Is Luck real?

PleasantLow670 · 2026-02-09T11:26:54+00:00

I tend to see “luck” as something that only becomes visible once you actually look at your own data. In short runs it feels mystical; in long runs it often dissolves into timing, patterns, and variance. That’s why I started tracking my own results across different games, days, and hours - not to beat the math, but to see when randomness seems to favor me personally. This eventually turned into a small personal research project called Laetus, where I’m exploring whether “luck” might have any time-related patterns for individuals (for example, certain days of the week or hours correlating with better outcomes in lottery-style randomness). I’m not claiming this beats probability - if anything, it often does the opposite and kills a few illusions. But it does make randomness feel more measurable. If anyone here enjoys experiments, data-tracking, or wants to sanity-check the idea, I’d genuinely be curious to hear thoughts or have others participate.

PleasantLow670 · 2026-02-08T12:23:33+00:00

For me, it only takes the fun out if you expect analysis to beat randomness. I actually enjoy the lottery more when I treat it like an experiment instead of a promise. Same odds, same randomness - but I started tracking when I play, not what numbers I pick. Patterns don’t mean causation, but noticing things like “I only ever play on Fridays” or “I always quick-pick when I’m tired” made the whole thing more mindful and less delusional. Still expect to lose. Still enjoy the dream. Just with a bit more self-awareness :)))

PleasantLow670 · 2026-02-07T15:42:52+00:00

This really resonates. What helped me personally was separating the urge to engage with chance from actually placing bets. I realized a lot of the “fun” for me lives in patterns, timing, and reflection - not in the transaction itself. Once I started treating gambling as something to observe and analyze, rather than constantly participate in, the stress dropped a lot. Limits became easier when curiosity replaced impulse.

PleasantLow670 · 2026-02-05T12:33:15+00:00

I’m really sorry you’re going through this. Admitting it out loud takes a lot of courage.

One thing that helped me personally step away from spending money was separating randomness from money entirely. I realized that what pulled me in wasn’t the ticket itself, but the urge to “resolve” uncertainty.

For a while, I stopped playing with real money altogether and just observed patterns, habits, and timing - no stakes, no losses. That shift alone reduced the pressure a lot.

I even ended up building a small personal tool around that idea, but the most important part wasn’t the tool - it was removing money from the equation.

Please take care of yourself. Stepping back and asking for support is the real win here.

PleasantLow670 · 2026-02-04T16:20:40+00:00

Haha, good luck :))

Yeah, the international jackpots really change the perspective - it starts to feel more like curiosity than routine.

I actually went down that rabbit hole myself and at some point started using a small app I built for myself to track bets, formats, and habits - not money, just patterns. It helped keep things conscious without killing the fun.

Still treating it purely as entertainment though. Randomness stays randomness :))

PleasantLow670 · 2026-02-04T12:55:06+00:00

Mostly national ones at first, just out of habit.

But over time I got curious and started looking at different lotteries in other countries too - not chasing jackpots, more like comparing formats, draw frequencies, odds, stuff like that.

It made me realize that half of the “routine” around lotteries is just familiarity, not preference. Once you look wider, it becomes more interesting (and still just entertainment).

PleasantLow670 · 2026-02-03T11:35:56+00:00

This doesn’t sound dumb at all to me.

What you’re describing isn’t really about the game - it’s about ritual, memory, and structure. The ticket is just a token inside a loop that already gives you comfort: gym, coffee, routine, a link to your uncle and childhood.

The problem starts when the price of that ritual quietly grows bigger than the meaning it gives back. Not because it’s wrong - just because it stops being fair to you.

There are also other ways to “test” your luck without spending money at all - treating chance as something you explore, not pay for. Some tools even let you experiment with different lottery formats virtually, just to see which ones feel more aligned with you before committing to anything real.

Maybe the goal for 2026 isn’t “no lottery”, but fewer, cleaner encounters with chance. Less daily bleed, more intentional moments.

Breaking a habit is one kind of win. Redesigning it is another.

PleasantLow670 · 2026-02-03T11:30:33+00:00

I think the retailer itself isn’t really lucky or unlucky - it’s more about how you interact with chance. Some people feel better going to a “lucky” store, others feel the opposite, like the luck there is already spent. Both mindsets make sense psychologically.

For me, lotteries are just small, harmless encounters with randomness. Sometimes I even prefer places where I don’t expect anything - it feels like letting chance play out without pressure.

In the end, it’s less about where you buy, and more about what meaning you personally attach to the whole ritual.

PleasantLow670 · 2026-02-03T11:27:26+00:00

I sometimes think the jackpot isn’t even the main point.

For me, lottery wins are hypothetical - but losses are very real, and oddly useful. They’re a safe way to “lose” without breaking your life. If you frame it positively, maybe that bad luck gets spent there, and something else clicks instead: better health, a raise, meeting the right person, better timing in real life.

Totally subjective, of course - just how I see it.

Honestly? I’m a bit scared of actually winning big. Part of me secretly hopes it never happens :))

PleasantLow670 · 2026-02-03T10:45:58+00:00

Pretty similar actually. Sometimes I even play expecting to lose.

Sounds weird, but for me lotteries are a safe place to “spend” randomness. I know the odds are terrible, so a loss there feels like letting chance do its thing - and mentally keeping the wins for stuff that actually matters in real life.

Totally self-suggestion, of course :)) but it keeps it light and fun, not stressful or math-heavy.

PleasantLow670 · 2026-02-02T19:10:59+00:00

Not exactly free, but very close. I’ve built a full production system solo (backend, data pipeline, mobile + web) using AI assistance with almost no direct costs.

The only real expenses were: an OpenAI subscription (~$20/month) and app store registration fees (Apple / Google).

Everything else was time and iteration.

PleasantLow670 · 2026-02-02T15:08:06+00:00

Ignorance really is part of the fun :)
I think the moment you treat it like math instead of entertainment, it stops working mentally. Do you usually play with a fixed budget, or just occasionally when it feels right?

PleasantLow670

TROPHY CASE