A retired horse trainer from West Virginia won $2 million in the Saturday, May 3, 2014, US Powerball drawing.
The numbers drawn that night were 05, 15, 16, 46, and 49. The Powerball was 26.
Players need to match all five numbers and the Powerball to win the jackpot. Ranson resident Angel Gonzales matched five of the main numbers drawn, but failed to get the Powerball. The prize for matching five main numbers is usually $1 million, but Gonzales had thrown in an extra dollar, and added the Powerplay option to his ticket, so he doubled his luck and received an extra $1 million.
Gonzales bought his ticket from his local Shell gas station on Fairfax Boulevard in Ranson.
"I am overwhelmed," Gonzales said, speaking earlier this week. "I will use this money to help take care of my children, my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren."
It's a good job he had such a sizeable win because Gonazles, who emigrated from Puerto Rico in 1979, has 13 grandchildren and 13 great, great grandchildren.
Gonzales watched the Powerball drawing on Saturday night and ticked off the numbers as they were announced.
"I kept saying ‘come on’ with each number and then I realized I had five," he said. "I immediately called my daughter in Puerto Rico and told her 'you will not believe this.'"
Gonzales admits to being a keen lottery player and regularly chances his luck on many of the Virginia Lottery's in-state games as well as the two big inter-state games, Powerball and Mega Millions.
The next Powerball drawing is on Saturday, May 10, at 22:59 (Eastern Time). The estimated jackpot is $80 million.
