Iowa couple claims $200M Powerball lottery jackpot

Oct 6, 2006, 11:18 am (20 comments)

Powerball

A Fort Dodge, Iowa, couple who bought three Powerball tickets during a pit stop for soda came forward Wednesday to claim the $200 million jackpot.

Tim and Kellie Guderian bought the winning ticket Sept. 23 at a Kum & Go store in Fort Dodge. They discovered their good fortune the following evening, as Kellie read off the winning numbers to an awe-struck Tim.

"What a stroke of luck," Tim Guderian said. "It seemed like a dream."

According to the Iowa lottery, the odds of winning were about 140 million-to-1.

Tim Guderian, 36, served in the Marines during Operation Desert Storm and works as an automotive detailer in Fort Dodge. His 44-year-old wife of nearly seven years is a sales associate at the Wal-Mart where the pair first met.

The Guderians chose to take the lump-sum payment, which amounts to $67.1 million after taxes.

The winning ticket numbers were computer-picked. They were 13-21-26-45-50 and Powerball 20.

Powerball, which began in 1985, is played in 29 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The biggest lottery jackpot in U.S. history is a $365 million Powerball prize won by eight workers at a Nebraska meatpacking plant in February.

AP

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sirbrad's avatarsirbrad

Kum and go? LOL. Should be called "Kum and leave a multi-millionaire."

dingo's avatardingo

Why is it often people stop for gas, for soda, for a candy bar, a vacation win have the luck. But, why not people like us who dedicate to lottery winning and buying lottery tickets weekly, winning a big prize to throw a big party.

 

It's all come down to "a stroke of luck."

wizeguy's avatarwizeguy

Congrats to the lucky Guderian family! May the money help them realize their greatest dreams.

rock_nc's avatarrock_nc

Quote: Originally posted by dingo on Oct 7, 2006

Why is it often people stop for gas, for soda, for a candy bar, a vacation win have the luck. But, why not people like us who dedicate to lottery winning and buying lottery tickets weekly, winning a big prize to throw a big party.

 

It's all come down to "a stroke of luck."

hey dingo, I agree with you on that, Ive been playing every since the lottery came to S.C.,now since N.C. has the game, I have been playing it relentlessly.Have not even hit anything over a 35.oo win.

Would not have won that much if I  had not powerplay up the dollar extra. some people has all the luck, while some of us don't...

Going to keep all playing though,can't win if you don't play..

justxploring's avatarjustxploring

 I Agree!

 

This is a really great board, but it also reinforces the belief I've always had about winning a big jackpot. I've been playing for over 30 years. I started in MA and NH in the early 70s.  I keep thinking "don't stop..if you do your numbers will come up next week!"  So like everyone else I go to the store and blow a few bucks "just in case."

RJOh's avatarRJOh

Quote: Originally posted by dingo on Oct 7, 2006

Why is it often people stop for gas, for soda, for a candy bar, a vacation win have the luck. But, why not people like us who dedicate to lottery winning and buying lottery tickets weekly, winning a big prize to throw a big party.

 

It's all come down to "a stroke of luck."

Wednesday I stopped in a gas station to buy lottery tickets and a lady ahead of me asked the clerk for $10 worth of lottery tickets and the clerk asked her "which lottery?".  She said she didn't know because she didn't play the lotteries enough to know anything about them. 

She turn to me and asked which big games were drawing that night.  I explained the MegaMillions had a drawing the night before and Rolling Cash5 and Lot'O Play drawings were that night.  She said she didn't like Lot'O Play and turn to the clerk and asked for $10 worth of QPs for Rolling Cash5, $10 worth of QPs for Friday MegaMillions and $20 worth of the new game scratch off game "Make Me Rich and Famous".

Maybe in her mind she actually thought she seldom bought lottery tickets but she knew what she wanted as if she played all the time.  I don't know why she felt she had to convince me, someone who didn't even know her, that she never plays.  A lot of people don't like to admit they play the lottery a lot even if they win.

Maybe if I ever win big, I'll also tell the news people I seldom play just so the people who play all the time and never win will feel worst.

sirbrad's avatarsirbrad

Quote: Originally posted by dingo on Oct 7, 2006

Why is it often people stop for gas, for soda, for a candy bar, a vacation win have the luck. But, why not people like us who dedicate to lottery winning and buying lottery tickets weekly, winning a big prize to throw a big party.

 

It's all come down to "a stroke of luck."

Because there is no rhyme or reason when it comes to randomness.

Just6ntlc

Congratulations to the Guderians on winning the PB Jackpot and take cash. I hope the Guderians don't have financial problems later in life (spend it wisely).

justxploring's avatarjustxploring

Maybe in her mind she actually thought she seldom bought lottery tickets but she knew what she wanted as if she played all the time.  I don't know why she felt she had to convince me, someone who didn't even know her, that she never plays.  A lot of people don't like to admit they play the lottery a lot even if they win.  RJOh

 

It's all relative, I guess. I have neighbors who say they never play but I always see them checking their numbers.  I want to keep this clean, so I'll just say there are a lot of taboo things people do all the time that they won't admit it, so maybe the stigma of buying lottery tickets all the time is one of them!

floridian's avatarfloridian

Quote: Originally posted by justxploring on Oct 7, 2006

 I Agree!

 

This is a really great board, but it also reinforces the belief I've always had about winning a big jackpot. I've been playing for over 30 years. I started in MA and NH in the early 70s.  I keep thinking "don't stop..if you do your numbers will come up next week!"  So like everyone else I go to the store and blow a few bucks "just in case."

It may be random but like you a person has to play before you can win.

 

Floridian

nc6string

If enough of us keep playing and not winning a jackpot, we may have to stop considering it as a potential income source, and actually get an education or something and get a job!  Yikes!

RJOh's avatarRJOh

nc6string,

Who do you know beside the states running the lotteries that consider lotteries a source of income?  If a person doesn't have a job, he/she can't afford to play.

mr twentyone

hey people , any one remember or found out what type of soda was bought, must be the soda, cause it wasnt the shoes, but anyway what i hate most is those people who lie about playing  numbers,: it was  said that a pastor was speaking  in church  one  sunday , said now hear this "" all  you people  who played numbers  before you came here today " ( church went stone cold quite ) i want you to know , (you could here a pin drop ) you better box those numbers if you want to catch something , the place erupted with laughter, , so i said that to say if you play , you play , if you dont, you dont, but congrats to the winners, all winners, even those who won twice, just remember  I Agree!Danceyou had your fun, my time is soon ,PartyBanana

sirbrad's avatarsirbrad

I think many just try to blow off winning before a press conference, mostly to rub the salt into regular player's wounds. Maybe it helps them keep a lower profile. I am not sure I could do that, as it would be tough not to brag about how I beat the lottery using my own system.

But of course that could produce a lot of people trying to seek me out. But I honestly believe that mostly idiots who could not really care less if they win, are the majority of the winners. Or those already rich who are trying to find ways to blow their money, and ironically get more rich in the process. There are some exceptions, but from what I have read they are an extreme minority.

Also I assume that if anyone here won in the past they most likely took off into hiding, as opposed to sticking around to talk about it. Personally I would never change gears and run away, and I will have no problems letting everyone know on a message board that my hard work paid off. In fact it sickens me to think that someone would immediately abandon a message board that they posted on so long just because they finally hit a jackpot.

Some may assume that is a smart decision, or that they can avoid harassment; but to me that is just the beginning of a cowardice and insecure lifestyle which is not healthy. If someone wants to find you they will, and I doubt it will be from a message board. That is one of the major problems with lottery winners, they became a prisoner of their own wealth because they were ill-prepared for it in the first place.

So why most of these unprepared people continue to win is beyond me. But as I said before there is no rhyme or reason to randomness. Which also explains why we always here that QP's win more regardless of whether they are played more. Seems as though 'on the go' and 'whim QP's' are far more successful than strategized systems used by dedicated players. That is why I decided to actually make that a strategy in itself.

I just hope the mere fact that I made it a strategy does not affect the outcome of winning.

nc6string

Quote: Originally posted by RJOh on Oct 8, 2006

nc6string,

Who do you know beside the states running the lotteries that consider lotteries a source of income?  If a person doesn't have a job, he/she can't afford to play.

You can play with your welfare check proceeds, you can play with money from your parents, you can play with money from your children, you can play with money from your grandparents, you can play with money from your grandchildren, you can play with money from your Uncle Junior, you can play with money from your Aunt Rita, you can play with money from your ex-husband, you can play with money from your ex-wife,  you can play with your child support proceeds... and on and on.   Once you've exhausted all these possibilities you may need to get a job to buy a ticket.

LckyLary

If they had been anonymous there would be no story and nothing to talk about (BOOOORRRRRIIINNNNGGG!)  people that play regularly/often/dedicated are less common than those who ask for 5 quick-picks passing through a Kwik-E-Mart. I play enough with systems and whatnot and I won a jackpot once (relatively small) and that day I only played 2 lines picking them with a relatively crude program. Maybe some are trying too hard?

How many more people played 5 quick picks on a whim that day and won nothing?

guesser's avatarguesser

Quote: Originally posted by LckyLary on Oct 10, 2006

If they had been anonymous there would be no story and nothing to talk about (BOOOORRRRRIIINNNNGGG!)  people that play regularly/often/dedicated are less common than those who ask for 5 quick-picks passing through a Kwik-E-Mart. I play enough with systems and whatnot and I won a jackpot once (relatively small) and that day I only played 2 lines picking them with a relatively crude program. Maybe some are trying too hard?

How many more people played 5 quick picks on a whim that day and won nothing?

Lar, I tend to agree with you.

 

I have a system with several 'legs', but NONE of them will ever give 'winning numbers' - can't be done IMO.

What my 'systems' do is steer you away from a set of number variances, or TO a certain pool set, but from there on, you have to pick the numbers.  My system also uses a lot of common sense, like don't pick ALL longshot numbers, etc.     There are a handful of things worth noting, I just follow my guidelines and the odds, and maybe, one of these days... 

justxploring's avatarjustxploring

Quote: Originally posted by LckyLary on Oct 10, 2006

If they had been anonymous there would be no story and nothing to talk about (BOOOORRRRRIIINNNNGGG!)  people that play regularly/often/dedicated are less common than those who ask for 5 quick-picks passing through a Kwik-E-Mart. I play enough with systems and whatnot and I won a jackpot once (relatively small) and that day I only played 2 lines picking them with a relatively crude program. Maybe some are trying too hard?

How many more people played 5 quick picks on a whim that day and won nothing?

I like posts like this, because I'm ready to give up on personal numbers.  In Florida every Lotto jackpot has been won with a quick pick for a long time.  What's really unusual is that 2 people won the last jackpot of $14 million and both were QPs.  Usually when a QP hits, it's only 1 winner.  The Fantasy 5 here will have 4 or 5 winners and 3 or more will have purchased a QP.  Sometimes 7 people will win and all of them will have "quickpick" next to their names. But you are right about the amount of people who buy them and don't win.  However, I've also read a few press releases where the winner said he'd been playing his own numbers for 5 years and then won with a QP.

Are there any official counts posted by any state?  I once asked FL but they just say everything is random.  They must know exactly how many quickpicks are bought and the percentage vs personal numbers.

guesser's avatarguesser

PB sez 70% of all PB tickets sold are QP, and 70% of all winners are QP.

 

One way to tell if a QP wins or not is they will announce it as a QP ticket, but if it isn't a QP ticket that won, they generally say little or nothing. 

Shane3

Quote: Originally posted by sirbrad on Oct 9, 2006

I think many just try to blow off winning before a press conference, mostly to rub the salt into regular player's wounds. Maybe it helps them keep a lower profile. I am not sure I could do that, as it would be tough not to brag about how I beat the lottery using my own system.

But of course that could produce a lot of people trying to seek me out. But I honestly believe that mostly idiots who could not really care less if they win, are the majority of the winners. Or those already rich who are trying to find ways to blow their money, and ironically get more rich in the process. There are some exceptions, but from what I have read they are an extreme minority.

Also I assume that if anyone here won in the past they most likely took off into hiding, as opposed to sticking around to talk about it. Personally I would never change gears and run away, and I will have no problems letting everyone know on a message board that my hard work paid off. In fact it sickens me to think that someone would immediately abandon a message board that they posted on so long just because they finally hit a jackpot.

Some may assume that is a smart decision, or that they can avoid harassment; but to me that is just the beginning of a cowardice and insecure lifestyle which is not healthy. If someone wants to find you they will, and I doubt it will be from a message board. That is one of the major problems with lottery winners, they became a prisoner of their own wealth because they were ill-prepared for it in the first place.

So why most of these unprepared people continue to win is beyond me. But as I said before there is no rhyme or reason to randomness. Which also explains why we always here that QP's win more regardless of whether they are played more. Seems as though 'on the go' and 'whim QP's' are far more successful than strategized systems used by dedicated players. That is why I decided to actually make that a strategy in itself.

I just hope the mere fact that I made it a strategy does not affect the outcome of winning.

Sirbrad....your only chance is to make sure your system does NOT leave cookies behind for the filters to decipher.............otherwise a system of patterns is self-defeating.

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