Perseverance pays off for long-time Lotto player
When Paul Hemphill picked the winning lottery numbers in 1995, he made just one mistake: He never bought a ticket.
He didn't make that mistake twice. Two months ago, the 66-year-old retiree strolled into Hollywood Food Mart, plunked down $2 and walked away.
Two days later, he was a multi-millionaire.
The winner of the May 28 jackpot — worth a hefty $35 million — asked for the cash up front. After taxes, he pocketed more than $20 million.
The Hallandale Beach resident says he's satisfied to have won the prize, but doesn't want any attention for his new-found riches.
"I don't want a situation where people are going to be camping out in my yard," Hemphill said. "I just want to melt into the woodwork."
The reserved retiree says he plans to use his winnings to provide a better life for his relatives. "It's just a satisfaction knowing I have the security to take care of my family," he said.
Hemphill said he's been playing the Florida Lottery from its inception, back in 1988.
Though the odds of winning the lotto are extraordinary — greater than one in 22 million — Hemphill says he's got a system that gives him an edge: He uses a computer program to pick his numbers.
He said this year's win isn't the first time the software has selected correctly: in July 1995, the computer screen displayed the numbers 2-6-10-18-27-44.
But Hemphill didn't act. "Something happened and I didn't play that particular night," he said.
Days later, the jackpot was announced, and Hemphill realized he missed out on a $7 million prize.
Three years later, he hit a financial setback: court records show he declared bankruptcy in 1998. He declined to discuss the case.
He said throughout it all, he felt someone was looking over him — and no more so than on the morning of May 29.
He awoke that day, he said, turned on his television and checked the drawing from the night before. The digits 7-36-41-42-44-47 flashed across the screen.
"I looked at the first two numbers and said, 'I've got it,' and I went back to bed," he said.
Last week, a $20,574,470 wire transfer hit the bank account of a company he created to receive the winnings.
Hemphill credits his win — and his almost-win — to Lotto Pro, a computer program made by Polk City company Data Solutions.
There, the owner knows Hemphill by name. "He's probably one of our most loyal customers," said John Lake, who started the company in 1989.
Lake said the $35 million jackpot is the largest anyone has ever won using the software, which he said has sold thousands of copies.
Though he said the software can't guarantee a win, it "reduces the odds against you" by analyzing previous wins to spot trends.
But experts say that's a daunting prospect, given that the lottery commission goes out of its way to ensure the numbers are random — and not influenced by any other factors.
The previous winning numbers "will only have a role if the lotto is very careless," said Subramanian Ramakrishnan, a professor of mathematics at the University of Miami. "They have a very elaborate process of checking the balls, making sure the weights are right, the mechanism is working well."
Those facts don't dissuade Hemphill, who says his system has already proven itself.
The one thing he says he will do with his new-found riches?
Keep playing the lotto.
"I'm going to hit again," he said.
Thanks to Nino224 for the tip.
Well, the odds say that eventually even the system numbers will get lucky.
It would be impossible for them to never win.
I'm glad to see his system was lucky enough to pick the right lucky numbers.
Finally, a system has won a Jackpot! Now, that was lucky!
Good for Paul Hemphill and the computer program he used.
Success depends on luck. And luck depends on your mindset and you reaching your full potential.
Luck can be learned.
I use my computer to comment on Lottery Post ................. and I haven't won ???????????
"I don't want a situation where people are going to be camping out in my yard," Hemphill said.
Exactly. The sense of entitlement among the begging class ...
Lotto pro is the only software that I evaluated I thought it was worth the 40 or 50 buck to buy. But after trying to find the key to update the software several time, it has become another junk file on my computer. Congrats to him.
shame we have a begging class in the usa. does begging work? i had a stroke and was fired because i wasn't fast enough. i'd be happy to work. i have degrees in physics, math, astrophysics. i've worked as a programmer, mold designer, teacher, home remodeller, pizza delivery driver, restaurant manager, busboy and secretary. i'd be willing to try begging, my left side is mostly paralyzed. i would look really pathetic. would i make a good beggar?
Not a Quick Pick! Some would say and reiterate it was "lucky". I agree systems can make you "luckier" as a matter of fact...... made this guy a lot luckier. Super lucky $20,000,000 luckier, four leaf clover lucky, therefore at this time "in honor of the system player" I will not release the quick pigs! We shall ELP a lucky song.
White horses, ladies, and satin........................
the thing i don't understand is,why he did'tt buy a ticket the first time.i mean if you 're serious enough to buy a system how can you miss buying the ticket ? and would't winning a age 53 be more fun than agev 66 he could have retired 13 yrs. earlier ?
I know what you're saying but it just doesn't always work that way. he even stated 'something happened' and he didnt buy a ticket.Could be any number of things that caused him not to (illness, something out of the blue came up, etc). But what I find odd is that he can remember the date and has the numbers from that time. Why couldnt he remember what happened?Nonetheless, you might say it was fate...had he won back then, just 7 million, I would say he would not still be retired. And maybe it would have led to him NOT winning THIS time for the much better $20 million.Best of luck to him...and the sales reps of the software that banked him the money...i am sure they are quite busy right now lol
Well Lotto Pro is happy for the Shout out... I'm sure the orders are piling up .. LOL... I will pass on that system
CONGRATS TO WINNER
Proving again that all things are possible and all games are beatable!
EddessaKnight
WOW - Thats Awesome!
There is a begging class in every country including Canada. Last week it was high school students at the grocery store begging for money for some "cause". I just ignore these people.
Don't reduce yourself to the level of a beggar. You are obviously a very intelligent person, Jeffrey, and I think that you should do your level best to find a way to put your knowledge and talents to use.
I wish you well.
When Paul Hemphill picked the winning lottery numbers in 1995, he made just one mistake: He never bought a ticket. I could say the same thing happened to me. In December 2002, I had pored over some past Big Game tickets I had played and the string of drawings and had zeroed in on a particular set of numbers. That same day, my wife guilt tripped me about playing the lottery, so I didn't play those numbers. As we were driving back home from an early Christmas party, I heard the radio announce the winning Big Game numbers....many of them sounded familiar. So when I got back home, I looked at the piece of paper I had written the set of numbers on and realized I would have won....if only I would have bought a ticket. So no longer do I let my wife guilt trip me about playing the lottery. If she is so against the lottery, then I imagine she will be against me spending any of my lottery winnings on her.
Anyway, congrats on having your money woes answered...still waiting for my day...in anonymity basking in the glow of a huge jackpot win.
maybe the system soft ware can remember the date and nos.?
Lotto Pro just hit the lotto in sales!!!
ok, i'm gonna be the skeptic here. if this program is able to select winning numbers, shouldn't there be multiple winners?
they sold thousands, sold only one in florida? to this winner. other buyers didnt play that night? there are variables in the system that the individual can input their own data.
seems like a 98% luck and 2% software.
Congrats to the winner....
"Last week it was high school students at the grocery store begging for money for some "cause". I just ignore these people."
High school students. You equate them with beggars because they're fund raising for their sports team or some good cause and you just ignore them.
You know what I think?
I think you're just a miserly, skinflint, tightwad cheapskate.
I bet you've never bought a round in your life.
yes, i try but some people don't realize that disasters happen. my co-workers were anxious to see how they could benefit. i really hate to lose everything due to others grasping. hard to be alone and sick in america. feel like wounded animal hiding from predators. i do keep trying, very easy to give up and die. can still work but co-workers want my job and sick people suddenly can't do anything right. guess it brings the owner down or the customers don't like it.
Thank you for posting this!
What a great song! Haven't heard this in, uh-um, years!
K.
Everyone has a system.When that system works,they think it was that system.No,it was just luck.
"in July 1995, the computer screen displayed the numbers 2-6-10-18-27-44."
I'll bet he used Expert Lottery for Windows (3.1) software. A friend gave me a copy on a floppy disk and I had some success using it to play Ohio's Buckeye 5.
We get the peewee football players and cheerleaders holding their buckets in front of stores, I always donate a couple of bucks and ask the adult near by for a schedule. Watching one game is well worth the donation.
I've noticed several adults holding made up signs in the front of Wal Mart parking lots and there is always a nice car parked near by. Most are probably pros doing if for a living so they get nothing from me. My favorite was a young lady texting on an I-phone while holding her sign. I think she was hoping to get enough money for another tattoo because there was room on her left arm.
tend to agree but, couple details,"something happened" hope it was important enough to think about for 13 years,maybe he does'nt want to say what it is,and that is certainly his private business. nother thing is, $7 mil. was worth much more 13 yrs ago than today,i bought a new truck in 96, $20,600.00 today that very same truck lists for $39,300.00 . i don't know how they adjust for inflation,not that smart.but here's the most important thing,i'm guessing you're fairly young,as you get older the "time factor" becomes more important. i'm positive that i would rather have 7mil. today than to have 20mil when i'm 66.
my township has a volinteer f/d and they do coin collections on the big intersections at times,just looking for spare change,they use a fireman's boot to collect the change i always drop a $20spot in the boot. cause i'm thankfull for their service, always get a kick out of it when they do a dbl. take and look in the boot.
Wow, you have a very strong marriage. Most people wouldn't have been able to get over that. I probably wouldn't. Good for you.
Congrats to the winner, enjoy.
Congratulations to him. 15 million dollars went in taxes. That can pay a lot of teachers salaries but they won't see it.
Why should they? Most of the taxes he paid was federal taxes and teacher pay is a local issue.
This is very true, however, the question is would he have invested that 7 million wisely enough to get the true value out of it?It would have had to triple in value to match what he made this year.Not to mention he probably would have only walked away with about 4 million (if that) after taxes.
yea, i'll go along w/ that,but for me personally i want to quit my job so badly, that i compare how much i will make between now and retirement age and how much the JP is, that is to say the clear from the JP abt. 1/3 of adv. so for me it's simple, expected earnings plus 4 mil. or so would be enough.then you break it up, savings, investing, fun etc. but,maybe diff. for him if he was happy at his job.what you're saying makes perfect financial sense but, it makes me want to ask him this question. Q.do you prefer today's win or would rather wait 5 more years and win 50 mil. when you'll be 71 yrs old ?
Congrat to Mr Hemphill! ...been using the same software for years. The most I've won is $40, maybe Im doing some thing wrong.
I used the Pa Lottery's Computer to pick my numbers for tonite ....................... tonite might be the nite !!!!!!!!
Try a Quick Pick.
That's what wins the most Jackpots.
Incoming!
Have you ever reviewed how you used it and thought about what you could have done differently that would have gotten better results? Players using the same software seldom get the same results because they seldom use it the same way. Most lottery software give you a bunch of data and tools to use, it up to you how they are used.
Don't forget Lottery Post's Quick Picks, dpoly.
I've been lucky with them.
Good luck to you tonight!
recently switched to QP for my pick 6 was playing b/day nos. looked back at the last 6 or 8 winners only to find they had 2-3 nos. higher than 31
Ditto.
Must be the computerized programming that make those quick picks lucky.
Regardless of the means of number selection, whether it's a personal visit from the Lottery Faerie, birthdays, a QP, a dream, or a message from Montana Wildhack on Tralfamdore, or whatever, whenever the nuymbers played are the numbers drawn it is nothing but pure luck. Human nature teaches us that the bigger a person's ego is the less likely they are to admit that.
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Actually, I take comfort knowing that my Quick Picks are not coming from the Lottery's mainframe because I know The Dragon Lady watches my every move and immediately puts the entire commission on alert everytime I come down from the mountain. Even the Patels are mobilized. Then she has every Quick Pick line I get precluded from the possibility of winning.
She's very crafty, that one. That's why I sometimes have to dress up like a nun when I go to the store. I know a very large nun with a very long beard doesn't seem plausible but it's enough to throw them off their game just long enough for me to get my tickets and vanish back into the woods before they know what hit them.
Why would it need to have tripled? There's a lot more value to money than the simple value of the money.
Obviously the $20 million net will let his lifetsyle from here on be "better" than what he could have done with a $4 million net, but what has he been doing for the past 16 years? Even if he had cleared a trillion dollars he can't buy back that 16 years. A safe and conservative investment in '95 could have given him an annual income of at least 150k before rolling out of bed in the morning. Instead of working for most of the last 16 years and spending part of that time bankrupt, he could have already been retired and living comfortably. A big fat lottery prize in your 60's is certainly a great thing, but I'd place far more value on a prize that offers a comfortable lifetime income at a much earlier age.