Turning a random license plate number into a Pick 5 bet gave Baltimore’s Michael Jones a $25,000 prize.
Electrician claims $25,000 prize
Michael Jones of Baltimore, who has a habit of noting people’s license tag numbers, found a $25,000 Pick 5 prize by playing a random tag number.
The 52-year-old discovered his big win while sitting home watching a game. He was checking his Pick 5 tickets from the Oct. 8 evening drawing when a 50-cent ticket delivered a shocking surprise.
“When I saw that my numbers hit, I had to look at it two to three times just to make sure,” Michael said.
According to the lucky winner, he plays the Pick 4 and Pick 5 games twice a day and plays more than 200 number combinations. Michael explained that he places bets using license tag numbers from friends, family and co-workers, too. He even used the license tag number of a person that hit his car in an auto accident. The electrician plays so many different tag numbers that he can’t recall where he picked out the winning numbers 84824.
“I know it was someone’s tag number, but I can’t remember whose tag number. I might have shared some of the money with them if I could remember who it was,” he said, laughing.
The winner plans to pay off some of his bills and share the money with his wife and two adult children.
Michael bought his winning ticket at US Fuel located at 6100 Moravia Park Drive in Baltimore. For selling the lucky ticket, the Baltimore City gas station and food market will receive a $250 bonus from the Lottery.
