A Virginia man unexpectedly won almost $400,000 when a laundry lottery ticket, originally destined for a lint trap, came into his possession.
The Cash 5 with EZ Match game of the Virginia Lottery has just revealed a fortunate individual as its latest big winner.
Yet, this is a tale of a lottery winner that came close to not happening.
Fortunately, the man from Hampton double-checked his winnings before proceeding to send them through the spin cycle.
The $387,450 laundry lottery ticket
On October 23rd, Maricus “Bezo” Barnes acquired a victorious Cash 5 with EZ Match ticket from the VA Lottery. This fortuitous laundry lottery ticket was purchased at a 7-Eleven situated on Orcutt Avenue (8531) in Hampton.
Barnes decided to go with Easy Pick, letting the computer select his numbers for him.
To win the Cash 5 jackpot, he successfully matched all of his numbers: 6, 18, 20, 22, and 24.
However, he hardly noticed it at first. While doing his laundry, he stumbled upon the ticket. He later shared with the VA Lottery:
Initially, I had planned to discard it, but my curiosity got the better of me as I thought it could potentially hold some value, prompting me to give it a second look.
It was more than just a few bucks, as it turned out. The amount he managed to collect was a remarkable $387,450, before taxes.
Barnes’ victory in the Cash 5 jackpot was highly improbable, with odds of 1 in 749,398. This highlights the unlikeliness of his win, considering his background as a US Army veteran and shipyard worker.
Playing Cash 5 at Virginia Lottery
Cash 5 is an exclusive jackpot draw game that is available only in Virginia. The price for each ticket is $1, and the jackpots commence at $100,000.
In the event that there are no jackpot winners, the prize amount grows for the subsequent draw. At present, the drawings occur every day at 11 p.m.
The complete Cash 5 payday table comprises:
- The odds of matching 5 numbers and winning the jackpot are 1 in 749,398.
- There are 4 numbers, and the probability of selecting one of them is 1 in 4,163.
- Out of 119 numbers, the probability of selecting the number 5 is 1.
- The two numbers are 1 and 10.5.
By opting for the EZ Match feature, players can add an additional $1 to participate in a supplementary game. Alongside selecting their regular Cash 5 numbers, the ticket will also contain five randomly generated numbers. Should any of these EZ Match numbers match with the Cash 5 numbers, players will be awarded the corresponding prize amount.
An illustration is provided through the VA Lottery instructional video.
Multiple prizes can be won on a single ticket. Additionally, you have the opportunity to claim your EZ Match winnings prior to the official Cash 5 drawing.
The chances of winning any Cash 5 prize are comprised in the overall odds.
- The odds of winning the Cash 5 prize are 1 in 9.62.
- The odds of winning the EZ Match prize are 1 in 4.82.
- The odds of winning the Cash 5 with EZ Match prize are 1 in 3.45.
Cash 5 tickets are available for purchase at over 5,000 Virginia Lottery retailers. Additionally, you can conveniently buy them from VA Lotto self-service machines.
Although there are numerous lottery games available for play at VALottery.com, Cash 5 cannot be purchased online.
Related Articles
