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Woman plays same numbers ‘every day’ in the Virginia lottery. She just won 40 times

Faye Hurst of Norfolk, Virginia, bought 40 tickets in the Virginia Lottery with the same four digits and won 40 times. She plays the same numbers daily.
Faye Hurst of Norfolk, Virginia, bought 40 tickets in the Virginia Lottery with the same four digits and won 40 times. She plays the same numbers daily. Virginia Lottery photo

A Virginia woman won the lottery 40 times over in one night, after she bought 40 tickets in the same game with the same four numbers, the state says.

However, that is not what sets Faye Hurst apart among lottery hopefuls.

It’s her persistence and devotion to the same four numbers.

“I just play the same numbers every day,” Hurst said in a news release. “They are a special someone’s birthday.”

Yes, she said “every day.”

Hurst, who lives in Norfolk, didn’t say how much she has spent, but she won in the Pick 4 game. Tickets are 50 cents or $1 and winners can pick any four numbers from 0 to 9999, according to the game’s website.

The payoff on each of her 40 tickets was $2,700 “for total winnings of $108,000,” lottery officials said.

Odds of winning a top prize in Pick 4 are 1 in 10,000, the state says.

Hurst bought tickets Oct. 25 at a 7-Eleven in Norfolk and each featured the combination of 2-5-8-2, officials said.

She further enhanced her odds by “wagered 50/50,” which means she put 50 cents on the numbers appearing in “exact order” and 50 cents on them showing up in “any order,” officials said.

“It feels unreal!” she told lottery officials when picking up her cash.

Hurst didn’t say how she intended to spend her winnings.

Pick 4 drawings are held twice a day and the top prize is $5,000.

BEHIND THE STORY

MORE

When gambling is more than a game

Gambling is designed to be a source of entertainment.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

This story was originally published November 9, 2021 at 10:22 AM with the headline "Woman plays same numbers ‘every day’ in the Virginia lottery. She just won 40 times."

MP
Mark Price
The Charlotte Observer
Mark Price is a state reporter for The Charlotte Observer and McClatchy News outlets in North Carolina. He joined the network of newspapers in 1991 at The Charlotte Observer, covering beats including schools, crime, immigration, LGBTQ issues, homelessness and nonprofits. He graduated from the University of Memphis with majors in journalism and art history, and a minor in geology. 
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