An anonymous woman from Harford County, Maryland, is on cloud nine after hitting a massive $500,000 prize in the Powerball Double Play drawing. The lucky winner, who's going by the alias "Brown Eyed Girl," says this incredible win is a heartfelt tribute to her late father and their shared love for the lottery.
"This is such a blessing, even though it's still hard to believe it's actually real," she told lottery officials. "I just burst into tears when I saw that I'd won."
Brown Eyed Girl's winning ticket matched the first five numbers drawn on August 25, securing her the life-changing half-million-dollar payout. She picked up the lucky slip at Bernie's Liquors, located at 1414 Martin Boulevard in Middle River. For selling the winning ticket, Bernie's Liquors is getting a nice little bonus of $1,000.
This huge win came from a simple $1 Double Play add-on to her Powerball ticket. This special feature gives players a second shot at a jackpot of up to $10 million right after the main drawing. In her case, she nailed all five white balls but missed the red Powerball number, which was still more than enough to land her the incredible prize.
The winner credits her late father for igniting her passion for playing the lottery. She reminisced about how much he loved the games, not just for the potential of winning big, but for the thrill of the draw itself. "He had a blast playing, and he would have kept going even if he never won a dime," she shared. This win is a beautiful reminder of their bond and a continuation of a family tradition.
It's been a wild week for lottery players, as the main Powerball jackpot has been steadily climbing. For the August 27 drawing, the estimated grand prize reached a staggering $850 million (or a $383.7 million cash option), making it one of the largest jackpots in history. Even though Brown Eyed Girl didn't snag the main jackpot, a half-million-dollar win is still a massive game-changer, proving that you don't always need to hit the biggest prize to make your dreams come true.
For those looking for a little more info, here are some exciting details about this incredible win:
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Winning Ticket Location: Bernie's Liquors, 1414 Martin Boulevard, Middle River, Maryland.
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The Prize: A cool $500,000.
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The Game: Powerball Double Play.
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Winning Numbers: She matched the first five white balls but not the red Powerball.
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The Bonus: Bernie's Liquors gets a $1,000 bonus for selling the ticket.
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The Inspiration: This win carries on a family tradition started by her late father, who also loved playing the lottery.
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