These 10 lottery players stuck to a strategy — and won big
From an Arkansas man trusting computer-generated numbers to a Missouri woman favoring a habitual scratch-off ticket, these stories show the different approaches to winning big.
In one case, a lottery enthusiast planned to cut back on playing but still scooped a major prize with her final attempt. In another, a Maryland grandfather used the same numbers for decades before it paid off with a big win.
The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories below were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.
NO. 1: GRANDPA’S FAITHFUL LOTTERY NUMBERS FAILED HIM FOR DECADES — UNTIL NOW. ‘ABOUT TIME’
“I jumped up for joy,” the Maryland man said. | Published June 10, 2024 | Read Full Story
NO. 2: WOMAN’S USUAL LOTTERY TICKET LEAVES HER IN SHOCK WITH HUGE WIN. ‘HAD TO PINCH MYSELF’
The Missouri woman said it took a few days for her win to sink in. | Published June 24, 2024 | Read Full Story
NO. 3: MAN WHO’S PLAYED LOTTERY FOR DECADES WINS HUGE IN MARYLAND. ‘THIS IS MY SUPER BOWL’
“Man, ain’t no way this happening to me!” | Published March 25, 2024 | Read Full Story
NO. 4: IMPATIENT LOTTERY PLAYER KEEPS CHANGING HER NUMBERS — AND IT PAYS OFF IN A BIG WAY
“I am not hesitant to try something new,” the Maryland woman said. | Published February 1, 2024 | Read Full Story
NO. 5: LOTTERY PLAYER CUT BACK FROM PLAYING GAMES TWICE A DAY IN MARYLAND. THEN SHE WON BIG
“I couldn’t believe I had won.” | Published March 1, 2024 | Read Full Story
NO. 6: LOTTERY PLAYER HAS COMPUTER PICK NUMBERS FOR ONCE — AND HE WINS BIG. ‘I’LL BE DANGED’
“I thought he was joking!” the Arkansas winner’s wife said. “He always teases like that.” | Published May 21, 2024 | Read Full Story by Lauren Liebhaber
NO. 7: RETIRED WOMAN SPENDS TIME ‘STUDYING’ THE BEST LOTTERY TICKETS TO BUY. SHE WINS BIG
“You always said you were going to hit a big one. You finally did it,” the Maryland winner’s husband told her. | Published May 20, 2024 | Read Full Story by Kate Linderman
NO. 8: LOTTERY PLAYER USES SIMPLE TRICK TO PICK NUMBERS. SHE THEN WON A LIFE-CHANGING PRIZE
She used to let the game pick numbers for her. | Published May 31, 2024 | Read Full Story by Mark Price
NO. 9: LOTTERY PLAYER BUYS SIX TICKETS FOR SAME DRAWING — AND WINS SIX TIMES IN VIRGINIA
She used the same set of numbers and matched them exactly, lottery officials said. | Published July 18, 2024 | Read Full Story by Olivia Lloyd
NO. 10: LOTTERY PLAYER BUYS 25 TICKETS WITH THE SAME NUMBERS. THEY’RE ALL WINNERS IN MARYLAND
When the woman learned she won, she called her son, officials said. | Published July 25, 2024 | Read Full Story by Olivia Lloyd
This report was produced with the help of AI tools, which summarized previous stories reported and written by McClatchy journalists. It was edited by journalists in our News division.