By Todd Northrop
A North Carolina man finally struck it big in the multi-state Powerball lottery after playing the same numbers for five years.
Benjamin Sinclair of Winston-Salem claimed his prize Thursday afternoon at lottery headquarters in Raleigh.
"I've been playing the same numbers for five years," Sinclair said. "They're very special to me."
Sinclair's good luck began when he stopped at the Sheetz on Fairlawn Drive in Winston-Salem and bought a $2 ticket for the drawing on Oct. 27.
"I only play when the jackpot gets above a certain amount," Sinclair said. "I knew it was a long shot, but I still used the same numbers."
He checked his ticket the next evening.
"I had to look at the numbers several times to make sure," Sinclair said. "It feels great to win."
After required state and federal tax withholdings, Sinclair took home $705,011.
Sinclair's special numbers, 8, 12, 13, 19, and 27, matched all the white balls to win $1 million. It was one of eight tickets in North Carolina to win a big prize in the drawing, but his was the only $1 million winner. The others matched four white balls plus the Powerball for a $50,000 prize (with three of those tickets also purchased with the Power Play option, increasing the prize to $150,000).
The jackpot for Wednesday's Powerball drawing is $107 million or $61.1 million cash.
Congrats to the Winner!
Third positive lottery story so far this week and it is only Tuesday.
Like his strategy, takes a lot of patience which I have none.
Best of luck with his winnings.
Faithful to consistently play the same numbers for over 5 years.
Brave for skipping draws and only playing them when the JP reaches a certain threshold.
Maybe we don't find luck, it find us!
Mr Sinclair,you sir, are the epitome of persistence !!!
Congrats to you during this holiday season.
Enjoy your wealth for many years to come.
All I have to say is......Persistence Pays Off!
Congrats Mr Sinclair!
"It feels great to win". Happy Days are here for Sinclair.
That gives me hope. I'm still playing my set of numbers.
Congratulations to the winner
This just proves that any numbers can pull it off. Some players having been consistently playing the same numbers for decades without winning, but they will not have it any other way. Sometimes it's pure luck * Gloria Mackenzie!
Determination paid off. Congratulation to Benjamin Sinclair on his win.
I love how he won. yep. same #s ... determination yep. and a big dose of luck,and good blessings for this man.
i love hearing this, when its the same combinations, in any lottery games.
and congrats. great story in my home state here in NC, and prior home state in cali,
i had neighbor, always play same #s since his thirties,
so this was wow about 8 or more years ago."
I hope one day Scott win, that's his name, and when i last spoke to his younger sister around my age(they 12 yrs apart)
and she was saying how her brother will "never" stop playing same, but he buy too at times a few qp. but has to play same ones first. lol
CONGRATS! benjamin sinclair, for his "same combinations"it paid of huge within just a few yrs though. that's nice.
some are lucky like this and i am happy for him."
There was this guy at my work who has been playing the same N.C. Cash 5 numbers for the past ten years, with way better odds for the past 10 years and they have yet to hit. He said he has gotten 4 out of 5 twice. It is what it is.
Truly