Hospital Employee Wins $200,000 Playing Pick 5

Playing the same number on five Pick 5 tickets gave Arnold Foster a $200,000 combined prize.

Family birthday delivers five winning tickets

Arnold Foster of Washington, D.C. has played the same five-digit combination for years, often on multiple tickets, with the DC Lottery without success. His luck changed last week, he told Maryland Lottery officials, when Maryland’s newest daily game rewarded his persistence. Arnold’s five Pick 5 tickets for the Nov. 23 evening drawing redeemed for $200,000.

“It’s an important family birthday, that’s what I use,” said the 38-year-old hospital employee. “I had a good feeling about it so I just stuck with them.” His mother broke the fantastic news about his possible win last week.

“I was working out and didn’t see the drawing,” Arnold said. “My mom knows the combination I play, so when she saw the results, she called to make sure I’d bought a ticket that day.”

It turns out that Arnold hadn’t bought just one Pick 5 ticket, he’d bought five – three $1 straight tickets and two 50-cent straight tickets, all with the lucky 40710 combination.

Was Arnold’s immediate response to the $200,000 win one of joy or shock? Nope. “I thought to myself, ‘It’s about time.’” There was plenty of gratitude and excitement, he said. “Remember, though, I’ve been playing those numbers twice a day, every day for five years!”

The winner said his Pick 5 winnings will go toward two priorities in his life: a down payment on a house for his family and a fund for his child’s education. “This is going to help make things better for us now and in the future. That’s one heck of a blessing.”

Also celebrating is the management at People’s Convenience Store at 4025 Silver Hill Road in Suitland. The Lottery retailer will receive a $2,000 bonus from the Lottery for selling the five winning Pick 5 tickets.