$600 million is just enough to pique most Americans’ interest.
Photo: Mladen Antonov/AFP/Getty Images
With the Powerball jackpot soaring to an all-time high of $600 million ($37, post-taxes) before Saturday night’s drawing, many co-workers around the country are trying to improve their odds by forming office lottery pools. Office pools can be fun, but be careful — they’ve been known to end up in broken friendships or even lawsuits. Here are ten things you should know to make your office pool run smoothly.
- Make sure that the rules of the pool — how much everyone owes, how many tickets will bought, etc. — are in writing and signed in the blood of each respective pool member.
- Provide each co-worker with a needle with which to prick their fingers.
- If you only have one needle for everyone, make sure to sterilize it with alcohol after each use.
- If you don’t have any alcohol, just rubbing it on your shirt should probably be fine.
- Some co-workers may express uneasiness about joining a blood contract. That kind of negative energy is going to kill your chances. Tell those co-workers they’re out of the pool.
- Once everyone has signed the blood contract, make another, identical blood contract.
- Go to your local Powerball purveyor and purchase your Powerball tickets. Do not get blood on the tickets if you can avoid it.
- In full view of eyewitnesses, place the Powerball tickets and the original blood contract in locked desk drawer.
- Put the duplicate blood contract in an airtight glass bottle filled with dirt. Toss the bottle into a deep body of water.
- In groups of no fewer than three co-workers, take shifts guarding the locked desk drawer containing the Powerball tickets and the original blood contract until the Powerball numbers are revealed.
Now the only thing left to do is wait! Good luck!
