$100K Won By Two Baltimore Residents In Lottery

BALTIMORE, MD — Two city residents recently struck it rich, winning $100,000 each in Maryland Lottery scratch-off games, the agency announced Wednesday. It did not release their names, but said that one winner is a 49-year-old refrigeration mechanic and the other is a 32-year-old bartender.

The mechanic, who called himself "Hercules" in posing for his lottery winner photo, said he thanks stormy weather for his good fortune. On a recent day, he wanted oatmeal for breakfast, so he dashed through the rain into a local Wawa convenience store. (Get Patch’s daily newsletter and real-time news alerts, or like us on Facebook. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

"While there, he decided to grab a 50x The Cash scratch-off that hid a $100,000 top prize in the very last row of numbers," the Maryland Lottery said in a statement.

Hercules said he previously won a big lottery prize from a ticket that he bought when it was raining. “Good things happen to me in the rain!”

He said that he'll pay off bills with his prize and save the rest for another rainy day.

A Lucky Tip

The bartender was behind on some bills and needed some extra cash when she received an unusual tip: two Maryland Lottery scratch-off tickets.

The 32-year-old played the two instant-win tickets and won $10, the agency said. When she got off work, the woman stopped at a Baltimore County gas station to cash in her winning scratch-off and invest the prize in another instant ticket. She chose the Super Triple 10s scratch-off and headed home to play the $10 game.

As she uncovered the ticket's prize area, "she saw zero after zero resulting in a $100,000 win," the agency said in a statement. "In shock, she woke up one of her stepdaughters to check the ticket. Yes, indeed, she won her biggest prize ever!"

“When I realized it was real, I cried,” the bartender said. “This really comes at a good time.”

The bartender said she plans to buy a new car, pay off bills, take a short vacation and build up her savings account.

Also in the money is the BP that sold her the ticket. The gas station at 220 Eastern Ave. in Essex earned a $1,000 bonus from the Maryland Lottery for selling the top-prize scratch-off.

Image: One winner, who called himself "Hercules," said rainy days produce good luck for him (Maryland Lottery).