A longtime Maryland Lottery player from Upper Marlboro is counting his blessings, and his money, after a Pick 5 purchase turned into a $150,000 payday. The winner, who has been playing for more than 35 years, stopped by Lottery headquarters Oct. 31 with his wife to claim his winnings and also took time to share his story.
Over the years, the loyal player says he has tried nearly every Lottery game, but he acknowledges he’s most drawn to the big jackpot games like Mega Millions and Powerball. When he’s feeling lucky, though he mixes in Pick 3, Pick 4, or Pick 5, and occasionally a scratch-off ticket.
This time, his attention to detail and his wife’s advice paid off in a big way. The winning numbers, 1, 3, 6, 0, and 5, came to him in an unexpected way.
“I was cutting my neighbor’s grass, and those numbers just popped in my head and wouldn’t go away,” he said with a smile. “When I got home, my wife told me, ‘You should play those numbers.’ So, I did, and it worked!”
Rather than buying a single ticket, he played three Pick 5 games using the same numbers, which led to his $150,000 prize. When he checked his tickets on the Maryland Lottery app, the result was something he will never forget.
“I scanned that ticket on my phone and screamed, ‘Baby, look at this!’ We both just took a moment and prayed,” he said.
The winner says he hasn’t told many people about his windfall, but he did celebrate with his wife. As for plans for the prize money, he says he’ll use it to square his finances, take a road trip, and spoil his wife, whom he calls his “good luck charm.”
“I’m grateful and motivated to win again,” he said. “But I think I’ll take a little break from Pick 5 for now.”
He bought the three winning tickets at Express Mart at 15709 Hall Road in Bowie. For selling the three winning tickets, the retailer will receive a $1,500 bonus from the Maryland Lottery, $500 for each of the three tickets.
