Although the chances of winning in lotto games are slim, the Virginia Lottery occasionally brings enough excitement to reward players with a substantial payday. This was exemplified on Wednesday when the lottery officially announced a lucky individual from Manassas, VA, who won an impressive $893,315 in the Cash 5 with EZ Match game.
Jay House purchased his ticket in advance of the August 16th drawing.
Before posing for a photo with the oversized check, he expressed his joy to the Virginia Lottery officials, stating how amazing it felt to emerge victorious.
House purchased the ticket from a CVS in Manassas with intentions to allocate the winnings towards various expenses such as bills, a vacation, and securing his retirement savings.
He added, “If you want to win, you have to participate.”
How to play Cash 5
Imagine the game as a scaled-down edition of Powerball or Mega Millions, but with one crucial distinction: it lacks the additional sixth colored ball to complete a winning combination.
Instead of needing to match all the numbers, Virginia Lottery players only need to go 5-for-5 in Cash 5.
Without including the Powerball or Mega Ball, the chances of winning improve. However, it is important to note that the jackpots are comparatively smaller.
There are 41 balls, each numbered from 1 to 41. The chances of getting a perfect match are 1 in 749,398.
Just to clarify, Cash 5 is exclusively offered in Virginia and is not a game that spans across multiple states.
It is important to always check your tickets for smaller wins in addition to the jackpot. Lotto games offer various prize levels, not just a single big win. In the case of Cash 5, the odds and corresponding prizes are as follows:
- 5 balls — Jackpot
- The probability of winning 4 balls out of 4,163 is 1 in 4,163, resulting in a prize of $200.
- There are three balls, and the probability of selecting one particular ball out of the 119 available is $5.
- There are two balls, one measuring 10.5 inches, and they cost $1.
After House successfully matched all five of his numbers, the Cash 5 jackpot reverted back to its initial amount of $100,000.
As of the drawing on August 24th, the jackpot has risen again to $172,000.
EZ Mach is an instant win
Within the Cash 5 game, players have the option to invest an additional dollar for EZ Match, a separate game.
Players receive a random set of five numbers for an additional fee. Instant victory occurs if any of the five EZ Match numbers match any of the Cash 5 numbers.
When using EZ Match, if any number in your Cash 5 play matches a number, it counts as a win. Afterwards, the cashier randomly selects a prize from the options below and assigns it to you as they hand you the ticket.
- $500 — 1-in-84,000 odds
- The probability of winning $250 is 1 in 42,000.
- 1 in 12,000 equals $100.
- The probability of winning $50 is 1 in 4,200.
- The probability of getting 1 in 1,680 is $20.
- The probability of getting $15 is 1 in 1,050.
- The fraction $10 — 1$ can be rewritten as $\frac{10}{112}$.
- The ratio of $5 to 1 is 1 in 280.
- The expression “$4 — 1 in 76” can be rewritten as “1 in 76 chance of winning $4.”
- The expression $3 — 1 in 13.6 can be rewritten as 3 divided by 1, or 3/1, in 13.6.
- 2 minus 1 is equal to 9.4
In the most recent budget year, the Virginia Lottery games contributed approximately $779 million towards K-12 education funding.
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