Oct. 8 (UPI) -- A Maryland man who has been using the same set of numbers to play the state lottery's Bonus Match 5 drawing for nearly two decades had his patience rewarded with a $50,000 jackpot.
The 58-year-old Churchton, Anne Arundel County, man told Maryland Lottery officials he plays the same numbers in Bonus Match 5 every week, and in the past they have won him smaller prizes of up to $840.
The man said he knew his strategy had paid off when he checked the numbers the day after the Sept. 23 drawing and knew they matched the ticket he bought from Parks Drive-in Liquors in Deale.
"I looked at it, saw a few matching numbers and figured I had won $15," the winner recalled. "When I saw the rest of the numbers, I knew it had happened."
The ticket matched all five numbers, earning a $50,000 jackpot.
The man said he is making plans for his winnings.
"We have always had this running joke. I play my Lottery games and my wife always says if I win I can pay off her car," the winner said.
He said he is also considering getting a better fishing boat and a larger truck to tow it.
