Discovery of Twin $50,000 Powerball Wins Highlight of Woman’s Commute

Virginia player wins in home state and Maryland in July 27 drawing.

Winning a $50,000 Powerball prize once is exciting but twice in the same drawing in two different states is exhilarating. A lucky Lottery player from Springfield, Va. played the same combination of winning numbers in both Maryland and her home state to win $50,000 twice in the July 27 drawing.

The financial services professional, calling herself “Twice Lucky,” told Lottery officials that the bizarre double win was the product of a small mistake. The 55-year-old said she usually plays a unique pattern of numbers in each state but accidentally played the same numbers in both states for the Saturday drawing. She didn’t discover the happy accident until she resumed her commute and checked the Maryland ticket at her regular Lottery spot near the Bethesda Metro station.

According to “Twice Lucky,” the clerks at Crescent Convenience in Bethesda know her well. They quickly verified that one of their favorite customers won $50,000! She quickly called her husband to share the news before continuing her commute. In a daze, she hopped back on the Metro but as the train glided past the stops she realized that the Maryland win used the same numbers she typically plays in Virginia. After quickly consulting her Virginia Lottery app, the lucky lady realized she had won a second $50,000 prize!

“I called him again and I said, ‘You are never going to believe this,’ ” recalled the winner.

“She called me with the news twice and I didn’t believe her either time,” her husband said, joking.

The happy player told Lottery officials she and her husband are moving and the funds will go to make their new house much homier.

Want to follow in her footsteps? Visit the site of her Maryland win, Crescent Convenience located at 7475 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda. No one hit the Powerball jackpot so Wednesday’s drawing is for $112 million with a cash option of $75.4 million.