Mom wins big with lottery ticket bought on Friday, the 13th
Lottery winner, Kelsey Zachow: "It was crazy. I couldn't breathe."
That was Kelsey Zachow, a 24-year-old from Port Huron, Michigan, who just claimed her $66 million prize for winning the Mega Millions jackpot.
Zachow has been playing the lottery for five years. The Battle Creek Enquirer reports that it was just another day for her when she bought five lottery tickets in June -- well, except it was Friday the 13th.
She used her own numbers on four of the tickets but let the computer randomly generate numbers for that fifth ticket -- and that "quick picks" ticket ended up being a big winner, turning one of the most superstitious days of the year into one of the luckiest for Zachow.
WXYZ was at the press conference in which Zachow was presented with her huge check, and they say that it wasn't until 11 days after buying the ticket that Zachow realized she could be a winner.
Zachow: "I gave it to the gentleman -- the cashier -- and he said, 'No, you won big!' ... There was a big line behind me, and people are all looking behind me like, 'How much did you win?' I got really nervous, so I grabbed the ticket and jumped in my car and locked the door."
WDIV says that Zachow, who elected to the take the lump sum that ends up being $26.8 million after taxes, knows exactly how she wants to spend some of her new fortune.
Zachow: "I want a Mustang. For sure."
After hearing her story, it got us thinking: Is letting the computer generate numbers for you better than picking your own?
Last year, ABC says tht a Department of Defense employee won a whopping $217 million Powerball jackpot with numbers the computer gave him.
A writer for Lottery World did a little math and discovered "the majority of winning tickets come from Quick Picks" because 70 to 80 percent of all lottery players go that route when they play.
At the same time, seven-time lottery winner Richard Lustig told CBS that playing randomized "quick pick" numbers is a really bad idea.
"The lazy way out is to buy quick-picks. ... Quick-picks are the worst thing you can do, you are playing with the worst odds," he said.
It sort of seems like it's totally up to luck. As for Zachow, she has quit her jobs as a medical assistant and a bartender since winning the lottery. She's also planning to travel, purchase a new house and establish college funds for some family members, including her two young children.
Also on AOL:
Luckiest man ever wins $1 million lottery -- twice
Lotto winner says psychic predicted her win 16 years ago
Seventeen siblings share $20M lottery jackpot
