CHARLESTON, W.V. — Larry Hughes of Kimball, West Virginia, may soon have relatives he never knew he had coming out to Kimball to visit him after winning $302,600 on Thursday night's Daily 4 drawing. West Virginia Lottery Director John Musgrave announced today that Hughes and his family came to Charleston on Friday to claim the prize.
Hughes played the numbers "1-2-3-4" 60 times on a straight bet, and the same numbers on a straight/box. Although he doesn't always bet $61, he bets the same numbers every day. The top prize in the Daily 4 is $5,000, but Hughes pushed his winnings over the $300,000 mark by betting the same numbers 61 times.
"This is a unique story," Randy Burnside, West Virginia Lottery public relations and drawing manager said. "We talked for about 20 minutes when he came up here to claim his winnings. He plays those same numbers every day, and from what I understand, he always plays at the Bantam Market in Welch."
"I play the 1-2-3-4 every day and I buy at least 60 tickets each day," Hughes was quoted as stating in a West Virginia Lottery press release. "I have been playing the West Virginia Lottery's Daily 4 game since it started and I never miss a day. I don't think you will find a better return on investment for $61 bucks."
Hughes, a contractor from Kimball, has won before with his lucky numbers, according to information supplied in a press release from the West Virginia Lottery. He won a total of $52,600 from the Daily 4 drawing on March 14, 2006 and he hit again for the same amount of winnings from the Jan. 12, 2008 drawing. Until Thursday, those were the only two times in the game's history that those numbers (1-2-3-4) popped out of the Daily 4 draw machine in numerical order, according to the W.Va. Lottery.
"I was working on a job in Bluefield and I sat down at 6:59 p.m., and told the guys that I hope my wife (Maria) calls in the next minute. If she does, our numbers came up. Then the phone rang and I didn't even have to answer to know what had happened." Kimball was quoted as stating in the Lottery Commission's press release.
"I don't know if he has any immediate plans," Burnside said. "He said that he and his wife were planning on taking a vacation. This might make a vacation a little better."
Burnside said that proceeds from the Lottery go to help education, projects for senior citizens, tourism, Homestead Exemptions, state parks and improvements for higher education, according to Burnside.
Congrats,Mr. Hughes!
60 bucks a day!!...holy cow...this is the dream hit.
Oh my goodness! I'm hyperventilating over this one, congrats to Mr. Hughes!
Congratulation Mr. Hughes
Huge Congrats
For some it's as easy as 1-2-3 & 4
Nice work.
It kinda puts a squelch to "How much would you play on a number?"
Proof that there is no use to playing small ball when you want to win!
Chalk one up for the systems players. This man was expecting a certain thing to happen, and it did.
60.00 dollars a day, no telling how long he has been playing......he may have broke even.
There is no better investment for $61 dollars? On a bet that pays out 50% and after taxes your real rate of return is 35%. This guy might be down $300000 betting this bet for as long as he has.
"Larry Hughes of Kimball, West Virginia, may soon have relatives he never knew he had coming out to Kimball to visit him after winning $302,600 on Thursday night's Daily 4 drawing."
Ain't that the truth.
no telling how long he has been playing
Really? No Telling? The article says the last time he hit was in 08................
$60 a day for 5 years is $109,500.
Most people do this as a hobby, for fun...... When they hit big its just a bonus.
big time payday for mr hughes! congrats to him on winning 300K!
In most states pick3 and pick4 can be played daily, with 365 days in a year, spending $60 a day mounts up to spending $21,900 a year. If he has only been doing it for ten years, then he's ahead not accounting for taxes.
Congrat's to Mr Hughes on his win. Nice payday. I think he could do without family visiiting that he never knew.
He states he played since the Pick 4 first started in WV. According to the WV lotto website, the Daily 4 goes back to Feb 1987.
Just to give a little context, if he's truly been spending $61/day for the past 26 years, he's spent over $578,000 for his $400,000+ return he's won in the past 7.
Plus, now he's gotta give Uncle Sammy his unearned cut.
Cool, congrats
First Washington State, 1 2 3 4 and now West Virginia.
Two makes three so where next?
WTG! mr,hughes
I guess it's just the THRILL of winning
i get excited when i win $15.00 not thinking about the $20.00 i spent
are you going to get $60.00 worth
The article also says Mr Hughs has been playing the Daily 4 since it started, which appears to be 1987 at the WVA website. $60 a day for 26 years is $569,400.
The article says...
"I play the 1-2-3-4 every day and I buy at least 60 tickets each day," Hughes was quoted as stating in a West Virginia Lottery press release. "I have been playing the West Virginia Lottery's Daily 4 game since it started and I never miss a day. I don't think you will find a better return on investment for $61 bucks."
--Jimmy4164
Edit: Oops - I see ameriken already pointed this out.
Right, but it doesn't change the fact that all he spent on the day that he won is $61.
$300k on a $61. investment cant be beaten. Its BETTER than you will ever do Jammy.
WV Daily 4 started 2/26/87, 9598 days until 6/6/13 draw, where he won 60x str $5000 + 1x str/box $2600 for total $302,600.
But analysis of the past amounts and his betting pattern suggests that for 3/14/06 and 1/12/08 draws he got 10x str $5000 + 1x str/box $2600 for total $52,600.
Playing 1-2-3-4 every day and 60 tickets each day conflicts with past amounts, so I would assume he was playing less in the past, $11 instead of $61.
Assuming $11 from 2/26/87 through 1/12/08, 7626 days at $11 equals $83,886. And then upping his play amount to $61 after the 2nd win from 1/13/08 thru 6/6/13, 1972 days at $61 equals $120,292.
Total spent: $204,178
Total won: $407,800
Not bad.
Congrats Larry!