Pinckney Man Wins Two Fantasy 5 Double Play Prizes While Vacationing in Northern Michigan

Published Date and Author

• Date: July 14, 2026
• Author: Nik Rajkovic (news@whmi.com)

What Happened? (The Simple Story)

Imagine you buy a lottery ticket, then forget you bought it, so you buy another one. Then both tickets win big! That’s exactly what happened to a 68-year-old man named Paul Pattwell from a town called Pinckney, Michigan.

While on a camping trip in Northern Michigan (the upper part of the state) with his wife, Paul accidentally bought two tickets for the same lottery drawing. Both tickets ended up winning $110,000 each in a special extra game called "Double Play." That’s $220,000 total!

Lottery Words Explained (ELI5)

• Fantasy 5: A simple lottery game where you have five numbers. If those numbers match the five numbers drawn by the lottery, you win.
• Double Play: Think of it like a second round. After the main drawing, the same numbers you picked are entered into another drawing for a chance to win even more money.
• Drawing: The event where the lottery picks the winning numbers.

The Important Details

• Who: Paul Pattwell, age 68, from Pinckney.
• When: The winning drawing was on June 15. The news was shared on July 14, 2026.
• Winning Numbers: 03, 08, 10, 14, 20.
• Where he bought the tickets:
  • First ticket: Krist Food Mart, 12969 US Highway 31 North in Charlevoix.
  • Second ticket: Toski Sands Party Store, 2292 M 119 in Petoskey.
• Prize: Two separate $110,000 Double Play prizes.
• Paul’s habit: He said, "I’ve been playing the same sets of Fantasy 5 numbers for years and I play them every day."

How Paul Found Out He Won (Step-by-Step)

1. Paul and his wife went on a camping trip "Up North" (that’s what locals call Northern Michigan).
2. Because he plays the same numbers every day, he couldn’t remember if he’d already bought his daily Fantasy 5 ticket, so he stopped at a store and bought one. Later he bought another at a different store.
3. A few days after returning home, he pulled out over a week’s worth of tickets and started checking them.
4. He immediately recognized the June 15 Double Play winning numbers on one ticket and was thrilled to see he’d won $110,000. He called his wife with the big news.
5. After hanging up, he kept checking the rest of his tickets. That’s when he realized he had a second ticket for the same drawing — and it also won $110,000! He called his wife again and said: "You’re not going to believe this, but I won a second $110,000 prize!"

Important Point: Paul almost missed the second prize because he had many tickets! Always check every ticket carefully — you might have a pleasant surprise waiting.

Claiming the Prize and His Plans

Paul recently visited the Michigan Lottery headquarters to officially collect his prizes. With his winnings, he plans to:

• Buy a new truck.
• Spoil his grandkids (give them nice treats or gifts).
• Save whatever is left for the future.

Summary

A forgetful but lucky mistake turned into a life-changing event for Paul Pattwell. The 68-year-old Pinckney man bought two Fantasy 5 tickets for the June 15 drawing while vacationing in Northern Michigan. Both matched the numbers 03-08-10-14-20 in the Double Play add-on, earning him $110,000 each. After claiming the $220,000 total, he looks forward to a new truck, happy grandkids, and savings.

FAQ

1. What is Fantasy 5?
It’s a lottery game where you pick (or use) five numbers. If the lottery draws the same five numbers, you win a prize.

2. What is Double Play?
It’s a bonus drawing that happens after the main Fantasy 5 draw. Your same numbers get a second chance to win money.

3. Why did Paul buy two tickets?
He plays the same numbers every day. While on vacation, he forgot whether he had already bought his ticket for the day, so he bought another one at a different store. Both were for the same drawing.

4. How did he realize he won twice?
After vacation, he checked a pile of tickets. He found one winning ticket and called his wife. Then he kept checking and discovered a second ticket for the same drawing was also a winner.

5. What will Paul do with the money?
He said he will buy a new truck, spoil his grandkids, and save the rest of the $220,000.