Running an errand for another lottery player convinced her to play
By Kate Northrop
YORKTOWN, Va. — A Virginia woman won $50,000 playing Pick 5, and it was her first lottery ticket purchase ever.
A Virginia woman had some incredible beginner's luck when she decided to play the lottery for the first time and won a $50,000 Pick 5 top prize.
Katelynne Berland of Yorktown was out running errands for her mother, which included getting some lottery tickets on her behalf. Then she thought, why not try it out herself?
She decided to play the lottery for the first time and settled on the Virginia Lottery's Pick 5 draw game. She bought a lottery ticket with the numbers 2-9-4-2-3 in the April 14 day drawing at 7-Eleven on Ottis Street in Yorktown.
That ticket ended up winning the game's $50,000 top prize.
The odds of winning the top prize by matching all five winning numbers in exact order are 1 in 100,000.
Berland visited a Lottery office to claim her prize and was presented with a check on April 24. With the winnings, she plans to help her sister pay for college tuition, Berland told the Lottery.
Pick 5 was launched in Virginia last June and includes the Fireball feature offered in the Lottery's Pick 3 and Pick 4 games. For an extra $1, players can add the Fireball option to give a ticket's numbers another chance to win a prize.
Pick 5 drawings take place twice a day, first at 1:59 pm Eastern Time and then again at 11:00 pm Eastern Time. The cutoff time for the day drawing occurs daily at 1:53 pm and at 10:45 pm for the night drawing.
All Pick 5 winning numbers, prizes, and odds are published on Lottery Post's Virginia Lottery Results page right after each drawing.
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What is it with these first time players winning big? Two stories in one week.
Time for a story of a LP member winning it big!!
I thought there was one a few months ago also. It could be an attention grab to say that. They way she is holding that fake check is a cry out for attention. A social media thing that I fail to get I guess. She's going to get 34k. Nothing to sneeze at but it can go quick. This game is basically a 10.00 pik 4. I'm not running out and trying to get an exact order 5 digit number out of 100,000 possibilities with a 50% takeout.
So jealous. She is simply happy about winning. What cry for attention????
No jealous at all. Happy for her but the game she won is just a daily numbers game on steroids. She did not have to pose with that check for such a paltry amount. They asked her to for publicity for their dead game which no one plays I believe. Pointing out that all of Virginia who have never played before can win too is a publicity stunt.
Wait, what? She won $50,000 and that's not enough to pose with a check?? Geez Louise.
And saying Pick 5 is a "dead game" is downright strange. Pick 5 numbers games are rising in popularity around the country, and are actively being added to states.
Her pose in the photo is awesome and shows how happy she is. I'm just not understanding the shade you're throwing at this young lady.
So, if you played the lottery for the 1st time and won $50K You wouldn't celebrate?
Yeah right..That's a pile of BS
It's called beginner's luck.
Now, she'll most likely be playing from now on.
I guess it is OK to believe that story that it was her first time playing along with the one yesterday and the one a few weeks ago. I guess it wouldn't be to help increase sales by non players.
What is going on with LP and all these sore losers? There seems to be more than a few of these members.
confucius say never pose with big promo check for an amount less than $5 billion.
Virginia lottery had a story on FB today. Lady meant to play MM, but 'accidentally' bought a PB ticket and won a million dollars!!
I've done that before, minus the part about winning a million from my mistake.
That is one happy Lady, congrats to her, enjoy every minute and keep the happiness going.
Really, I won a blue ribbon for a blanket I crocheted once, I was so happy and proud I showed it to everybody. I would have posed for pictures.
A couple of months ago VA lottery on FB posted a picture, more of a joke than anything. A guy won a bank breaking FOUR dollars and had his face plastered on FB holding a big fake check like her.
Yet a few years ago everyone was crying about anonymity. You can't publish my name many were saying. All kinds of scoundrels will come out of the woodwork and try to wrestle it away from me. Virginia lottery apparently has an energetic publicity department and encourage winners to go public.
Katelynne Berland of Yorktown was out running errands for her mother, which included getting some lottery tickets on her behalf. Then she thought, why not try it out herself?
She decided to play the lottery for the first time and settled on the Virginia Lottery's Pick 5 draw game. She bought a lottery ticket with the numbers 2-9-4-2-3 in the April 14 day drawing at 7-Eleven on Ottis Street in Yorktown.
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She was out getting getting tickets for her mom anyhow,so why not?
I'm guessing she chose those numbers herself; If so that's great,If not she still won just the same. Maybe it was meant to be.
I mean,it sounds like she only bought the one ticket
It was probably a quick pick. Having never played the lottery before which I doubt sincerely but if true she probably would not filled out a card unless her mother gave her certain 5 digit numbers to play then maybe. Details left out of article about that part of it. Oh, I think I will play 2,9,4,2,3 isn't a combination that just pops into your head. This game would be dangerous to the Virginia lottery if 1,2,3,4,5 came in as there would probably be multiple winners.
But there would be so many winners of 1-2-3-4-5,that the payout would be diluted if it actually fell.
Do they actually all win the top prize or is it split evenly as in some other states?
Not sure on Pick 5
I Think in NJ And Cali it's parimutuel in P3/P4 .
In Ontario, it 's parimutuel in Pick 3 only.Pick 4 is the same payout as other states.
Karen, from Virginia lottery confirmed it was a QP.
Thanks for clarifying BD or is it Bluechien?
Blue dog in french translates to Chien Bleu
(The noun comes first,followed by the adjective in French)
Aside from that how is the payout handled?
If there are multiple winners of the same Straight combo is the prize split evenly?
Just curious...Bux
If I ever win a jackpot and have to pose for a photo, I now plan to say it is my first time buying a lottery ticket. Then I can laugh at the occasional sore loser on LP who will say
"That is not her first time playing! It should be MY turn!"
Then it would be your turn to get exploited by a state lottery commission to help promote their games whose sales may be slumping. I am sure you wouldn't mind however.
Someone clearly does not understand sarcasm.
And yes. you agree to the state lottery laws, rules, and policy when you cash in a winning ticket. I think everyone else on lp is aware of this fact.
You are required to have your picture taken and they are allowed to promote it. You are not required to be overly exuberant about it or have to explain or concoct some story about how or why you won to help future sales for them and make yourself well known and a potential target for bilkers.
the virginia lottery faq says they will take your photo when you win and may hold a press conference. i'm not a lawyer, brah, but i don't think they can force you to smile for a photo or look good while holding your check or make you say anything other than a grunt. during the press conference you could rip one, or pretend to have diarrhea. you seem like a guy who knows how to make himself unpleasant to be around so if you ever win the virginia lottery i think you will find a way to weasel out of the publicity.
Beans beans the musical fruit...
It is Bleu dog; my first rescue, that was his name. A Jack Russell/Blue heeler. He already had that name. I miss him terribly.
After taxes she would get the whole thing, what ever that is.