2D.C. man wins $50K in Maryland Lottery using license plate and phone digits

Brentwood, MD — A Washington, D.C. man walked into Maryland with a hunch and walked out $50,000 richer after a license plate and his phone number inspired the Pick 5 digits that led to a big win.

John Murphy, a retired Metro employee, said the number 43871 caught his eye on a license plate just before he bought his ticket. Noticing that it began with the same digits as his phone number, he decided to play it. That decision paid off when the number hit in the midday Pick 5 drawing on October 17.

Murphy purchased the five-digit combination for multiple draws, covering evening plays from October 13 through midday October 17. The winning ticket was the final draw in his run.

“I was in shock,” Murphy said when he

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