Focus group member is first winner of new Kentucky Lottery game

Feb 21, 2012, 9:03 am (33 comments)

Kentucky Lottery

Big win comes less than one week after game's launch

When Louisville resident Steven McIntyre received a coupon in the mail last week from the Kentucky Lottery, he admits he never could have anticipated being at lottery headquarters days later holding a four-foot-long check for $100,000.

But that was the scene Monday morning as McIntyre became the first top prize winner in the new 5 Card Cash game. He matched all five card symbols from Saturday night's drawing to win the $100,000 top prize. 5 Card Cash just went on sale six days before his win.

However, McIntyre's involvement with the game goes back even further. "I'm a member of the lottery's Player's Fun Club, and about a year ago I was in an online focus group looking at different game concepts," said McIntyre. "I remember seeing the game that used card symbols instead of numbers, and it really caught my eye because it seemed simple and fun to play. There's no way at that point I could ever have imagined winning it."

Fast forward to last week, when McIntyre got a coupon in the mail offering a free 5 Card Cash ticket with the purchase of two other game tickets. "I took the coupon to the Dongar Food Mart station on Bardstown Road, got my three tickets, and immediately had a $2 instant win on one of them," he said. "I checked the lottery's website Saturday night to see what winning card symbols had been drawn, and kept looking at the computer screen and my ticket over and over because they matched!"

McIntyre knew he'd won, but didn't know how much. "Then I remembered I had one of the brochures about the game in my truck," he said. "I went flying out of my house in my pajamas, ran to the truck and grabbed the brochure. I almost fell over when I saw the top prize was $100,000!"

The data services technician for AT&T plans to pay off some bills and possibly travel with his winnings.

Five Card Cash tickets are available at all Kentucky Lottery retailers, and drawings for the $2 game are conducted Monday through Saturday nights. The game first went on sale February 12.

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Comments

dk1421's avatardk1421

Wow! A state lottery that listened to a focus group??!! How extraordinary!

mcginnin56

Lucky Dog!!!Lep

dpoly1's avatardpoly1

Congrats to the winner!

A Government entity that listened to the Citizens!

I hope that this idea catches on at all levels of Government! Patriot

New York's avatarNew York

This is an epic story. Nice win too. LOL @: "I went flying out of my house in my pajamas, ran to the truck and grabbed the brochure. I almost fell over when I saw the top prize was $100,000!"

I suggest you go to Disney World Steve! Disney Yes Nod

I know I will. =P

Littleoldlady's avatarLittleoldlady

I played this game once and this is my opinion, it sucks.  The top prize is 100,000.00 for a 2 dollar ticket.  This is the game that replaced 3 line lotto which had a roll over jackpot.  They are making bundles with this game (the state).  After I had played it (bought 24.00 worth of tickets)..it seemed such a "let down".  So I have stopped playing it and instead play cash 5 and PB. If this game lasts for more than 2 years it is because it is making boodles of money for the state. For the price of this game, I just don't think the customer is getting a fair shake.

Todd's avatarTodd

The game (5 Card Cash) is modeled after the Poker Lotto games that were started throughout Canada last year. Kentucky is the first state to offer this game in the USA.

Poker Lotto is doing very well in Canada so far, and I think the addition of the instant win feature in Kentucky's game is going to make it even more popular.

Tickets cost $2, but for that $2 you're getting 2 games in 1 -- an instant-win game and the nightly drawing game.

I think it's a nice move by the Kentucky Lottery, as it offers something completely new and different, and the poker aspect appeals to a lot of gamers.

RedStang's avatarRedStang

Looked the game up.I think this would do good here in the northeast. Lots of poker heads around. What time is the first drawing?

Littleoldlady's avatarLittleoldlady

Most of the instant wins are 2.00 for the 2.00 you get a copy of your "winning" ticket to play for the night's drawing and another free ticket.  This game is like scratch offs on steroids.  I personally do not think it is worth the price of the game.  They need more 100,000.00 winners to convince me otherwise. 

mcginnin56

Anybody following the new game that will day-view this March 11, called "Lucky For Life". Six New England states will be participating. My state of NH will be phasing out a crappy game called 'Weekly Grand". Both games are for $2/ticket. Top prize will be $1,000 a day for life (twenty years).

Some decent lower tier prizes ($25,000, $2,000, $100, $50, $5, $4, $2).

You select 5 numbers from pool of 40; and one lucky ball from pool of 21.

Drawings will be twice a week Monday and Thursday nights.

I'm definitely getting some action on this game!    Banana

dallascowboyfan's avatardallascowboyfan

Congrats to the winner..................

dpoly1's avatardpoly1

I went to the Pittsburgh Auto Show yesterday ......... expensive automobiles are not just expensive ............... they are full of the highest quality materials and craftsmanship. This is why the Jackpot was invented ............... that's the way that I see it.

Pennsylvania is overdue for our first big winner in Mega Millions tonite! Dance

2012 Bentley Continental GTC Picture this car  will make just about anyone more handsome Cool

faber98

Quote: Originally posted by RedStang on Feb 21, 2012

Looked the game up.I think this would do good here in the northeast. Lots of poker heads around. What time is the first drawing?

we are probably too smart in the northeast to fall for this gyp of a game. let's see there are 52 cards in a deck,(thus 52 combinations). you need 5 out of 52 to get the 100g's. the price is 2.00 (understanding that 1.00 is a scratch off portion which you are forced to buy). most states cash 5 drawings only have 35 numbers that you can select. why would anyone play this? they assign you the cards that you hope to match up instead of being able to pick your own 5 numbers. with an extra 17 possible combinations it is quite possibly the biggest rip off in lottery history. they are preying on the novelty of poker or playing cards to lure the unsuspecting kentuckyites. stay away from this one. no wonder they offer it every nite. savvy lottery players will soon catch on.

dpoly1's avatardpoly1

Quote: Originally posted by faber98 on Feb 21, 2012

we are probably too smart in the northeast to fall for this gyp of a game. let's see there are 52 cards in a deck,(thus 52 combinations). you need 5 out of 52 to get the 100g's. the price is 2.00 (understanding that 1.00 is a scratch off portion which you are forced to buy). most states cash 5 drawings only have 35 numbers that you can select. why would anyone play this? they assign you the cards that you hope to match up instead of being able to pick your own 5 numbers. with an extra 17 possible combinations it is quite possibly the biggest rip off in lottery history. they are preying on the novelty of poker or playing cards to lure the unsuspecting kentuckyites. stay away from this one. no wonder they offer it every nite. savvy lottery players will soon catch on.

That is why I stick to Mega Millions and Powerball.

If I were good enough at math, I would simply play real poker at casinos.

And for the other reason that I play for big money ............ see below:

sandia's avatarsandia

Quote: Originally posted by dpoly1 on Feb 21, 2012

That is why I stick to Mega Millions and Powerball.

If I were good enough at math, I would simply play real poker at casinos.

And for the other reason that I play for big money ............ see below:

dpoly,

   You never EVER cease to amaze me with your taste for the finer things in life. LOL. But heck, that is why we play the lottery, to obtain the finer things in life, n'est pas?...Naughty

   May our ship dock sooner than later....he he heSun Smiley

  P.S. dpoly: I apologize if my diplomatic stance and responses to IBeattheodds (the creature has been banned, I hope) seemed to be a bit harsh. I prefer to reason through entire arguements and try to respect everybody's opinion, provided they show respect for others as well.

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