Michigan woman's beginner's luck earns her a $250,000 lottery prize

July 23 (UPI) -- A Michigan woman who decided to try the state lottery's KENO! game for the first time had a brush with beginner's luck and collected a $250,000 jackpot.

The 69-year-old Monroe County woman, who chose to remain anonymous, told Michigan Lottery officials she decided to try KENO! for the first time during a recent visit to the Kroger store in Lambertville.

"My husband stopped to purchase a KENO! ticket while we were at the store," the player recalled. "I had never played before, but I had a few dollars on me, so I decided to purchase a ticket too.

"I picked a special combination of numbers made up of birthdays, our kids ages, etc. and got my ticket."

The woman said she was shocked when her husband discovered her ticket was a winner.

"The next day, my husband walked in the door and told me I had won. I didn't believe him until I looked the ticket over myself and saw I had matched all 10 numbers. It was exhilarating," she said.

The winner said she plans to use her windfall to pay bills, share with family and save for her retirement.