Stats:

Current Total Losses:   -51.00 dollars

Hangovers = poor impulse control

Really not feeling so hot this morning. Made it to brunch with Dan and the two mimosas didn't have the effect I was hoping for. Instead, in a boozy haze I ended up at that street stand that I blogged about previously. There were two nice ladies ahead of me turning in their winning scratchers and obviously buying more with the winnings helloooo addiction. The lady before me bought a "take 5" quick pick for tonight and one for tomorrow night. I copied her and did the same. Might as well try out a different form of lotto. Couldn't dig in without buying an exorbitant amount of cashwords, however. Went for the $10.00 ticket as well as 2 $5.00 tickets and a $2.00 ticket. That's 24 dollars in total in case your wondering (including those quick picks which I intend on winning). Good news! I didn't lose every single ticket which seems to be the trend since I started the blog. I won $10.00 on one of the $5.00 tickets and my money back on the $2.00 one. That is a grand total of $12.00. So I won half of my money back. Not so great, but better than losing $24.00. I will be back to report that I won the quick pick, you just wait and see. 

Natalie from NoVa

This is a letter I received from my dear friend Natalie who lives in the wretched state of Virginia. Enclosed in this letter were two Virginia scratch tickets! How exciting! Getting my mail is starting to be fun again- usually its just filled with crap mail or unpaid bills. I really liked the last part of this letter "p.s. even if you win a dollar you better split those earnings with me." I can literally see and hear those words coming out of Natalie's mouth. That's the deal with this mailing me scratch tickets from other states (yes there should be 2 on their way from California thank you Conor and Tess) if I win anything, I mail back the ticket and split the winnings with the buyer. Yes Natalie if I win a dollar you will be obligated to send me 50 cents in the mail. In other words, YOU better split those earnings with ME.

This is the first ticket in Natalie's gift. It is a one dollar scratcher called 7 come 11 which I find hilarious in itself. Welp, unfortunately 7 didn't come and neither did 11. Maybe they just weren't in the mood.

On to Money Tree. Here you are required to uncover acorns in order to win any cash. My money tree had a rose, a lemon, a banana, a bundle of grapes, a bell (didn't know you could grow a bell), an apple, a pineapple, ice cream (?!), a crown, and a cherry. Not one single acorn. Then I scratched the bonus spot where I was hoping to find a squirrel. What did I get? Fire. WTF.

Thanks Nat for the effort but I'm not surprised that Virginia let us down. I don't think I won a single scratch ticket in my 8 months living there. Maybe DC or Maryland has better luck.

Random Loss

Just bought another blue one.  Thought maybe because it was a random bodega in the east village my luck would be different.  I'm boycotting the blue from here on out.

Next post is for Natalie Waggaman...got your VA scratchies in the mail today will post in detail later.

Tack negative 3 onto the total losses.

Help from the Internet (getting desperate here)

http://www.theatlantic.com/personal/archive/2011/02/how-i-beat-scratch-off-lottery-tickets/70686/

Joshua Green, a columnist writes about his strategy for winning scratch tickets (click link above).  Too bad I don't work at a 7/11.  I also don't really feel like hanging out with scratchers more degenerate than I.  Probably a bad influence. 

Slingo Gold

This is bingo.  Not sure why they called it Slingo but that's besides the point.  This ticket was kindly purchased for me by my boyfriend (thanks Dan) when we were visiting Rhode Island.  Turns out the Rhode Island Lottery sucks just as much as all of the other states.  Slingo was a no-go and the losing streak persists. At least the liquor store that sold us the ticket also had a nice box of sangria for me to drink.  

I'm not including this is my losing/winning numbers because technically I did not buy it. 

A different Approach

In an attempt to beat the losing streak I shelled out $10.00 on one ticket.  The odds of winning are generally better the more you spend on an individual ticket.  Not this dog.  Zero.  The bonus puzzle (smaller one to the middle-right) is always crap.  Never in all of my years scratching have I won the bonus puzzle or the bonus word for that matter.  It's just there to lure you in.  Witchery. 

-$36.00 FML

Binge

This little setup here is located on 2nd ave between 79th and 80th.  It torments me every time I go out to run an errand.  You will notice some bystanders who also gave into the call of the New York Lotto.  Hope that's not me in 40 years.  Anyway, I went on a binge and bought $13.00 worth of tickets in one go.  My thought process was like this:  "If I buy six tickets instead of the normal one or two, I will at least win my money back on one of them."  Moral of the story: lotto binge will not help you break the bad luck cycle.  

I have now lost $26.00 

Stats:

Right now I am $13.00 in the hole since I started this blog...just wanted to clarify.

10 for NY
3 for CT
0 for moi

Broken Dreams

Well, this is all I've got from the past two weeks or so. At least it feels like 2 weeks. Thought I would try my luck on a Bingo scratcher because it is time consuming (like the cashword) and rewarding just to play...even if you lose like I did.  Blue NY cashword...dud.  I have been having especially bad luck with those blue guys but I keep coming back to them like a pathetic abused spouse. Also mixed up the variety with some "loose change" $1 tickets.  These ones give you cent amounts and they have to add up to a dollar or more, or else you lose. One of them added up to 92 cents (tease) and the other 72 cents. Thanks NY lotto for continuing to eat my soul and my paycheck. Really hurting for a winner.

NY lotto +6
Me         -6