Being in the right place at the right time

By Kate Northrop

LA VERGNE, Tenn. — One small change in a Tennessee man's daily routine led to a Cash4Life prize with a lifelong payout of $1,000 a week for life.

It pays to be in the right place at the right time, and one adjustment to a daily routine led to one lucky Tennessee man landing a $1,000 a week for life prize in the Cash4Life multi-state game.

William W.'s "morning coffee routine" is a simple staple in his daily regimen, but now he may be reconsidering where he gets his caffeine from now on after experiencing a lucky twist of fate.

"The store where I usually get coffee was pretty busy that morning," William told the Tennessee Lottery. "So, I went to a different place and picked up a lottery ticket or two, as well... and you see what happened!"

That new retailer turned out to be Larros Market on Old Nashville Highway in La Vergne.

The La Vergne resident, who claimed his prize last week, was "amazed" that the slight change had rewarded him so handsomely, but he isn't quite yet sure about what he'll do with the winnings.

With the win, William became the third winner of the Cash4Life second-tier prize in Tennessee, which is usually paid out in annual installments for the winner's lifetime. However, the winner can also elect to take the prize as a lump sum option. William chose the $1 million lump sum option before taxes.

Cash4Life is played by selecting five numbers from a pool of 1 to 60 as well as one Cash Ball number ranging from 1 to 4. Matching all six numbers will win a player $1,000 a day for life, while matching the first five numbers without the Cash Ball number will win the second-tier prize of $1,000 a week for life. The game offers other prizes of one-time payments ranging from $2 to $2,500.

Cash4Life is currently offered for sale in ten states including Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Drawings are conducted every night at 9:00 pm EST in New Jersey via mechanical ball drawing machines. Tickets cost $2 each.