Nenana Ice Classic: 3-times winner (Fairbanks: buy, high school, calculation)

[RayinAK]

This guy has won the Nenana ice Classic three times already. Amazing!
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - 3 time winner Fairbanks man had a strategy for winning record Ice Classic jackpot (http://www.newsminer.com/view/full_story/18421347/article-3-time-winner--Fairbanks-man-had-a-strategy-for-winning-record-Ice-Classic-jackpot?instance=home_news_window_left_top_1 - broken link)

[cjg5]

Unbelievable! That's quite something, especially considering that you have to get it down to the minute. Then again, the article did say he put in several guesses (enough to cover most of the daylight hours) for the day he predicted the ice most likely to break.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by cjg5

Unbelievable! That's quite something, especially considering that you have to get it down to the minute. Then again, the article did say he put in several guesses (enough to cover most of the daylight hours) for the day he predicted the ice most likely to break.

It seems that he isolates it to one day, and then covers several hours by the minute.

[starlite9]

Not really a big deal, he buys thousands of dollars in tickets every year. One guy won it something like seven times, spends upwards of $20,000 a year of other peoples money in a pool.

There is only so many minutes you can buy and you corner the board.

What amazes me is when someone buys one ticket and wins! The fact that this guy won by himself is odd though, normally there is a bunch of winners that have to split the pot!

I buy about four tickets a year and came close one year, on my minute the tripod fell over and the ice moved about 50' and stopped... Then 30 minutes the ice went out after moving farther and stopped the clock!

But it is fun to go down to the river and see how your minute is coming along!

[hjrui]

I buy about four tickets a year and came close one year, on my minute the tripod fell over and the ice moved about 50' and stopped... Then 30 minutes the ice went out after moving farther and stopped the clock!http://www.cx-7.info/g.gif

[Moose Whisperer]

Very cool! Congrats to him.

Some interesting observations:

The article says the first time he won was 1979 - he was 22!

Last time he won was 1983, almost 30 years ago. If he spends 4 - 5 grand a year on tickets, he's lucky to have recouped his investment. That's taking quite a chance that you my never see a return.

But good for him...a story of someone actually using his brain and taking initiative to do something.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Moose Whisperer

Very cool! Congrats to him.

Some interesting observations:

The article says the first time he won was 1979 - he was 22!

Last time he won was 1983, almost 30 years ago. If he spends 4 - 5 grand a year on tickets, he's lucky to have recouped his investment. That's taking quite a chance that you my never see a return.

But good for him...a story of someone actually using his brain and taking initiative to do something.

He has spent a few thousands, but he has won plenty. The closes I have been is about one hour, and this year five hours. But I spend around $30.00 each year.

Nevertheless, he has been able to predict the day the ice will break, and that's the hardest part. If one can narrow it to one day, then one can buy at least 12 hours worth of minutes.

[blackzzz01]

Or buy a whole days worth for $3600. I'm only a lowly high school grad (and barely) so there is no way I could figure out all the calculations that go into finding out the exact day the friggin' ice is going to go out.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by blackzzz01

Or buy a whole days worth for $3600. I'm only a lowly high school grad (and barely) so there is no way I could figure out all the calculations that go into fiinding out the exact day the friggin' ice is going to go out.

Too much work driving to Nenana to check the ice and all of that.

[blackzzz01]

And filling out all those tickets would be a nightmare to me. I wish they would make the tickets bigger...I get writers cramp after 10 because you have to write so small.