A Myrtle Beach bartender's positive thinking paid off after he won $500,000 by playing the Palmetto Cash 5.
The winning ticket was bought at the Kangaroo Express #403 in Murrells Inlet for the May 1 drawing.
He told lottery officials he freaked out when he realized all five numbers (1, 17, 18, 22 and 29) were a match. Paying the extra $1 for Power-Up increased his $100,000 winnings to half-a-million dollars when a "5" was drawn.
"I just stared at the numbers hoping there wasn't some mistake," the winner said.
In all the excitement, he forgot to check the second set of numbers printed on his Palmetto Cash 5 ticket, and laughed when lottery officials told him he won another five bucks.
He'll take it and put his winnings down on a new house.
"I've been riding around looking at houses," he said. "Now I can afford one."
Kangaroo Express #403 received a commission of $5,000 for selling the claimed ticket.
