[ExI] never say never

[Damien Broderick]

I said I was abandoning this dialogue, but what the hell...

On 6/30/2010 1:12 AM, John Clark wrote:
>
>> How often are the winning numbers posted?
>
> In Florida it's twice a day.
>>
>> Have you got links to sites where there's more precise information on
>> numbers of players betting, payouts, etc?
>
> I'd like to introduce you to a wonderful new invention, it's called
> "Google".

So not even the courtesy of a few search terms. Okay, I assume you're 
talking about a Florida game called Cash 3. If so, here's an interesting 
fact:

<http://www.flalottery.com/inet/games-cash3Main.do>

<...the Lottery has established a $10 million liability limit for Cash 3 
for any particular three-digit number for each drawing. Should any three 
digit combination (for example 777) be purchased often enough in a 
single drawing that would result in the liability limit being exceeded, 
the Lottery will "cut off" further sales of that specific number 
combination. In addition, no Front Pair or Back Pair that involves the 
first two or last two digits, respectively, of the three-digit number 
will be allowed for that drawing.>

So even if a quarter of the population of Florida was suddenly struck 
with psychic powers and all saw the winning number, they wouldn't be 
able to make more than a certain dent in the distribution.

Secondly, as I predicted, 333 is highly favored--and so are other 
triples: "The last time 777 hit, Dec. 3, 2006, there were 18,542 people 
with winning tickets worth a total of $4,545,275."

In the latest results posted, I find these numbers of winners and their 
payouts:

7-2-9  	1,547  	$239,810.00

6-6-4  	952  	$165,285.00

With that sort of extreme volatility, it might be difficult to calculate 
just how many winners to expect, even with the mandatory cut-off that 
effectively prevents the data from telling us how many people really 
wanted to select certain combinations.

A quick search has not found a comprehensive formal statistical study of 
the results. But you, John, must of course have this information at your 
fingertips, since you are so certain what it contains.

Damien Broderick