CHARLES CO., MD – Eleven Southern Maryland and Virginia educators formed a lottery pool, hoping to hit the jackpot in the July 19 Powerball drawing. Although they missed the top prize by just one ball, the group managed to match four of the five winning numbers along with the Powerball, winning a third-tier prize of $50,000.
The team playfully adopted the name “One Ball Short” for Lottery publicity, inspired by their near-miss at the jackpot. The group consists of 10 women and one man, aged 39 to 58. Each member contributed $20 to purchase tickets for the Powerball drawing.
The “One Ball Short” team has been participating in lottery pools for the past seven years, specifically joining in when the jackpots for Powerball and Mega Millions reach milestone highs. With the Powerball jackpot reaching a staggering $1.08 billion on July 19, the group decided it was the perfect time to start another Lottery pool.
Their unique approach to ticket purchases involves buying tickets in both Maryland and Virginia. Their winning $2 quick-pick ticket was purchased from Waldorf BP at 2301 Crain Highway in Charles County.
Although they were just one ball away from winning the massive $1.08 billion prize, the group was thrilled to discover that one of their tickets won the third-tier prize of $50,000. The spokesperson for the group revealed that the prize money would be evenly split among all 11 winners, as per their usual protocol. In previous drawings, their winnings never exceeded $40, but they always agreed to split the money equally, no matter how small the amount.
As for their plans for the prize money, each member has different ideas. Some plan to indulge in personal treats, such as non-adult stuff, shoes, and a visit to Paris. Others simply intend to spend it on themselves.
Despite not hitting the jackpot this time, “One Ball Short” is optimistic about their future luck and has already planned to purchase multiple Mega Millions tickets in hopes of winning the estimated annuity of $910 million in the upcoming Friday night drawing.