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"I almost didn't buy it," the Accomack County resident mused to Lottery officials while claiming a $50,000 Pick 5 ticket in Baltimore in his return back across state lanes to celebrate his biggest win to date.
According to the winner, the "mistake ticket" ended a streak of bad luck.
The lucky Lottery player says he was returning to his Eastern Shore home from a Labor Day Weekend visit to Washington, DC, when he decided to stop at River Market in Pocomoke City, one of the last locations before crossing the border.
"I haven’t had much luck these last few weeks," he said. "Mostly with Virginia tickets, but Maryland too. The numbers just have not been coming up my way."
He turned to a familiar number combination he has used in the past, and picked up a pick 5 ticket for the evening drawing on Sunday, Sept. 1, though even that didn't go smoothly.
Lady Luck shined on the downtrodden man, and what was supposed to be a 50-cent ticket was accidentally inserted as a $1 ticket.
He doesn't mind the mistake.
“She apologized and was about to take the ticket back, but I asked to keep it," the winner said. "Don’t know why, I just felt like it might get things going my way again."
He discovered his big win later that night and realized his instincts were correct.
“I pulled up the Lottery website and there was my Pick 5 number. I could not believe my eyes. I said to myself, ‘It’s finally happened. You’ve finally hit the number.'"
The Virginia winner hinted that he just might visit the Somerset County business again, soon. He plans to fund several home improvement projects with his winnings.
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