Former Marine from Saginaw Wins $1 Million Powerball Prize

There are  two types of people that play the lottery. There are those who play once in awhile just on a whim, and there are  those who play faithfully. They play the same numbers and the same games hoping one day to finally hit it big.

A Saginaw man who is a long time Powerball player finally saw a big payoff. Richard Martinez, a 72 year old former Marine, hit it big on August 15th when he picked the winning Powerball numbers. His win? Oh just $1 million.

Martinez matched all five white balls with the numbers,  -- 05-12-34-45-56 -- , in the August Powerball drawing. “When I found out I had won $1 million, I stayed pretty calm. I’m a Marine and I always stay pretty calm. Nothing good happens when you get too excited", Martinez said.

The dedicated player purchased the wining ticket at the 7-Eleven on Gratiot Road in Saginaw. He admits he's been playing for years hoping to finally win big one day. “I’ve played Powerball for years,” said Martinez. “I play just about every draw because you never know when you might win".

Martinez claimed his prize at Michigan Lottery headquarters and was excited about his plans for his newfound riches. He plans on sharing his winnings with his family and helping them out as well.“It’s a great feeling to know I can help my three kids get out of debt,” Martinez said.

According to the Michigan Lottery website, the odds of picking 5 white balls in the Powerball drawing for $1 million is 1 in 11,688,054.