Mismarked playslip delivers big prize in March 28 drawing
An Anne Arundel County man who started playing Maryland Lottery games nearly 50 years ago when the first tickets went on sale just got a 50th anniversary gift of his own from Lady Luck. His mistake in the numbers on his Pick 5 ticket led to a $50,000 surprise!
The semi-retired contractor, who worked in public education, loves the Lottery’s Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5 games. His mom loved playing Lottery games, too, and also won big prizes. “The first day they put out the Pick 4 ticket I hit it in the box,” he recalls, saying the prize was $100, and adding that he’s won several larger prizes in his decades of Lottery play.
His lucky numbers come from family birth dates and he’s played 95420 recently. The father of two and grandfather of one said he buys Pick 3/4/5 tickets in the mornings and his wife typically buys them in the evenings. They visit a variety of Lottery retailers, but she happened to buy his winning ticket at Odenton Exxon located at 1318 Annapolis Road in Anne Arundel County and came home with a Pick 5 ticket reading 85420.
“I marked the wrong number on the $1 straight ticket,” he said.
When he first checked the winning numbers after the March 28 evening drawing, he was upset because the winning number was 85420, not 95420. Then, he looked closely at his ticket and saw the lucky mistake that put him in the Lottery Winner’s Circle.
“When I looked at the 8, I went from this real low to a real high,” he recalled. “I said, ‘This can’t be right.’ Seeing an 8 was unreal.” His daughter was nearby and helped the 80-year-old review the ticket and confirm the win.
He plans to pay bills with some of his newfound fortune and save the rest. He credits his wife as being his lucky charm and not only for bringing home the winning ticket. The two are coming up on their 45th wedding anniversary, he said, noting with a smile, “she’s my lucky person.”
His Lottery retailer can celebrate, too. Odenton Exxon will receive a $500 bonus from the Lottery for its role in selling the $50,000-winning Pick 5 ticket.
