Game of solitaire leads to lottery prize
Tuesday March 1st 2011A man from North Carolina has won $200,000 playing the Powerball lottery after devising a unique way of picking numbers.
Christopher Mannion scooped the runners-up prize in the February 23 draw after matching the five main numbers, but not the Powerball. He told lottery organisers his good fortune was down to the special way he picks his numbers.
Mr Mannion said he takes a deck of 59 cards and numbers them, before playing a game of solitaire with six piles of cards, rather than the usual seven.
He said: "By the end of the deck I have six numbers facing up and that is the system I use to pick them."
The lucky winner will get to take home $136,000 after tax, which he plans to spend on buying a new vehicle for his wife and making improvements to his motorcycle.
Meanwhile, lottery organisers are urging Carolina Cash 5 players who buy their tickets in Avery County to check and re-check their numbers. A winning ticket from the February 25 draw has scooped a $219,000 prize which has yet to be claimed. It was purchased at Lowe’s Foods in River Road, Newland.