A Maryland resident is planning a celebratory road trip after winning a six-figure lottery prize — all thanks to a set of numbers that came to him during an ordinary day of yard work and a helpful nudge from his wife.
Earlier this month, the Maryland Lottery announced that a longtime player from Upper Marlboro secured a $150,000 Pick 5 prize. The man, who has been playing for more than three decades and chose to remain anonymous, said the winning numbers — 1, 3, 6, 0 and 5 — appeared in his mind while he was mowing the lawn.
“I was cutting my neighbor’s grass, and those numbers just popped in my head and wouldn’t go away,” he shared. “When I got home, my wife told me, ‘You should play those numbers.’ So, I did, and it worked!”
Although he typically gravitates toward large-jackpot games like Mega Millions and Powerball, he occasionally switches to Pick 3, Pick 4 or Pick 5 when he feels luck is on his side. This time, he bought three Pick 5 tickets.
When he scanned one of the tickets on his phone and saw the prize amount, he immediately called out to his wife: “Baby, look at this!”
He said the two paused together and prayed after realizing the result.
The winner has chosen to keep the news mostly private, but he shared that he plans to settle some financial matters, enjoy a road trip, and treat his wife — whom he affectionately described as his “good luck charm.”
“I’m grateful and motivated to win again,” he said, according to the lottery organization. “But I think I’ll take a little break from Pick 5 for now.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling problem, please contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network at 1-800-522-4700 or visit gamtalk.org.