Paul Hamilton, of Hughesville, switches games and wins a $50,000 third-tier Powerball prize.
A Charles County resident, who usually plays Racetrax, decided to play a game with a higher payout and won $50,000. That game was Powerball and Paul Hamilton is walking away all smiles, thanks to a one-number-off match on the Aug. 16 drawing.
Paul confesses he’s had a bit of luck with Racetrax winning a little here and there.
“Everyone says I’m lucky,” he said. So, on Aug. 14, while in a Wawa store in Mechanicsville with his son, he wanted to test his luck with a game that paid out more than Racetrax.
“My son said: ‘Dad, you’re lucky. You should try Powerball,’” he recounted Sept. 5 when claiming his prize at Lottery headquarters in Baltimore.
Heeding his son’s advice, Paul purchased a few quick pick combinations and went on about his day, not checking the tickets until over a week later. The owner of a heating and air conditioning company, he was on his way home from work when he decided to check.
“When I scanned the ticket, at first sight, I thought it was $5,000,” he said. “But, then I realized there were too many zeroes.”
The Hughesville resident was holding a $50,000 third-tier prize. He matched four white balls and the red Powerball. The player hurried home and immediately locked the winning ticket in a safe. The father of five then shared the news with his two youngest children including the son who urged him to play.
“He was so happy for me,” Paul said. “We just jumped up and down.”
The big winner said he’ll use the prize money to square his finances and will continue to play in pursuit of the jackpot. That jackpot has since grown to a whopping estimated annuity value of $1.8 billion with an estimated cash option of $826.4 million for the drawing on Saturday, Sept. 6. The jackpot is the third-largest Powerball prize ever.
Paul’s winning ticket was purchased from the Wawa store at 27605 Three Notch Road in Mechanicsville.
