DDF preview special, feel free to check my math and see if I went wrong anywhere or add other suggestions.IHG is starting a promo called "Priceless Surprises" today (11/15) together with Mastercard.It's intended for mystery prizes for hotel stays, but you can receive prizes even without a hotel stay as per
the official rules.Just register via the link above and then hand print your full name, complete mailing address, day and evening phone numbers, valid email address, member number, the first six (6) digits of a MasterCard, and date of birth on a 3" x 5" piece of paper and mail it in an envelope with proper postage to “IHG and MasterCard® Priceless Surprises® Promotion,” c/o HelloWorld, Inc., P.O. Box 5996, Kalamazoo, MI 49003-5996."
I'd assume a standard 3x5 index card would do the trick.
Within 5 days of them receiving the envelope you will get an email with a free chance to win. The results will be instantly displayed.
All mail-in entries must be handwritten and must be postmarked by February 15, 2016 and received by February 22, 2016. All Game plays must be completed by March 15, 2016 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
You can enter up to 94 times per member/email address.
The Group A prizes are:
-2016 Paris Tennis Tournament Package and $5,000 cash (3 winners, $23,407 ARV)
-Winter in New York City and $6,500 cash (2 winners, $22,016 ARV)
-Priceless New York and $6,000 cash (2 winners, $19,300 ARV)
-Arnold Palmer Invitational Honorary Observer and $5,000 cash (3 winners, $19,826 ARV)
-$2,500 gift card (10 winners)
-1 million IHG points (1 winner, $5,000 ARV)
-Bose Sound Touch 120 home theater system (3 winners, $1,099 ARV)
-Adventure Package (2 winners, $1,050 ARV)
-Sony Package (3 winners, $799 ARV)
-Bose Wave SoundTouch® music systemIV (4 winners, $600 ARV)
-Free Night Stay at IHG Property in the Americas (525 winners, $120 ARV)
-$50 gift card (1,050 winners)
If you don't win one of the Group A prizes above you will win one of the following Group B prizes with the following odds:
-5K IHG points (1:42.86)
-2K IHG points (1:28.57)
-1K IHG points (1:14.29)
-500 IHG points (1:1.18)
If you and your spouse each sent in 94 envelopes (188 total envelopes) and only win Group B prizes the odds are that you'd win:
-4.39 of the 5K prizes (21,950 points)
-6.58 of the 2K prizes (13,160 points)
-13.16 of the 1K prizes (13,160 points)
-159.32 of the 500 prizes (79,660 points)
=127,930 points
Alas those numbers are only adding up to 183.43 prizes instead of 188, so their odds numbers seem a bit off.
But in total you can assume that you'd get roughly 130K points. If you have the absolute worst luck in the world the minimum you would get is 94K points.
With the cash plus points trick you can buy 130K points for $940.
So I ask again. Are you bored enough to fill out 188
handwritten envelopes for approximately $940 worth of points?
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