For years, Bobby Guffey of Roanoke has been playing the same numbers in an attempt to win the Hoosier Lottery.
His picks represent a combination of ages and numbers representing the months of his kids' birthdays.
But when he bought a ticket for the Aug. 6 drawing of the Hoosier Lotto game at the Econoasis in Huntington, it was dark and he had forgotten his bifocals. He didn't realize until he was outside that the last number was accidentally "48" instead of his usual "46."
It turns out that twist of fate was a blessing, though, it won him $3 million.
"My wife says it pays to be blind," Guffey said Thursday during a media event at the Indiana State Fair to accept his winnings.
Ironically, he went back inside to buy a ticket with his usual numbers, and that ticket netted him $1,000 for correctly selecting all but one number.
Bobby and Janell Guffey decided to take their prize in a lump-sum payment of $1.2 million.
Janell Guffey told Hoosiers gathered at Thursday's event that they are going to pay off their house, take a cruise to Hawaii next year and set up a trust fund for their five children and 10 grandchildren.
Oh yeah, and she really wants a Nintendo Wii.
"Christmas will be a lot nicer," she said.
But they aren't getting too crazy. Both will continue to work.
Bobby Guffey works at Gladieux Trading and Marketing in Fort Wayne, and Janell Guffey works at a small factory in Fort Wayne that she didn't want to name.
Bobby Guffey said he has been playing the lottery since it started in 1989 because he thinks it's a fun bit of competition. Over the years, he said he has probably won $5,000 on various tickets.
He called it his "thing" — a vice rather than alcohol or cigarettes.
For selling Bobby Guffey the winning ticket, the Econoasis, 7462 N. U.S. 24 E. in Huntington, will receive a $30,000 bonus.
He didn't immediately check the ticket to see whether he was a winner. In fact, his wife ran into someone at another store a few days later who mentioned that the Econoasis had sold a winner.
After discovering he had won, Bobby Guffey said he kept rechecking the ticket's numbers for days — as if it were a mirage. But the money wired to their bank account Thursday was no joke.
How can anyone doubt that there's a Lottery Fairy and she either smiles on you or not:
But when he bought a ticket for the Aug. 6 drawing of the HoosierLotto game at the Econoasis in Huntington, it was dark and he hadforgotten his bifocals. He didn't realize until he was outside that thelast number was accidentally "48" instead of his usual "46."
It turns out that twist of fate was a blessing, though, it won him $3 million.
Twist of fate indeed!
"My wife says it pays to be blind," Guffey said Thursday during a media event at the Indiana State Fair to accept his winnings.
Ironically,he went back inside to buy a ticket with his usual numbers, and thatticket netted him $1,000 for correctly selecting all but one number.
Pretty good evidence that it's all luck and just luck. some people spend lifetimes playing birthdays and what have you and never hit.....even when birthdays do hit, there's a force in the cosmos that matches the drawings with those dates, or not - God's timeline if you will.
Quote: Originally posted by Coin Toss on Aug 16, 2008
How can anyone doubt that there's a Lottery Fairy and she either smiles on you or not:
But when he bought a ticket for the Aug. 6 drawing of the HoosierLotto game at the Econoasis in Huntington, it was dark and he hadforgotten his bifocals. He didn't realize until he was outside that thelast number was accidentally "48" instead of his usual "46."
It turns out that twist of fate was a blessing, though, it won him $3 million.
Twist of fate indeed!
"My wife says it pays to be blind," Guffey said Thursday during a media event at the Indiana State Fair to accept his winnings.
Ironically,he went back inside to buy a ticket with his usual numbers, and thatticket netted him $1,000 for correctly selecting all but one number.
Pretty good evidence that it's all luck and just luck. some people spend lifetimes playing birthdays and what have you and never hit.....even when birthdays do hit, there's a force in the cosmos that matches the drawings with those dates, or not - God's timeline if you will.
And what made the guy forget his glasses, huh?
God works in mysterious ways. Congratulations to the winner.
Why does every lotto winner have a story to tell how they picked the winning numbers?
It makes a nice story and the people are excited! You can always say "I have no idea. I just closed my eyes and let the little green pencil do its thing." I've seen many press releases in FL that just announce the winner with no personal comments whatsoever.
I guess a smart thing to say would be "My system finally worked!!!" and then sell some books. LOL
Quote: Originally posted by justxploring on Aug 16, 2008
It makes a nice story and the people are excited! You can always say "I have no idea. I just closed my eyes and let the little green pencil do its thing." I've seen many press releases in FL that just announce the winner with no personal comments whatsoever.
I guess a smart thing to say would be "My system finally worked!!!" and then sell some books. LOL
Of all the winners I've ever seen interviewed only one ever mentioned a system, and it was a guy from Ethiopia who had won PB or MM.
He had a thick accent and spoke very fast, and after he explained how he picked the numbers, the newsman looked at the camera and said, "Got that? I sure didn't"
Quote: Originally posted by Coin Toss on Aug 16, 2008
Of all the winners I've ever seen interviewed only one ever mentioned a system, and it was a guy from Ethiopia who had won PB or MM.
He had a thick accent and spoke very fast, and after he explained how he picked the numbers, the newsman looked at the camera and said, "Got that? I sure didn't"
What about that "Brad" person who said he was going to turn his jackpot into billions? Didn't he say he had a system (but never revealed it.)
Edit: Found it. Name was Brad Duke. He said he "developed a little numbering system."
By the way, all the stories about Brad proves that even a winner who enjoys putting his photo in the paper and appearing on TV is soon forgotten. (By most people, that is. We at LP do not represent the norm! lol) I mean, when do you ever hear about this guy any more? The Jack Whittakers of this world aren't as common as the press would like us to believe. Most people take their millions and go on to enjoy a comfortable life. Bad news just sells more.
Quote: Originally posted by justxploring on Aug 16, 2008
It makes a nice story and the people are excited! You can always say "I have no idea. I just closed my eyes and let the little green pencil do its thing." I've seen many press releases in FL that just announce the winner with no personal comments whatsoever.
I guess a smart thing to say would be "My system finally worked!!!" and then sell some books. LOL
Lol Might as well make more money while you got the chance.
Last story on him was in March 2008 but I think it only appeared in either a local or a state-wide newspaper. I'm sure he's still the talk of his town though obviously the random schmo isn't going to know who he is, heck I doubt any of us would if we walked by or talked to him, unless maybe you catch his name. Just hope no one you meet or get acquainted with decides to later put your name in a search engine and see what they can find.
"Just hope no one you meet or get acquainted with decides to later put your name in a search engine and see what they can find." DC81
You've got that right! I never thought about it until I saw my name & photo on the internet. Not that I'm on America's Most Wanted list, but once I let a young reporter ask me if I was prepared for the hurricane season and later that week saw my picture online. If you had to choose the worst photo ever taken of me, that had to be the one. I was also misquoted and sounded like a moron.
When I put my name in the search engine, all I got so far is something about a Christmas Bazaar (how Bizarre!) in Kansas.
It happens often enough: I put in for Middays but forgot to mark Midday and it goes for Evening and it comes out not Midday but Evening! Or they ran the Pick-5 twice and it won 3 of 5 twice. Or I win 4 times in one month and then discover that the algorithm I was using had a bug that if corrected would have won nothing. The best part is when someone wins on their own numbers, not the hot little RNG chip in the ELE7VEN green machine. In the case of using birthdays/ages then it IS luck because the numbers on the balls flying around in the draw machine aren't based on birthdays or ages. Playing such numbers makes some winners but technically it's not any better than RNG but it's nice when someone played their own numbers.
New algorithm: whatever your system picks, some or all digits ending in "6" should change to "8" and vice-versa...(variation of VTRACs??) and bringing your eyeglasses into the store is bad luck.
It all depends on what "same numbers" means. Can mean "same method of numbers". Or maybe he has a system but just tells the media it's birthdays and ages??
Wouldn't this qualify for dumb luck? Okay, blind luck would be more fitting. Congrats to them, it's not going to be a million dollars after taxes (I assume the total up there is before taxes) but that certainly should be enough to pad the retirement and help send their grand kids to college.
Thats a great story. I'm happy for him. Even mess ups can be winners lol.
But I'm wondering, because I have played numbers that meant something to me...birthdays and ages and such. But when one plays certain numbers they choose for whatever game, does that mean they play the game every time it rolls? Thinking their numbers could someday make em rich, and not wanting to miss that magical draw when all their picked balls come up, do you play every time? Or just your numbers when you feel like playing. I always wondered that. I think thats why I play qp's more often then my own. I never play every draw. MM when it hits 50M and every draw till its hit. Then not again till 50M. That way I can spread my lottery budget to my state lotto, Hit5, and the new Pick 4 that we have now..........which I haven't bought yet lol. But I see winners on the website....maybe tomorrow I'll play.
If you have your own numbers you play, do you play every draw?
Oh, I'm half blind myself lol 8's look like 6's....2's look like 3's. I need some luck now. Even though its not a huge win, I'd be very happy with getting out of debt and sending the kids to college...finishing with some vacation you thought you'd never be able to afford. That would be grrrrrrrrrrrreat!
How can anyone doubt that there's a Lottery Fairy and she either smiles on you or not:
But when he bought a ticket for the Aug. 6 drawing of the HoosierLotto game at the Econoasis in Huntington, it was dark and he hadforgotten his bifocals. He didn't realize until he was outside that thelast number was accidentally "48" instead of his usual "46."
It turns out that twist of fate was a blessing, though, it won him $3 million.
Twist of fate indeed!
"My wife says it pays to be blind," Guffey said Thursday during a media event at the Indiana State Fair to accept his winnings.
Ironically,he went back inside to buy a ticket with his usual numbers, and thatticket netted him $1,000 for correctly selecting all but one number.
Pretty good evidence that it's all luck and just luck. some people spend lifetimes playing birthdays and what have you and never hit.....even when birthdays do hit, there's a force in the cosmos that matches the drawings with those dates, or not - God's timeline if you will.
And what made the guy forget his glasses, huh?
Why does every lotto winner have a story to tell how they picked the winning numbers?
Congrats to him! He was very lucky indeed.
It makes a nice story and the people are excited! You can always say "I have no idea. I just closed my eyes and let the little green pencil do its thing." I've seen many press releases in FL that just announce the winner with no personal comments whatsoever.
I guess a smart thing to say would be "My system finally worked!!!" and then sell some books. LOL
Of all the winners I've ever seen interviewed only one ever mentioned a system, and it was a guy from Ethiopia who had won PB or MM.
He had a thick accent and spoke very fast, and after he explained how he picked the numbers, the newsman looked at the camera and said, "Got that? I sure didn't"
What about that "Brad" person who said he was going to turn his jackpot into billions? Didn't he say he had a system (but never revealed it.)
Edit: Found it. Name was Brad Duke. He said he "developed a little numbering system."
By the way, all the stories about Brad proves that even a winner who enjoys putting his photo in the paper and appearing on TV is soon forgotten. (By most people, that is. We at LP do not represent the norm! lol) I mean, when do you ever hear about this guy any more? The Jack Whittakers of this world aren't as common as the press would like us to believe. Most people take their millions and go on to enjoy a comfortable life. Bad news just sells more.
Lol Might as well make more money while you got the chance.
Last story on him was in March 2008 but I think it only appeared in either a local or a state-wide newspaper. I'm sure he's still the talk of his town though obviously the random schmo isn't going to know who he is, heck I doubt any of us would if we walked by or talked to him, unless maybe you catch his name. Just hope no one you meet or get acquainted with decides to later put your name in a search engine and see what they can find.
"Just hope no one you meet or get acquainted with decides to later put your name in a search engine and see what they can find." DC81
You've got that right! I never thought about it until I saw my name & photo on the internet. Not that I'm on America's Most Wanted list, but once I let a young reporter ask me if I was prepared for the hurricane season and later that week saw my picture online. If you had to choose the worst photo ever taken of me, that had to be the one. I was also misquoted and sounded like a moron.
For years, Bobby Guffey of Roanoke has been playing the same numbers in an attempt to win the Hoosier Lottery.
His picks represent a combination of ages and numbers representing the months of his kids' birthdays.
How could he had played the same numbers for years if his picks included the ages of his kids which changed every year?
When I put my name in the search engine, all I got so far is something about a Christmas Bazaar (how Bizarre!) in Kansas.
It happens often enough: I put in for Middays but forgot to mark Midday and it goes for Evening and it comes out not Midday but Evening! Or they ran the Pick-5 twice and it won 3 of 5 twice. Or I win 4 times in one month and then discover that the algorithm I was using had a bug that if corrected would have won nothing. The best part is when someone wins on their own numbers, not the hot little RNG chip in the ELE7VEN green machine. In the case of using birthdays/ages then it IS luck because the numbers on the balls flying around in the draw machine aren't based on birthdays or ages. Playing such numbers makes some winners but technically it's not any better than RNG but it's nice when someone played their own numbers.
New algorithm: whatever your system picks, some or all digits ending in "6" should change to "8" and vice-versa...(variation of VTRACs??) and bringing your eyeglasses into the store is bad luck.
It all depends on what "same numbers" means. Can mean "same method of numbers". Or maybe he has a system but just tells the media it's birthdays and ages??
a Christmas Bazaar (how Bizarre!)
Damn you, now I have that song stuck in my head!
Wouldn't this qualify for dumb luck? Okay, blind luck would be more fitting. Congrats to them, it's not going to be a million dollars after taxes (I assume the total up there is before taxes) but that certainly should be enough to pad the retirement and help send their grand kids to college.
Thats a great story. I'm happy for him. Even mess ups can be winners lol.
But I'm wondering, because I have played numbers that meant something to me...birthdays and ages and such. But when one plays certain numbers they choose for whatever game, does that mean they play the game every time it rolls? Thinking their numbers could someday make em rich, and not wanting to miss that magical draw when all their picked balls come up, do you play every time? Or just your numbers when you feel like playing. I always wondered that. I think thats why I play qp's more often then my own. I never play every draw. MM when it hits 50M and every draw till its hit. Then not again till 50M. That way I can spread my lottery budget to my state lotto, Hit5, and the new Pick 4 that we have now..........which I haven't bought yet lol. But I see winners on the website....maybe tomorrow I'll play.
If you have your own numbers you play, do you play every draw?
Oh, I'm half blind myself lol 8's look like 6's....2's look like 3's. I need some luck now. Even though its not a huge win, I'd be very happy with getting out of debt and sending the kids to college...finishing with some vacation you thought you'd never be able to afford. That would be grrrrrrrrrrrreat!
CONGRATS TO THEM!