What the hell?

Numbers

So I'm not smart enough to read the Long Island newspaper to discern winning Lotto numbers. Having just explained this to a friend on the phone and then with my family after dinner, I'm still puzzled.

Saturdays we usually pick up a ticket and check Sunday. So I look in Newsday (not the most worldly of papers) and rip out the corner that applies. The lotto quick pick we purchased has two games for a buck. There are six numbers per game.

Scanning the games played the 22nd we have:

• Midday New York Numbers - 325
  
• Midday New York Win 4- 3098
  
• New York Numbers - 364
  
• New York Win 4 - 2429
  
• New York Pick 10 - 3,8,9,11,12,20,23,29,30,36,44,58,59,60,62,63,70,74,75,76
  
• New Jersey Pick 3 - 177
  
• New Jersey Pick 4 - 3081
  
• New Jersey Cash 5 - 3,7,25,33,38
  
• New Jersey Lotzee - 26,52,56,73

The numbers for the previous day are also listed beneath this jumble. This I understand.

We purchased the ticket in LI. So NJ numbers are out.
(WTH is Lotzee anyway?)

I have only two-digit numbers and six per game. So that leaves New York Pick 10 in the running. But even if you add my two games (which are separate entities) I'd have twelve numbers, not ten.

WTH?

So online I go. (Thank goodness for computers)

We matched one number out of the two games. Easy to figure out. Darn. Zilch. Try again next time.

Here's what must only suck for the person who did win on Saturday. (No Jackpot Prize Winners in the $9,000,000.00 Drawing) They matched 5 out of 6 numbers and?

Second prize. Sounds promising right?

Second prize pays $88,696.00.

I am by no means scoffing at nearly 90K before taxes for a one dollar bet. But to come *so* close and miss millions? Yowzer.

posted by irene @ 2/25/2003 07:00:00 PM