Grandpa won $50,000 in lottery after month-long break—strategy he used to win tickets has left internet stunned
Winning a lottery might seem like the plot of a fictional novel. Something that happens to imaginary characters and not real people. But one Maryland grandpa managed to win big after taking a break from playing the lottery for one month. The man, John Lang, also revealed that his big win, worth $50,000, wasn't exactly a shot in the dark. He had employed a special strategy to pick the numbers he bet on and ended up winning at the end, per PEOPLE.
The man had won the money in the Bonus Match 5 draw game through the Maryland lottery. The man hadn't played in a month and was glad to have a win on his first lottery draw after getting back to playing. He bought a lottery ticket at Mace Liquors in Baltimore County. The next day, he went back to get the result of the five numbers he had picked. "I asked them to check my numbers. They said, 'Mr. John, you just won $50,000,'" Lang recounted. The five numbers on his ticket matched the winning numbers. Lang had employed a special strategy to get the winning numbers. He used his grandchildren's ages to pick the five numbers on his ticket.
Lang also updates the numbers he picks when any of his grandchildren grow a little older to keep up with their present ages. "For example, if his 20-year-old grandchild turns 21, the next day he will remove the number 20 from his rotation and change it to 21," the news release explained, per USA Today. The man hoped to use his reward money to make renovations in his house. He wanted to save the rest of the money. The man is retired and the winnings meant a lot to him. According to the outlet, the odds of winning a lottery through a $1 ticket are 1 in 575,757.
Such patterns have worked for other lottery winners as well. In another story, a family used the same pattern for over 30 years and ended up winning $1.2 million. The family started using the numbers since Christmas 1994, per The National Lottery UK. The family of four included a mom and her three children and the winning would be equally divided among the four of them. Audrey Cobb, a woman in her 80s, had won big along with her children in their 50s and 60s. "We’ve had some small wins along the way, but I was definitely the favorite big brother when I told my sisters I was giving them each £250,000 ($321,000)," the son, David, remarked.
David was especially happy for his youngest sister, Carol Nobbs, who had been struggling for the past few years. "It was an incredible moment, especially for my sister Carol, who, after a tough few years, thought she would never have her own home again." His wife, Linda, was the first person to know about the win. "To be honest, I was a bit grumpy and couldn't be bothered to find my glasses, but when your wife of 45 years uses 'that' voice and says, 'No, you really need to read this,' you know you'd better find your glasses!" David went on. "I told mum I had some good news and wanted to tell her and my sisters at the same time. She immediately said, 'Have we won the Lottery?' So my plan was slightly scuppered."