Cool and calm under pressure
By Kate Northrop
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — An Arkansas man denied himself a celebration of a $500,000 scratch-off lottery prize until he could receive absolute confirmation that it was real.
Expecting to leave a convenience store with a snack, one Arkansas resident left with a $500,000 lottery prize instead.
Oliver J. of Prairie County was hankering for a snack and a drink as part of his daily routine, so he stopped at Wa Wa Mart on Baseline Road in Little Rock as he usually does.
As a regular lottery player, Oliver prefers scratch-off games, so he decided to pick up a ticket while he was at the store. He chose a ticket from the $20 "200X the Win" instant game. He got to work right away and began scratching it off in the store.
Oliver didn't think much of it, his mind already wandering ahead to the errands he had yet to run and the barbershop appointment waiting for him. The $500,000 prize he saw on the ticket made everything come to a crashing halt.
While many players recount jumping for joy in the retailer or even celebrating with the clerk behind the counter, Oliver kept his excitement under wraps. Staying calm under pressure must run in the family — he showed the ticket to his brother, who had the same measured reaction.
"I didn't get too excited," Oliver's brother told the Arkansas Lottery. "I wanted confirmation."
Oliver skipped the rest of his errands — including his haircut — and instead went straight to an Arkansas Lottery Claim Center to verify the $500,000 win with his brother.
"I feel good!" the winner told Lottery officials once they gave him the confirmation he was looking for.
He currently does not have any plans for the winnings.
Oliver claimed the final top prize of $500,000 in the $20 "200X the Win" game out of the four originally available at the game's launch in February. The one $50,000 second-tier prize and two third-tier $20,000 prizes have also been claimed. There is just one out of two remaining fourth-tier prizes of $10,000 remaining.
The overall odds of winning any prize in the game are 1 in 2.98.
I don't play scratch off games but if I won any jackpot, I would suppress that 100% forever.
I live in a state where winners can remain anonymous and I will be that guy, suppressing everything.
Even the house fly won't know a <snip> thing.
Now the MM jackpot is 740M, I am not sure how successful I will be at suppressing that win. I think I would have to move to another place or state and they won't know that I used to drive a Corolla before the BMW X3 🤣
wait he wanted a snack well the other day same happen to me also bought a scratch ticket too guess what nothing blank zip
IDK what I'd do. All these end of the year feel good stories piling in.
BTW, Mega Millions jumped to $760 a few hours ago. (I thought it would bump up a tad higher!)
The good thing is that I don't develop attachment to places, so I can easily move at the bat of an eyelid.
I think moving to a different place really helps with not raising eyebrows when you get some new toys 🤣
I wouldn't need to move no one knows I exist where I have lived for 7+ years. So if I did win a life changing amount no one would believe if I told them and if you do need to move due to your expensive toys littering the yard you need to change your image. Have you ever seen a broke rich guy or have have you seen a rich bum. Dress the part you want to play and BLEND IN.