A MARYLAND woman won big in the lottery after changing up her strategy and getting inspired by another winner.
An unidentified woman from Forestville, Maryland, who is using the “Grateful Winner” alias, woke up on June 23 unaware she would soon become $50,000 richer.
The winner said she had been playing the lottery for a year, always using the same numbers.
That was when she became inspired by another winner who shared their unique strategy, the winner told the Maryland Lottery.
A full twelve months later, the woman’s efforts paid off, and she took in a whopping $50,000 from a Pick 5 game.
STRATEGY REVEALED
The Forestville, Maryland winner from last month may have been lucky, but there was a particular method she followed in choosing her winning numbers.
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Previously, another Maryland Lottery winner had said he decided to repeatedly play one of his Pick 5 number combinations after seeing several variations of the numbers drawn.
The “Grateful Winner” said she started looking for patterns in the Pick 5 winners as well.
She noted that between June 5 and June 21, the number six was the first Pick 5 digit in four games.
So, instead of using her typical number of 56389 once again, she switched the 5 and 6 and paid just $1 at a 7-Eleven to see if the minor change would bring any luck.
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"I just started playing that number last week and I couldn't believe it," the winner said, according to Maryland Lottery.
The tiny switch ended up bringing a $50,000 jackpot her way.
When “Grateful Winner” found out, she was in the middle of getting a manicure appointment, and the shock was enormous.
"My eyes started to water, I was shaking and I couldn't see," the woman said.
As she is $50,000 richer now, “Grateful Winner” said she’ll use her new money to pay off her bills.
MORE LOTTERY STRATEGIES
While the Maryland winner struck it big using a specific number strategy, many other lottery winners and mathematicians have offered their own perspective on potential ways one could boost their odds.
Jordan Ellenberg, a mathematician at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said that there are some ways to play the lottery more intelligently, despite the chances statistically being extremely low you’ll take home millions.
“Somebody said you’re 250 times more likely to be hit by lightning than win the lottery,” Ellenberg told Houston Fox affiliate KRIV.
“I like to say, it’s about the same as if you were flipping a coin, getting a head 28 times in a row.”
For one, there are definitely numbers you should avoid if you’re hoping to bring in a hefty check from your lottery play.
This includes your birthday or anniversary dates.
While significant to your personal life, it’s unlikely these numbers will just happen to be the lottery’s picks.
“Don’t pick a number you got from a fortune cookie or something like that,” Ellenberg said.
The reason: “If you’re picking that number, that’s a number a lot of other people are going to pick, so the chances that you will have to split the prize if you do win become higher.”
You should also avoid buying too many tickets, as this tends to drain your wallet without offering huge winnings statistically.
“If it seems fun to you, play, but don’t buy a hundred tickets,” Ellenberg said.
“Are you going to get 100 times as much fun if you buy 100 tickets? You can get that just from buying one.”
There are also certain games that offer better chances of winning, according to lottery expert and accountant Jared James.
“It’s not just completely random,” James said. “Our motto is luck favors the prepared.”
The games with the best chances of winning the most money possible tend to be the older games with not as many tickets left.
With older games, fewer Americans will play, but many still have a big top prize still waiting to be won.
“Finding those games where there’s that big, overlooked prize” was one strategy that earned one North Carolina man a whopping $5million, James said.
Remember, playing the lottery always requires an inherent level of risk, and you should only play if you can afford to do so.
Those who may be struggling with gambling can reach out to the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU WIN?
You might think it’s the end of all your problems once you win big in the lottery.
However, it’s important you make the right decision when it comes to whether you want the yearly annuity payments or the lump sum cash.
The choice you should make will depend on several factors, Jared James said.
“To me, it’s a person-by-person case,” James said.
For some people, having the lump sum just “isn’t a good idea,” he said.
You might need a little protection from yourself, the mathematician said.
“They have to look at their situation and consider taking the annuity,” James said.
With such a huge increase in wealth, you’ll also want to hire a financial advisor, who can help you divert the funds into proper investments.
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