Upper Marlboro resident claims $50,000 third-tier prize
A 73-year-old Powerball player is celebrating today after playing his own numbers and hitting Powerball for a third-tier win on Saturday, Feb. 5. The lucky player walked away with a $50,000 prize.
The Upper Marlboro resident enjoys playing Powerball and does so for every drawing. On Saturday, he was running errands and about to go home when he remembered he needed to buy a ticket for the upcoming drawing. He stopped at Marlboro Village Exxon, located at 5111 John Roger Boulevard in Upper Marlboro, to buy a $10 ticket and played random numbers he’s used for years.
“The numbers just popped in my head,” he said. “I have one card with five lines of numbers that I like to play.”
After getting his Powerball ticket, the big winner headed home and had dinner with his wife. He didn’t check the winning numbers until the next morning. The Prince George’s County resident pulled up the Maryland Lottery’s website and went through his numbers one by one. Astonished, he matched four white balls and the red Powerball, making him a $50,000 third-tier winner.
“I showed my wife, but she didn’t believe me and had to pull up the numbers to see for herself,” he said.
A retired building manager, the winner later settled down and went back on the website to see how to claim the prize. He then made an appointment and claimed the prize yesterday. Although he and his wife have no children, they have many nieces and nephews. The loyal Powerball player said that one of his family members has been sick and he plans to use some of the winnings to help out financially. He also shared that he will pay off some debt, finish remodeling his garage and might purchase a new recliner.
The Powerball jackpot for Wednesday, Feb. 9 is currently an estimated $158 million with a cash option of $107.8 million.
