Bronx woman hits $2M Powerball prize with fortune cookie numbers

Mar 6, 2014, 4:43 pm (35 comments)

Powerball

So you thought the lucky numbers inside those Chinese fortune cookies were a joke?

Don't tell that to Emma Duvoll, 75, of the Bronx, New York.

Duvoll played the lucky numbers from inside a fortune cookie on a Powerball ticket for the Feb. 1 drawing with a $193 million jackpot.

When she matched five numbers, Duvoll won $2 million, the New York Lottery said Thursday.

"I was surprised, but pleased," Duvoll told lottery officials.

She purchased the winning ticket at the Hannaford market on Ted Drive in upstate Pine Bush.

Her ticket matched the numbers 5, 12, 15, 27 and 38 but missed out on the Powerball, 7. Matching five numbers won $1 million.

Because she chose the Power Play option — paying an extra $1 — she increased her payout to $2 million.

She will get a onetime lump-sum payment totaling $1,246,085 after required withholdings, the lottery said.

"I took some time contemplating what I will do with the money," Duvall said Thursday in Manhattan, where several other New York City winners were introduced, according to the lottery. "I plan to invest most of it, and maybe take a trip to Switzerland to visit family."

News story photo(Click to display full-size in gallery)

News story photo(Click to display full-size in gallery)

News story photo(Click to display full-size in gallery)

Lottery Post Staff

Comments

Artist77's avatarArtist77

Wow!  A fortune cookie number and powerplay!  Impressive player.

CDanaT's avatarCDanaT

It's a conspiracy I tell ya... the chinese are putting messages in food....They are takin' over....

ALRIGHT EMMA !!!! kudos to you and your choice...gotta like it  Thumbs Up

Get paid's avatarGet paid

Great story,it doesn,t matter where or how you divise ur numbers fortune cookie,birthdays,ages address,etc.Its all the luck of the draw.A dollar an a dream,mega here I COME.

green sandals's avatargreen sandals

That's adorable.

s5thomps's avatars5thomps

Thumbs Up Just think if she would would have brought 50 tickets with the "powerplay" option...that would be a cool 100 million! The folks at the Powerball association would have lost their minds! Or better yet if 50 people from around the country would have played those same numbers like a occurrence that happened years ago with "fortune cookie" numbers. The investigation committee would have been out in full force then! Congrats to the lucky lady....may the money out live her.  At 75 that shouldn't be a problem.

DDOH937's avatarDDOH937

Quote: Originally posted by s5thomps on Mar 6, 2014

Thumbs Up Just think if she would would have brought 50 tickets with the "powerplay" option...that would be a cool 100 million! The folks at the Powerball association would have lost their minds! Or better yet if 50 people from around the country would have played those same numbers like a occurrence that happened years ago with "fortune cookie" numbers. The investigation committee would have been out in full force then! Congrats to the lucky lady....may the money out live her.  At 75 that shouldn't be a problem.

You know what, i've been thinking of doing similar to your suggestion, it occurred to me one day walking through the woods.. I know it sounds crazy but one draw i plan buy like 100 tickets of the same numbers but was thinking of Mega Millions. Its something i'll definitely do one day. Like if i get a dream or have a 'feeling' about a set of numbers. Just think, you could buy 100 MM tickets with multiplier and end up winning $500 MILLION. What the Heck would they do? They'd be investigating for a year. hahah. And to top it off the amount you would win would be the full $500 MILLION. Since it wasnt the jackpot, you wouldnt be getting the 'cash option prize' but instead the total amount. I'm definitely doing it one day. Not this week though, too broke this weekend and no good feeling about a set of numbers. Going to do it though, just watch me take Mega Millions to the bank. Might just go crazy and buy 200 tickets one day instead, that a possible BILLION!!! LOL!!!!

noise-gate

This is one of the reasons l think having a " system" can at times mean squat.If one can win with numbers from a wedding, birthday, baptism, why not a Fortune cookie? Numbers are all around us folk, winning numbers at that.
Congratulations.

Party

JonnyBgood07's avatarJonnyBgood07

fortune cookie numbers were the only way I ever hit PB 4+0 with PP for $400 a few years back.

Horray for fortune numbers!

Piaceri

What did the fortune say?  I have a fortune cookie number in my picked numbers. It came from a fortune that said "May you grow rich". Big Grin

HaveABall's avatarHaveABall

Quote: Originally posted by Artist77 on Mar 6, 2014

Wow!  A fortune cookie number and powerplay!  Impressive player.

I Agree! Banana

mrcraft's avatarmrcraft

I recall there were a large number of 2nd place winners years ago in Powerball, something like over 100.  The officials suspected foul play only to find out that 5 winning numbers were printed on thousands of fortune cookie inserts and many people played them.

You can never discount fortune cookie lotto predictions...  Wink

noise-gate

Do numbers from a Fortune Cookie qualify as a " Quick Pick?"

 

RedStang's avatarRedStang

Strange story. She gets the numbers from Manhattan then plays them 2hrs away at a town in the middle of no where. Guessing she went to the nearby casino.

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

I usually don't get along with Swissmen but she looks like a nice lady.

So I wish her the best.

Swiss cheese is highly overrated though.

And that's what usually starts the arguments.

They just can't accept that fact.

The Swiss are very hardheaded people.

Subscribe to this news story