“Somebody Has to Win” – Words of an Accelerated Statistics Professor

Occasionally, I like to stress how important statistics are, especially having a good understanding of probability and combinations. It’s at the very core of lottery. Those who have a good understanding in these areas have the edge, the advantage to win the lottery. Mathematicians tend to dislike the lottery due to the high level of uncertainty. However, this is the first time in lottery history, a statistician who won the lottery, $100,000, to give a lesson in regards to how to win the lottery. Bear in mind, some of these are not my words. It’s his words, the words of Nick Kapoor, a professor who teaches Accelerated Statistics. As it seems, he’s keen on lottery statistics as well.

He Defied the Words of His Teacher – “No One Should Ever Play”

3 years before Nick actually bought his $15 winning ticket, he attended a class in statistics. His teacher loved to give examples that include the lottery. However, the point he was always trying to prove was that “no one should ever play”. The chances are slim to win. Yes, we are all aware of that. Fortunately for our academically educated lottery winner, Nick Kapoor, he had the perfect come back to which his teacher couldn’t reply. “Somebody has to win.” Nick was right. He was so right that he won the lottery, 3 years later. Kapoor cashed in the $100,000 check, he still is teaching statistics and he is still playing the lottery. As he says, he will never stop, because this is the only way to test nature’s law and beat the odds.

Somebody Has to Win – Play to Win

He got that right. One thing is for certain, at least one person has to win the jackpot. It can be you, but you have to buy a ticket. That’s the only condition. Considering the fact that any combination of numbers has theoretically the same chances of being the winning one, all players are in the same basket. In practice, it’s a totally different story. No two players are alike. Each player comes with its own background, experience, skill set, etc.

However, somebody has to win. But, as our friend Nick Kapoor states, play to win. If you don’t play you have zero chance of winning. Bear in mind, this is a statistician that says you should play to win. He won, you can win as well.  Yes, he has the background that gives him the advantage to win the lottery, which means you can train yourself with a bit of extra effort. Lottery statistics is not all that difficult; it just takes some time to understand it. The learning curve is huge.

How Did Nick Kapoor Manage to Win the Lottery?

You’re probably expecting some sort of special system that allows you to win the lottery in a matter of couple of draws. You’re so wrong. Nick Kapoor, despite being an experienced and skilled statistician with advanced knowledge of probability, buys one ticket per week at the local gas station.

What about the numbers? Common number combinations, like you have on your ticket. However, he makes sure the numbers are legit. He avoids birth date numbers, impossible consecutive numbers, etc. So he still follows the no, no rules when it comes to the lottery.

Furthermore, believe it or not, but Nick won the lottery using the quick pick option. Nope, no lottery statistics applied. As weird as it sounds, he put his trust in consistency. He didn’t play the same numbers over and over again; instead he played every draw, different numbers. Personally, I don’t like this approach, but he’s the professor in accelerated statistics, not me. As it seems, even the quick pick option increases your chances of winning by 100% than not buying a ticket. It’s better to use the quick pick, than to not play at all. “Play to win, somebody has to win!”

1 in a 1,000,000 is Still a Chance – Nick Kapoor Beat the Odds

In theory, that’s true. But, time and time again, I have pointed out several important tips that significantly improve your chances of winning. Maybe Nick applied some of them, but he prefers to keep them a secret. Regardless, I’m honestly happy for him. $100,000 is a decent amount of money; enough to keep you care free for a couple of years, if you already have a steady income.

Nick said he won’t stop playing the lottery. It’s not because he won already, as he says, even he didn’t win he would’ve kept playing. He likes it; a person who is keen on mathematics actually is into a lottery. In all honesty, I still can’t digest this, but it’s a fact.

I usually test other people’s approaches by copying them, and improving them a bit, to fit the lottery I play. I will definitely try buying premium lottery tickets. After all, this is the only way to significantly boost your chances of winning. Lottery statistics is an area I’m keen on.

In Nick’s Words – The Lottery Is an Extra, Not Everybody Can Afford It

This. It’s the harsh truth. Lottery should be just an extra, not a live achievement you should pursue. There are some full time lottery players, but they have little big scale operations behind them. They’re not playing the lottery by themselves. Furthermore, they didn’t get to the point overnight. Instead, they’ve invested time and money, they’ve networked with other people to reduce the risk.

As Nick Kapoor says, not everybody can afford playing the lottery. Those who can, support the country, but they also have that slim chance to actually win their share back, hopefully changing their lives around for the better. I admire him for this. It’s not that every lottery winner keeps his modesty as a feature. When people praise him for winning the lottery, he says he didn’t do much. It’s not like he says there’s some mystery that needs to be unraveled. Kudos to you Nick Kapoor.