If I gave you a choice between $10 or two $5 scratch tickets, what would you take?

2 $5.

The $10 bill.

Scratch tickets have a tiny chance of returning their worth. Like 1 in 150,000.

The $10 is a sure thing,

Neither.

$10 cash

That’s about three comic books right there. My scratchys would likely turn up nada.

Oh, and I’ll take @ucme‘s $10 as well, since he doesn’t want it.

Is it a choice between a $10 bill or two $5 tickets, or a choice between one $10 ticket or two $5 tickets?

If the $10 is in cash, that option wins hands down. Lottery and scratch tickets aren’t worth their price tag, or else the owners of the business wouldn’t make money. It is just a form of legalized gambling.

Ten dollars cash equals two sweet coffees! I would take the ten dollars.

I’d take the $10. A bird in the hand, and all that stuff.

I misread this question. I thought it was asking if we would take one $10 scratch ticket or 2 $5 scratch tickets. With that I assumed the $10 had the possibility of a bigger payoff. If the choice is $10 cash, most likely I would take the cash. You would have to get me in a wierd moment for me to take the lottery ticket.

Tickets always. Winning is possible. No risk no gain!

Don’t want, need or have any use for illegal tender.

$10, I could take mt honey out for coffee twice at Starbucks with a little bit more than that.

Unless I’m impoverished and need the tenner for food, I’ll take the two $5 tickets and take a chance, insanely small though it is, to win more than $10.

@ucme: How is it illegal if it is given as a gift by @flip86??

Illegal tender in the UK.

It depends on how my finances are at the time. If I only have $15 to both fill my gas tank and feed both my wife and myself for the week, I wouldn’t be in a gambling mood; I’d take the cash.

@jerv That’s exactly what I was thinking. If I had enough cash, the tickets would be OK, but if I needed gas or food, the money would be best.

If the $10 is a gift I wouldn’t be risking any of my own money. I’d take the chance.

I’d take the cash.

Neither because I understand math and probabilities. I’ll gladly take that ten dollars from ya though :P

$2 turned into $30k for me & hubs you nancy’s. You can’t win if you don’t play!

@uberbatman I do understand the math, and while @KNOWITALL is correct that you can’t win if you don’t play, it’s also true that you should never gamble more than you can lose. I consider a chance at a prize to be a luxury, and I consider luxury secondary to survival.

Based on the odds for tickets in my area, I would take the $10 one, as it will have a higher value top prize if it is a winner. Having 2 that are worth $5 each would be silly, because it would only affect the odds a tiny bit, giving you a slightly higher but not worth mentioning chance to win $5, $10 or $25.

I would have a better deal by taking the single $10 ticket, with a chance of 1 million euros, rather than two chances at 250k.

@ucme: Cash given as a gift is illegal in the UK?

Cash. I hate gambling.

@cookieman It’s not a gift, it’s a made up scenario born from a Q&A site, get a grip man.

@everyone, I meant a ten dollar bill.

I would take the ten dollar bill.

I would take the tickets. I have a tiny chance of winning but if I don’t, I’ve not lost anything as they were a gift. I sure wouldn’t waste $10 of my own on scratch tickets though. If I did win though, I would feel obliged to share my winnings with the person who gave me the ticket.