Uncovering a $500,000 prize on the Michigan Lottery’s Poker Multiplier ticket stopped a 29-year-old Jackson County woman in her tracks.

The lucky player, who chose to remain anonymous, bought her winning ticket at the Lakeside Party Store, located at 5509 Ann Arbor Road in Jackson.

“I usually play Cashword tickets, but Poker themed tickets are my favorite,” said the player. “I scratched the ticket and saw I had a winning hand, so I scratched the prize amount.

“When I saw the prize amount was $500,000, I thought I must have looked at the hand wrong, so I checked it again. That’s when I realized my eyes were correct and I had won half-a-million dollars! I stopped scratching and called my family right away!”

The player visited Lottery headquarters to claim her big prize. With her winnings, she plans to set up college funds for her children, buy a new vehicle, and then invest the remainder.

“I’ve never had this kind of money, so it’s a really weird feeling knowing that my life just changed because of this prize,” the player said.

Players have won more than $3 million playing Poker Multiplier, which launched in earlier this month. Each $5 ticket offers players a chance to win prizes ranging from $5 up to $500,000. More than $26 million in prizes remain, including two $500,000 top-prizes and 10 $1,000 prizes.

Lottery instant games may be purchased at 10,500 retailers across the state.

In 2020, Lottery players won more than $1.5 billion playing instant games.