Lottery player’s reaction to big Maryland win worries girlfriend. ‘Still in shock’
A Maryland lottery player’s simple “strategy” led him to a massive win.
Whenever the Aberdeen man buys a Powerball ticket, he adds one more feature, Maryland Lottery officials said in an April 1 news release.
“I always play Double Play,” the man told lottery officials. “For a dollar more, why not?”
Double Play is a second drawing that follows each Powerball drawing that gives “players a chance to win up to $10 million with the same ticket numbers,” lottery officials said.
After buying a ticket for the March 24 drawing, the man checked it days later while he watched television with his girlfriend, lottery officials said.
The player’s “strategy paid off:” His ticket matched five white balls, just missing the Powerball number during the Double Play drawing, lottery officials said.
He scored a second-tier prize of $500,000 and also won $10 by matching a few numbers on a different line, lottery officials said.
“I thought my eyes were playing tricks,” the man told lottery officials.
His girlfriend initially grew concerned over his excitement, she told lottery officials.
“We are still in shock,” the girlfriend said in the release.
The winner told lottery officials he plans to spend his winnings on bills.
Aberdeen is about a 35-mile drive northeast from Baltimore.
What to know about Powerball
To score the jackpot in the Powerball, a player must match all five white balls and the red Powerball.
The odds of scoring the jackpot prize are 1 in 292,201,338.
Tickets can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times and price vary by state.
Drawings are broadcast Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:59 p.m. ET and can be streamed online.
Powerball is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
This story was originally published April 1, 2025 at 9:30 AM with the headline "Lottery player’s reaction to big Maryland win worries girlfriend. ‘Still in shock’."
