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Article
Lucky numbers: Choice strategies in the Pennsylvania Daily Number game
Faculty Journal Articles
  • Andrea R Halpern, Bucknell University
  • Scott D Devereaux
Publication Date
1-1-1989
Description
Examined the amount of money bet during a week of Pennsylvania's Daily Number game. In this game, players receive a predetermined payoff for picking the 3-digit number (000 to 999) drawn on that day. The betting distribution was distinctly nonuniform. Several betting patterns were identified, such as picking triples and avoiding double 9s. In addition, 121 adults and 215 students were asked to rate selected numbers for randomness, luckiness, and perceived history of winning; to categorize numbers; and to free associate to numbers. It is proposed that people seem to choose highly patterned, available, and/or "lucky" numbers. People apparently do not bet numbers that reflect the random process of the game (do not utilize a representativeness heuristic).
Disciplines
Journal
Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society
Department
Psychology
Citation Information
Andrea R Halpern and Scott D Devereaux. "Lucky numbers: Choice strategies in the Pennsylvania Daily Number game" Vol. 27 (1989) p. 167 - 170
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/andrea_halpern/39/