A Ypsilanti man won a $351,180 Fantasy 5 jackpot playing numbers from a fortune cookie.
The lucky player, who chose to remain anonymous, matched the Fantasy 5 numbers drawn Friday to win the big prize: 04-11-21-28-38. He bought his winning ticket at the Express Mart Party Shopp, located at 5490 West Michigan Avenue in Ypsilanti.
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“I’ve been playing these numbers for a long time,” said the 61-year-old player. “I don’t remember when I got that fortune cookie, but I do remember thinking the numbers looked lucky, so I went with it.
“My daughter and granddaughter were over Saturday morning and we celebrated my granddaughter passing her driving test. After they left, I checked my ticket and got incredibly nervous when I saw I matched all five numbers. I had to convince everyone I was the winner because no one would believe me.”
The player visited Lottery headquarters Monday to claim his prize. With his winnings, he plans to help family members, pay bills, take a trip, and then save the remainder.
“I’m probably on the hook for a new car for my granddaughter. This is a lot of money and I’ve got to do the right thing with it,” the player said.
Each Fantasy 5 play is only $1. For an additional $1 per play, EZmatch may be added to a Fantasy 5 ticket, giving players a chance to win up to $500 instantly. For an additional $1 per play, Double Play may be added to a Fantasy 5 ticket, giving players a second chance to win up to $110,000 in the nightly Double Play drawing. Fantasy 5 players select five numbers from one to 39. Players who match all five Fantasy 5 numbers drawn win a jackpot that starts at $100,000. Fantasy 5 drawings are held seven days a week at 7:29 p.m. Tonight’s Fantasy 5 jackpot is $115,000.