Update 10.30.09 : Where to watch your balls.

Powerballs that is. Yesterday it was announced that KARK NBC4 will be the station that will locally air the Powerball drawings at 9:59PM On Wednesdays and Saturdays. The drawings are held at the Universal Studios in Orlando (Mickeyland) Florida.

Powerball.com go ahead, go there, take a look at the Powerball odds, go ahead, they're right there off the front page, I'll wait... RIDICULOUS aren't they? You are better off at buying a scratcher for a prize totaling $100 or more! Don't believe me? Approximate odds to win a $100 prize or more.

• $2 Arkansas Riches, 1 in 2557
• $2 Jumbo Bucks, 1 in 1808
• $2 Money Madness, 1 in 1209
• $2 Crazy 8's, 1 in 13310 (why I was never huge on this card!)
• Powerball starts at 1 in 13,644! for a $100 Prize!

 So play Powerball alone at your own risk, realizing you will never see that cash again. The reason I say alone, is that Powerball teams, are definitely the way to go to play this Multi-State Lottery. Where people pool their money together, buy a large amount of tickets and then find some fair and equitable way to split the winnings. You are going to want as many tickets in the game as possible to bring those astronomical odds down, to at least the Stratosphere anyhoo!

Card Recommendations remain right where they are. Here is a small update, On November 10th the new slate of scratchers come out, for $10 you can buy a chance at $500,000! Posted Odds on the back of the card for the $500,000 prize? 1 in 1,000,000 (even!) Good Luck this weekend, I'll see you all at the Powerball Party (maybe)

10.28.09: It's a party and you're invited.

It seems that there is going to be a Powerball party at the River Market Halloween night starting at 9:00 pm. There will be music, refreshments, and spins on a prize wheel (If you buy $5 worth of scratchers). Culminating at around 10:15pm when they will drop a big Powerball a la Times Square and you can start purchasing tickets. I don't know, I might go, it may be worth it to see the whole spectacle in person. If you are done trick-or-treating and the little crumb munchers are in bed, might be a good place to waste an hour of your time.

Crazy 8's ($2) has been shedding top prizes like crazy! Not only has its $18,888 Top Prize gone cold but its second tier $500 Prize has gone cold as well. Ignore this card. The $2 Money Madness card has also shed two of its top prizes, recommendation further downgraded to MILD BUY from BUY. The $2 Jumbo Bucks is still the best value on the board. We have heard rumors of another $100,000 winner from the $5 $100,000 Cash Bonanza card, but until it is official on the site, it is just hearsay as far as I am concerned.

And here we are, at day 30 of this experiment called the Arkansas Lottery. As of my current number run it has given out $26.5M in prizes, averaging about $890K a day. A poll came out yesterday reporting that fully half of Arkansans are just too pure of thought and mind (or just really smart probably) to ever think of buying one of those (scoff) lottery tickets. Well fine there Mr. Stick-up-your-arse, more for us sinners out here!

Update 10.27.09: New Top Recommendation

Looking at this morning's numbers I am downgrading the $2 Money Madness from STRONG BUY to BUY. I am upgrading the $2 Jumbo Bucks from MILD BUY to STRONG BUY. It is my official recommendation right now as the scratcher to buy.

10.27.09: Date Update

Here are the upcoming important dates for the Arkansas Lottery

OCTOBER 31st 10pm: Powerball tickets go on sale for the first time for the next Wednesday's drawing.
NOVEMBER 10th: Release THREE of the scratchers are unleashed. (Including a $3 card that I am keeping a close eye on!)
DECEMBER 10th: Release FOUR of the scratchers are unleashed. (Rumor still has it of a $20, $1,000,000 top prize card in this release)
DECEMBER 14th: Pick 3 daily game starts.
JANUARY 31, 2010: (still unconfirmed) MEGA-MILLIONS tickets go on sale for the Arkansas Lottery.
FEBRUARY 2010: Pick 4 daily game starts.

There was a $25,000 Jumbo Bucks winner yesterday, if the numbers have drastically changed overnight, I will of course have them here.

10.26.09 : Big moves over the weekend

The $2 Crazy 8's game has shed another one of its top prizes over the weekend. This leaves 3 of the 5 top prizes remaining in the game. This is a good reason to IGNORE that card, as the $18,888 prize tier has gone cold! The $2 scratcher to buy still remains in my opinion, the $2 Money Madness card, lots of good prizes remain on that card including its full slate of $18,000 top prizes. Want to try your mojo elsewhere in the $2 tier? The numbers for Jumbo Bucks still look spectacular.

Towards the more Mediterranean Avenue end of the spectrum, the throw-away $1 Money Bags ticket has developed not one but TWO cold spots on it! Both the $50 and $100 tier have shed many of their prizes. It is time to IGNORE this card more than you should already be ignoring it! My first rule of the $1 card tier remains, "Save another dollar and buy a $2 card".

To round out today's update, The $5 $100,000 Cash Bonanza card has developed a hot spot. Right at the top! The $100,000 prize is now hot! It is going to hit any day now, so if you have the $5.00 extra and simply cannot stomach another foot-long, I say go for it!

Remember, Saturday starts Powerball, later in the week I will tell you why that isn't such a big deal.