$113 million Powerball winner may be a regular player

Dec 16, 2005, 8:39 am (23 comments)

Powerball

The identity of the buyer of the largest winning Powerball ticket in Iowa history is still a mystery. Iowa Lottery spokeswoman Mary Neubauer says they know one of the 609 Powerball tickets sold at a northwest Des Moines Dahl's supermarket won the $113 million jackpot.

Neubauer says there is one other clue about the winner. Neubauer says it appears the winner personally chose the six winning numbers — which might indicate the person plays the game regularly. She says the person has 365 days to claim the prize.

Store director Mike Hixson says they've never had a big winner before. He says he was "surprised, elated" to find out someone had won at his store. Hixson says so far they haven't gotten any calls or anyone who's said they're a winner.

Hixson describes his customers as middle class, middle-aged with several retirees — a good neighborhood. Hixson says he's rooting for a regular to bring in the winning ticket. The Dahl's chain wins 10-thousand dollars for selling the winning ticket.

Neubauer says the store will also gain a lot of attention. Neubauer says one thing it will do is make the store the "Lucky store," something she says always seems to happen. Neubauer says people believe if someone won big at the store, then they could win there too. She says this win will also do away with a few of the myths about Powerball in Iowa.

She says they hear Iowans say "nobody ever wins" and "we never have a big winner." She says now someone has won and they've won a big amount. Neubauer says the winner is likely talking with a lawyer and considering all their options — such as the tax advantages of waiting until the New Year to collect.

Store celebrates: Dahl's employee Dixie Upenieks helps put up a banner Thursday announcing that the winning Powerball ticket was sold at the Beaver Avenue store.

Radio Iowa

Comments

RJOh's avatarRJOh

"Neubauer says it appears the winner personally chose the six winning numbers — which might indicate the person plays the game regularly."

It might also indicate the person has a winning system that he pulls out when the jackpot gets to $100M+.

DoubleDown

"Neubauer says it appears the winner personally chose the six winning numbers — which might indicate the person plays the game regularly."

It might also indicate the person has a winning system that he pulls out when the jackpot gets to $100M+.

I hope so, and even better if they are a lottery post member....

LOTTOMIKE's avatarLOTTOMIKE

i think that would really be something.i like it when someone wins with their own numbers.quick picks get all the attention........

Rip Snorter

Maybe the guy just made certain he always used at least two numbers from the last jackpots won:

Powerball:

Wed, December 14, 2005  08 · 15 · 16 · 45 · 51    + 11  5  $112 Million

Mega Millions:

Tuesday, November 29, 2005  07 · 08 · 47 · 51 · 52    + 05  3  $35 Million

Only left him four numbers to match.

Duck soup.

Jack

sirbrad's avatarsirbrad

Or maybe he just quickly picked some numbers? I guess the media expects someone who won to jump forward the next day and start doing interviews, even before fully validating their ticket.  This helps sell papers, and tv shows...

KY Floyd's avatarKY Floyd

The tickets belongs to a married couple, and their birthdays (or maybe their kids' birthdays) are the 15th and 16th of August and November. Maybe they're 45 and 51 years old or were born in those years. One thing that's sure is that if they picked powerball numbers based on winning numbers from megamilions, it's a reallly stupid "system" but they got really lucky. Kind of like the people that played the fortune cookie numbers a while back.

The comment about maybe being a regular player is kind of strange. Does the lottery think that everybody who is just an occasional player uses quick pick or that there are no regular players who always use quick pick? They may not have checked, but the lottery department has the data to find out if those numbers are played regularly at the same store or in the same area. It's also kind of odd that the article says they know it was one of the tickets at a specific store. Well, duh. It would be pretty bad if they didn't know, wouldn't it?

fja's avatarfja

The tickets belongs to a married couple, and their birthdays (or maybe their kids' birthdays) are the 15th and 16th of August and November. Maybe they're 45 and 51 years old or were born in those years. One thing that's sure is that if they picked powerball numbers based on winning numbers from megamilions, it's a reallly stupid "system" but they got really lucky. Kind of like the people that played the fortune cookie numbers a while back.



No such thing as a really stupid sysytem "that works"!

demonter

Hey...I was supposed to win that Powerball Jackpot! I always play...forgot to buy that one drawing. I'll get a lawyer and sue the winner!!! It's only fair...was it pool? Nah...I just want my share...half!!! (Guys, think I'll get away with it?)

four4me

Wed, December 14, 2005, 08 · 15 · 16 · 45 · 51

I'd say birthday numbers also... possible 45 and 51 are their years of age or born in those yrs. Kids 8-15-16 very possible I'm 54 and have 11and 16 yr. old. I call em my late blossoms.

 

sirbrad's avatarsirbrad

"Maybe the guy just made certain he always used at least two numbers from the last jackpots won:"

The powerball has strange streaks like that. I have seen the powerball go up to about 8 draws without repeating one number. But lately there has been back to back repeats, especially the numbers 42 and 45. I believe no numbers from previous draws are expected to come up at least 50% of the time, at least for a 6/49 game. So it should be slightly more either way for powerball. Sometimes I play multiple lines without using any numbers from the last draw.

Usually it works, but if it does not, all your selections get burnt. Just like everything else, it is all a gamble...

Rip Snorter

The tickets belongs to a married couple, and their birthdays (or maybe their kids' birthdays) are the 15th and 16th of August and November. Maybe they're 45 and 51 years old or were born in those years. One thing that's sure is that if they picked powerball numbers based on winning numbers from megamilions, it's a reallly stupid "system" but they got really lucky. Kind of like the people that played the fortune cookie numbers a while back.

The comment about maybe being a regular player is kind of strange. Does the lottery think that everybody who is just an occasional player uses quick pick or that there are no regular players who always use quick pick? They may not have checked, but the lottery department has the data to find out if those numbers are played regularly at the same store or in the same area. It's also kind of odd that the article says they know it was one of the tickets at a specific store. Well, duh. It would be pretty bad if they didn't know, wouldn't it?

One thing that's sure is that if they picked powerball numbers based on winning numbers from megamilions, it's a reallly stupid "system" but they got really lucky

 

 KY:

Any system that wins a jackpot can't be called stupid by anyone who isn't.

I'd gladly use a system that involved standing on my head stacking BBs if it worked.  So would everyone else here, I'm betting.

Jack

KY Floyd's avatarKY Floyd

fja wrote:

<< No such thing as a really stupid sysytem "that works"! >>

 

There's no such thing as a system that works, period. If your chosen system happens to result in picking the numbers that get drawn that's great, but it's just a matter of luck. If 1% of players pick their numbers based on some manipulation of the lot code from a can of Campbell's chicken noodle soup, then it's a safe bet that about 1% of winners will have picked their numbers based on lot codes from cans of Campbell's chicken noodle soup. It's an equally safe bet that far more people who used that system will have lost, and the ratio will be a function of the odds of the game. Everybody who buys a ticket has a system for choosing their numbers whether it's as convoluted as starting with numbers from a soup can or as simple as letting the machine choose the numbers, but the chosen system does nothing to change the odds. A system will determine which numbers are played, and in that limited sense it will affect who wins, but the system only works if it consistenly lets you win more than you play.

demonter

Is there such a thing as a "LUCKY STORE"? Gamblers tend to be superstitious; there are a few stores that sold jackpot winners twice...how does that figure? It sure is lucky. I bought Powerball tickets at "the luckiest store PA"; it sold that state's largest Powerball Grand Prize winner, call me superstitious, but it's a lucky store. Will luck strike twice? I'm betting on it.

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