Eastern Iowa Man’s Hunch Wins Him Strange Lottery Prize

If you need inspiration to trust your gut or go with a hunch you might have, this story will help you out.

A man from Scott County won a very ironic cash prize from the Iowa Lottery. The reason the cash amount is ironic and oddly specific is that he had two numbers stuck in his head.

Those two numbers create his total winnings and the inspiration to play in the first place.

Swimming Laps Helped Iowa Man Win Big

The Iowa Lottery announced that a man from Scott County counted the laps he swam at a local gym.

The two numbers that stood out to Marty Curry,66 of Dixon, IA, were eight and 18. Those numbers prompted him to buy a lottery ticket after his workout and he played the Iowa Lottery’s “Crazy 8s” scratch game.

Following along? It gets weirder.

Most Ironic Iowa Lottery Winnings

Marty Curry told officials on Wednesday as he claimed his ironic prize at the lottery’s Cedar Rapids regional office,

“I never buy lottery tickets, but I told myself that I was going to go across the street to Hy-Vee, and if they had any lottery tickets that had the number eight, I’m going to buy them. For some reason, that eight and 18 clicked in my mind, and that’s exactly what I won..."

How much did Marty win? $18,888. Told you it's a very ironic prize.

Curry bought a handful of tickets in the Iowa Lottery's “Crazy 8s” scratch game at the new Hy-Vee in Eldridge. He scratched them off when he got home and uncovered the big prize on the final ticket he scratched.

The $18,888 is the fifth top prize in the “Crazy 8s” scratch game. A ticket to play is just $2.

What Will This Iowa Man Do With His Big Winnings?

Curry told Iowa Lottery officials when he was scratching off the winning ticket,

“It was just me, my two dogs and the cat, and I told them, ‘You guys are going to get all the treats you want!’. It was like I just couldn’t believe it, it was almost a dream. I was staring at it, and then I stared at the number again. I stared at it and then I just started crying.”

Curry is a retired truck driver and said he plans to share his winnings with his children and grandchildren, adding,

“Not only can I help myself, I’m going to definitely help other people."

Congrats, Marty.