ABERDEEN, MD — A Harford County man and his girlfriend are celebrating a $500,010 Powerball Double Play win after he added a $1 option to his ticket, scoring a second-tier prize in the March 24 drawing.
The winner, using the alias “Double the Fun,” visited Maryland Lottery headquarters in Baltimore on Sunday with his girlfriend to claim the prize. He matched all five white balls in the Double Play drawing, missing only the red Powerball number, netting him $500,000. An additional $10 came from matching numbers on a separate line.
“I always play Double Play. For a dollar more, why not?” the winner told Lottery officials, emphasizing his strategy of consistently using the optional add-on.
Double Play drawings occur approximately 30 minutes after each regular Powerball drawing and give players another shot at winning up to $10 million with the same ticket numbers for just $1 more.
The couple discovered their win while watching television at home several days after the draw. “I thought my eyes were playing tricks,” the man said. His girlfriend said he got so excited that she grew concerned. “We are still in shock,” she added.
The man plans to use the winnings to pay off outstanding bills.
The ticket was purchased at Carsins Run Liquors located at 3501 Churchville Road in Aberdeen. The store will receive a $1,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.