Williamsburg Woman Wins Second Big Pick 4 Haul of 2025
Marie Johnson-Fernandez Claims $59,500 in Prizes
To download image, right click on image, then navigate to 'Save Picture As' to save this file to your computer.
CLIVE, Iowa For the second time in less than six months, a Williamsburg woman has won big playing the Iowa Lottery's Pick 4 lotto game.
Marie Johnson-Fernandez won $59,500 in prizes in Friday's midday drawing. She purchased multiple plays with different bet types and amounts, and won on each by matching all four numbers in the exact order drawn: 1-0-1-0.
That number combination is a favorite for Johnson-Fernandez, so when Oct. 10 rolled around, she knew exactly which numbers she'd play. She bought her winning tickets at Casey's, 130 W. Evans St. in Williamsburg, and hopped online after the drawing to check the winning numbers.
I saw 1-0-1-0 and I'm like, 'Wait a minute!' I had to blink a few times, Johnson-Fernandez said on Friday as she claimed her prizes at the lottery's Cedar Rapids regional office. Then I got excited like I always do.
Johnson-Fernandez, who retired from the local school district in May, is no stranger to big Pick 4 wins. She won $26,500 in an April drawing, and despite the excitement, said she tries to stay composed.
My whole system is to remain calm, she said. I may scream out loud, but my whole thing is to not hyperventilate and pass out because I'm usually someplace by myself.
After realizing she'd won, Johnson-Fernandez called her husband at work, then drove to the lottery's Cedar Rapids office to claim her prizes. She said she plans to use her winnings to pay bills, help others and cover a cruise she booked for next spring.
Pick 4 is a numbers game with a long history along the East Coast, but versions of it are offered by many lotteries across the country, including the Iowa Lottery. Pick 4 players choose combinations of four numbers from 0000 to 9999. The prize that a player could win depends on the type of bet made.
For example, a straight play pays if the numbers match the winning numbers in exact order, while a box play pays if the numbers match in any order. Straight plays are harder to win, so the prizes are larger.
Pick 4 players tend to be loyal to a particular set of numbers and often play them more than once for a particular drawing, as Johnson-Fernandez did.
The Iowa Lottery has offered Pick 4 since September 2003. The game features odds of 1 in 10,000 to win the $30,000 top prize and offers a variety of play options and wagers from 50 cents to $5.
Return to top↑