BC Man Wins Same Lottery - Twice

[Minnie]

A Surrey man is a winner of the largest Canadian lotto jackpot not just the once - but twice.

He has played the same numbers for 35 years, and bought two tickets with the same numbers, which is his habit. That's earned him half of the $63M jackpot from the April draw that also saw winners in Alberta (Okotoks) and Vancouver.

For the past six weeks, Harry Black has been walking around with more than $31 million stashed in his wallet.

More than a month after the largest single jackpot in Canadian lottery history, Black came forward to accept his prize: not one, but two cheques worth $15.8 million each. He said he had been keeping the winning tickets in his back pocket since the draw on April 13.

"In my wallet. Because who's gonna take it from me?" said the mustachioed 66-year-old.

The Surrey man said he has played the same numbers for 35 years, with a habit of buying a pair of tickets with identical numbers. Now, his strategy of doubling down has paid off, with what BC Lottery Corporation vice president of lottery gaming Kevin Gass described a "about a gazillion to one" shot of claiming two prizes on such a massive jackpot.

Somebody has the horseshoe firmly lodged up his butt.

[Hemi-Cuda]

I don't understand buying two tickets with the same numbers. If he only had the one ticket, wouldn't he get the same payout in a single larger cheque?

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

I don't understand buying two tickets with the same numbers. If he only had the one ticket, wouldn't he get the same payout in a single larger cheque?

No, with one ticket he'd have gotten 1/3 of the jackpot, as he'd have 1 of 3 winning tickets.

With 2 tickets he had 2 of 4 winning tickets, so he get's half of the pot instead.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by Bring_Back_Shantz

No, with one ticket he'd have gotten 1/3 of the jackpot, as he'd have 1 of 3 winning tickets.

With 2 tickets he had 2 of 4 winning tickets, so he get's half of the pot instead.

[Ozy_Flame]

These threads are depressing.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

These threads are depressing.

What are you talking about? Isn't that what everybody makes annually in the oil and gas industry these days?

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

These threads are depressing.

I don't view the thread as such. I used to watch that show on TLC about the lifestyle of lottery winners and how for most normal people it actually ended up ruining their lives. Mostly due to the amount of harassment by family members, friends, and the general public looking to leach money combined with their own inability to control themselves after winning such a big jackpot. I'm not saying that if I won the lottery I would turn it down, but I can see it's probably not all that it's cracked up to be. I can envision my life being just as satisfying without lottery winnings.

[Kavvy]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

I don't view the thread as such. I used to watch that show on TLC about the lifestyle of lottery winners and how for most normal people it actually ended up ruining their lives. Mostly due to the amount of harassment by family members, friends, and the general public looking to leach money combined with their own inability to control themselves after winning such a big jackpot. I'm not saying that if I won the lottery I would turn it down, but I can see it's probably not all that it's cracked up to be. I can envision my life being just as satisfying without lottery winnings.

I agreed with your post until I read this line:

"I can envision my life being just as satisfying without lottery winnings"

[blankall]

The Surrey man said he has played the same numbers for 35 years, with a habit of buying a pair of tickets with identical numbers. Now, his strategy of doubling down has paid off, with what BC Lottery Corporation vice president of lottery gaming Kevin Gass described a "about a gazillion to one" shot of claiming two prizes on such a massive jackpot.

Amazing that the vice president of the Lottery Commission has such poor understanding of how probability works. The odds of two tickets winning are exactly the same as the odds of one ticket winning. He is purposely picking the same number...he's only betting on one number.

Now, if he'd one two seperate numbers, then the gazillion to one comments might be warranted.

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by Muta

Isn't that what everybody makes annually in the oil and gas industry these days?

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

I used to watch that show on TLC about the lifestyle of lottery winners and how for most normal people it actually ended up ruining their lives.

Clearly people making oil and gas industry money are screwed.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by blankall

Amazing that the vice president of the Lottery Commission has such poor understanding of how probability works. The odds of two tickets winning are exactly the same as the odds of one ticket winning. He is purposely picking the same number...he's only betting on one number.

Now, if he'd one two seperate numbers, then the gazillion to one comments might be warranted.

I think that the odds of someone buying two identical tickets are like a sextillion to one though. I have never heard of someone intentionally picking two of the identical numbers... well ever.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

I think that the odds of someone buying two identical tickets are like a sextillion to one though. I have never heard of someone intentionally picking two of the identical numbers... well ever.

Never, until now. Unless I'm reading it wrong, that's exactly what he did, and has done for years.

Maybe he's forgetful. Maybe he accidentally bought two tickets with the same numbers for the same draw many years ago and won $100 on each ticket, and decided that was his lucky thing. Who knows.


The only way this was any more unlikely than winning it once would be if he bought two different sets of Quick Pick tickets, and ended up with the same set of numbers on each ticket, and that set of numbers ended up being the winner. That would be overcoming astronomical odds.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by chemgear

Clearly people making oil and gas industry money are screwed.

A couple years ago, me and my friends got pulled off the street into a party at Flames Central by a couple dudes in suits.

They covered all our drinks and any food. They were told they had a budget of $30K to spend that night, and had to spend all of it. They were in oil and gas, and relatively young 20 somethings.

... The decadence in that industry in this city is just mind-blowing. Something I'll never understand.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by Muta

A couple years ago, me and my friends got pulled off the street into a party at Flames Central by a couple dudes in suits.

They covered all our drinks and any food. They were told they had a budget of $30K to spend that night, and had to spend all of it. They were in oil and gas, and relatively young 20 somethings.

... The decadence in that industry in this city is just mind-blowing. Something I'll never understand.

Pretty sure that's not an O&G thing, but rather a unique story about a 'couple of idiots in suits' thing. Sure Oil and Gas employees generally make more than their counterparts in other industries, but it's not like your Ferrari is waiting for you in the underground parking when you sign on.
EDIT: I read that post again, and it would make sense to me from the context of a party being held at Flames central that had a minimum amount negotiated with the venue to secure their reservation and then inviting you guys in to partake when it became appaerent they were not going to reach that minimum. If that was the context then I've seen something similar to that before.

[Coys1882]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

These threads are depressing.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

Pretty sure that's not an O&G thing, but rather a unique story about a 'couple of idiots in suits' thing. Sure Oil and Gas employees generally make more than their counterparts in other industries, but it's not like your Ferrari is waiting for you in the underground parking when you sign on.
EDIT: I read that post again, and it would make sense to me from the context of a party being held at Flames central that had a minimum amount negotiated with the venue to secure their reservation and then inviting you guys in to partake when it became appaerent they were not going to reach that minimum. If that was the context then I've seen something similar to that before.

Your Ferrari comment is interesting, given that there's quite a number of them driving around downtown where the major of companies are likely energy-based.

I ran into a guy that works for Conoco Phillips yesterday... he works for two weeks on, two weeks off. They pay for his condo and his ride while he's working here, and give him $1200 for food per month on top of that ($1200!!! how much money do you need in a month for food!! Christ!!). Then, they pay for his flights to and from his home in Halifax every two weeks.

Is this type of spending normal?

And, I don't think parties like the one I described is a one-off thing. It's obviously not all the time, but it's certainly not surprising.

You should see what the company my gf works for does... and what the company her sister works for does. I won't name company names, but wow... the benefits are just borderline ridiculous.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Muta

Your Ferrari comment is interesting, given that there's quite a number of them driving around downtown where the major of companies are likely energy-based.

I ran into a guy that works for Conoco Phillips yesterday... he works for two weeks on, two weeks off. They pay for his condo and his ride while he's working here, and give him $1200 for food per month on top of that ($1200!!! how much money do you need in a month for food!! Christ!!). Then, they pay for his flights to and from his home in Halifax every two weeks.

Is this type of spending normal?

And, I don't think parties like the one I described is a one-off thing. It's obviously not all the time, but it's certainly not surprising.

You should see what the company my gf works for does... and what the company her sister works for does. I won't name company names, but wow... the benefits are just borderline ridiculous.

Honestly in travelling situation, your going to be eating out a lot more than the average person. $1,200.00 is high, but not out of control. Many lawyers I know are given an expense account of up to $30 and a taxi if they work past X time. The $1,200 would be in the normal range for that kind of corporte expense.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by blankall

Honestly in travelling situation, your going to be eating out a lot more than the average person. $1,200.00 is high, but not out of control. Many lawyers I know are given an expense account of up to $30 and a taxi if they work past X time. The $1,200 would be in the normal range for that kind of corporte expense.

That makes sense... the dude is only here for two weeks out of a month, but he's technically living here. $600 a week is pretty damn generous for two weeks in a location where he actually resides, and not 'hoteling' it.

[Ozy_Flame]

About $60 per diem, which is about normal from $1200.

Still, they're paying for him to eat while he's not working and at home in Halifax. Seems like a nice deal.