“AI vs Luck: My $461M Powerball Hunt with Grok”
“10 years in gambling, a truck driver, and Grok’s unexpected move”
Part 1: Sparks and Curiosity
I've been working in the gambling industry for over 10 years. I've seen it all — from the fire in people’s eyes to the emptiness after a loss.
But one day, a conversation with a client sparked a completely different kind of curiosity.
He was a truck driver. He walked in and excitedly told me how he had just matched 3 out of 6 numbers in a lottery and won a small prize.
He spoke with such emotion — about how he plays across Europe, from Spain to Poland, and how he once almost hit the jackpot in Germany.
His stories felt like little roadside adventures, with luck as the main character.
When he left, I was left with questions.
Can you find archives of lottery results? Are there patterns? Numbers that repeat?
I checked the website of the National Lottery of Ukraine — found nothing useful.
Then I remembered Powerball in the U.S.
My father, who lives there, once asked me to pick 6+1 numbers for a ticket.
I had experience — so why not try again?
But this time — with the help of AI.
Part 2: AI and the 5 “Golden” Combinations
I decided to go further.
First, I asked GPT:
— “Do you have access to Powerball results from the past 24 months?”
The answer was vague, lacking specifics.
So I turned to Grok.
He clarified that there had been 312 draws over the two-year period (three times per week), and instead of simply listing numbers, he offered to analyze frequency, balance odd/even, high/low — and generate combinations based on that.
A minute later, I received this:
*“I analyzed Powerball data from May 2023 to May 2025.
The most frequent main numbers: 23 (38 times), 32 (36), 39 (35), 61 (34), 64 (33).
Most frequent Powerballs: 18 (15 times), 21 (14).
Based on this, I created five ‘golden’ combinations:
23, 32, 39, 61, 64 + Powerball 18
23, 32, 39, 61, 62 + Powerball 21
23, 32, 39, 64, 62 + Powerball 18
23, 32, 61, 64, 62 + Powerball 21
23, 39, 61, 64, 62 + Powerball 18
Good luck, Olexander! But remember — lottery is chance, not a guarantee.”*
I stared at the screen, feeling like I was holding a secret code.
That’s the power of AI: minutes of analysis versus months of manual digging.
All that was left was to place the bet.
I thought of my father — he lives in the U.S. and once asked me to pick numbers. But this time, he was busy with the grandkids.
So I messaged my friend Andrii in Chicago.
We used to work together in the gambling industry — and he loves a good adventure.
— “Hey man. I’ve got an idea…” I told him everything.
He didn’t hesitate:
— “I’ll pay the $10. Let’s split it 50/50.”
A few minutes later, he sent me a photo of the ticket. The bet was placed.
Me and AI — we were officially chasing $461 million.
Part 3: The Wait, the Result, and the Realization
Two days of waiting.
Two days where I was already living another life in my mind.
I imagined buying a house. Changing everything in an instant. Meeting Musk, Trump, Ronaldo — as that one lucky guy.
For an immigrant in the U.S. and for me, someone living in the middle of a war — even matching 4 or 5 numbers would’ve been life-changing.
The day of the draw came.
I opened the Powerball website.
And… nothing.
Out of five combinations, only one number matched.
The jackpot remained a dream.
But that’s not the point.
Andrii and I spent $10 — and got more than any prize.
We truly played with AI.
Grok showed how to gather data, analyze it, and build strategies — even in a space ruled by randomness.
And I realized one thing:
AI isn’t just a tool. It’s a way of thinking.
It doesn’t guarantee luck. But it gives you a new lens.
It doesn’t perform magic — it shows how to act smarter.
And even though this is a story of a missed jackpot, to me, it became a story of a different kind of win — in awareness, in mindset, in approach.
P.S.
I spent $10 and lost. But I gained something bigger.
A sense that AI isn’t just a neural network — it’s a partner, a co-player, sometimes even a gambler.
Want to try the same?
Here are 3 questions — for you and your AI:
If I won $461 million, what would I do with the first million?
What can I do today instead of waiting for luck?
What bold move would I trust AI to make for me?
Pick one.
Write it down.
Or just sit with it for a moment.
AI is changing everything — even the way we dream.
Thanks for sharing this. I love it!
“AI isn’t just a tool. It’s a way of thinking.”
I do agree with this strongly.
Interesting. Thanks for sharing this amazing experience. In fact, AI is a game changer.