Can you think of a better bet?
By Kate Northrop
MCLEAN, Va. — A last minute splurge led to the Virginia Lottery paying out $1 million to one player after his 200 identical plays matched the winning numbers in a single Pick 4 drawing.
Ali Ghaemi might hold the crown for the greatest decision to splurge ever after he scooped a million dollars in one Virginia Lottery Pick 4 drawing with 200 identical plays.
On September 6, the Alexandria resident bought 200 plays for that night's Pick 4 drawing using the number combination 0-2-6-5. Each play costs $1, bringing his total spend for one drawing to $200.
Ghaemi's decision to put $200 down on one Pick 4 drawing had to do with timing and a feeling — he explained that he was preparing to leave town and decided to place a big bet to see what happens.
When his numbers came up that night in the drawing, something certainly happened. He won the game's $5,000 top prize 200 times for a total of $1 million.
Unlike most exuberant lottery winners in a similar situation, Ghaemi "took it all in stride," the Lottery said in a press release.
"I must tell you, I really haven't hit the ceiling," the retired real estate investor told the Lottery. "I can't tell you that I jumped up."
The winner bought all 200 tickets at the Safeway on Anderson Road in McLean for the September 6 drawing.
Pick 4 drawings take place twice a day at 1:59 pm EST and 11:00 pm EST. The odds of matching all four numbers in exact order are 1 in 10,000.
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Way to go, Ali.
Amazing. Congrats.
I'm loving it, always a firm believer, P4 with its better odds= the way to go, and that's just proof again,
when i see this..."
My friend, he spent so much trying to win Mega and or P-Ball ,barely even winning a few bucks.
He now is playing more of the P4 games, for months now
I am very happy for this man. Very. Congrats, ALI! Great Job!
Congrats Ali!!
wow, to beat 1 and 10000 odds, unbelievable
This what I call being in tune to your intuition
All of these Virginia players buying a lot of tickets. I checked the VA lottery website and you can buy 100 pick 4 tickets as an option. I need a hunch from the lottery fairy to even buy 1.
Nice hunch, well done Ali.
All I can say is WOW !! I wouldn't have the basketballs to do that !!!!!!!
God Bless you Sir!
Considering the the odds of winning $200 matching 3 + 1 in MM is 1 in 14,547 and 1 in 14,494 for doing the same thing in PB to win $100, It should be obvious the pick 4 odds of 1 in 10,000 to win $5000 is a much better bet.
And for the same $2, pick 4 players can get four chances to $2500.
This is totally awesome. Way to go lucky fella
I'm afraid that if these kind of winnings continue, the lottery party poopers will have to put a limit on everything. The house never likes to lose money. They will try to modify the game rules.