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Lottery player was having an ‘off day’ — but it turned around when she won top prize

The educator told officials she was shocked to see her lucky combination won her the top prize on a Pick 5 $1 straight bet.
The educator told officials she was shocked to see her lucky combination won her the top prize on a Pick 5 $1 straight bet. GETTY IMAGES

An educator has a system for how she indulges in playing the lottery, limiting herself to a few times a week, she told Maryland lottery officials.

But during an “off day” she was having in October, she made an exception — and it led to a top prize win, officials said in a March 3 news release.

She checked the winning numbers for the Oct. 24 Pick 5 drawing at home on her phone, and she was shocked to discover her lucky combination of 15231 had won her $50,000, officials said.

“I couldn’t believe it. I have never won that amount before,” she told officials in the release, adding that $800 was the most she’d ever won in previous drawings.

The West Baltimore resident usually plays on certain nights and rarely on Thursdays, she told officials. She’ll usually buy $3 straight tickets, but she bought a $1 straight ticket that night.

She was shopping at Crazy Mart for something and decided to add the Pick 5 ticket “to enjoy,” officials said.

She hasn’t decided how she’ll spend her winnings and plans to put the prize in the bank for now, she told officials.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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This story was originally published March 3, 2025 at 5:10 PM with the headline "Lottery player was having an ‘off day’ — but it turned around when she won top prize."

Brooke Baitinger
McClatchy DC
Brooke Baitinger is a former journalist for McClatchyDC.
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