mega millions.

I like the Ol’ “Getting struck by lightning 8 times while fending off starving Crocs & surviving”!

Lotteries are a tax on the innumerate.

I am having a lucky day. I didn’t buy a lottery ticket and saved myself some money.

Of course, there was the religious guy who prayed to God to let him win the lottery. He was very devoted and promised to do many good things. He prayed every day very hard, but never won. Eventually he died and went to heaven. He saw God and asked, “Why didn’t you ever let me win the lottery?” God replied, “Give me a break. You could have at least bought a lottery ticket!”

It’s fun. Just don’t spend more than you can afford to lose.

The odds of winning are the same, however the odds of needing to share the prize are higher if you choose numbers in a pattern, rather than randomly.

People know that they won’t win but hope springs eternal….

For years, I avoided the lottery

Because I would probably lose.

I then learned a much better reason:

The jackpot is mostly bad news.

I might enjoy wealth for a while

But not know the way to invest

A windfall beyond what I’m used to;

My choices might not be the best.

Most winners spend more than they ought to

And run out of dough in two years.

Perhaps it was fun while it lasted,

But often it all ends in tears.

And even the ones who save wisely

Or donate to laudable drives

Face greedy relations and strangers,

Who might end up taking their lives.

Oh, sometimes they find satisfaction;

Guess that’s where the real gamble lies.

I’d rather win nothing for nothing

Than take a big chance on the prize.

Lotteries are taxes on people who are bad at math.

As my father used to say, lotteries are a tax on people who don’t understand statistics.

Next, why in the Monty Hall problem you should always change your original door selection !

There have been times in my life when things just seem hopeless – this, too, shall pass, but when?

If I could spare a dollar or two, I’d get a lottery ticket. For a few days, I would daydream about what I could solve with the money, maybe have some left over for a bit of fun.

I never won much, mostly nothing at all. But I relaxed a bit, got through the rough patch, things got better again.

Cheaper than going to a therapist, too!