Have You Ever Won Anything?

May 6, 2002
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Hearing these constant contests on the radio where they ask you to text a key word to a certain number got me thinking about what I've won in my life.

I actually did one of those text ones and got tickets to an early screening of a movie once. I also won a gift certificate to I think Outback Steakhouse calling into a morning radio station and answering a trivia question. I won our Biggest Loser contest at work and got like $240, but that was more about determination than luck.

The cheesiest one I loved as a kid. I wanted to be an astronaut back then and won some astronaut food from a cereal contest. It was basically this stuff.

Tasted like crap when I actually opened it though. Tang would have probably been better.

The best thing I ever won was also the most perfectly timed win. Went to bingo with my mom and wife to be and won a $1,200 coverall about 2 months before our wedding. Made our honeymoon even better than it was going to be. Got to tour Cape Canaveral and some theme parks in Orlando to go with the rest of the time on the beach.

My mom is the lucky one. She wins the Pick 3 all the time and Pick 4 occasionally, but her big win was with a group of people she works with (I think 6 total). They won the Cash 5 ($100,000) and after taxes and cash option they got around $9,000. Put new siding on her house with it. Still hoping she hits a 6 number game since she has the rest.
 
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anon_aawvduncd4ay0

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Was walking through the Louisville Boat RV show about 10 years ago and a guy at one the hunting booths was getting ready to shut things down for the night. They had a really nice engraved Remington 1100 12ga shotgun laid out on display. I commented on the gun, and he told me they only had two chances left, and they were $5 bucks a piece. I only had $5 in cash, and joked if I could get 2 for 1 I would take them. He said what the hell and sold the last two for $5. Two days later I got a call to come pick up the gun.
 
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anon_aawvduncd4ay0

Guest
My mom is the lucky one. She wins the Pick 3 all the time and Pick 4 occasionally, but her big win was with a group of people she works with (I think 6 total). They won the Cash 5 ($100,000) and after taxes and cash option they got around $9,000. Put new siding on her house with it. Still hoping she hits a 6 number game since she has the rest.

WOW, I am shocked to hear that they only go $9000 grand off $100,000. I know taxes and cash option hit really hard, but to only get > ~10%. I may have just taken the payments at that point instead of cash option, I think you would have had to have gotten substantially more over the term?
 

UK_ Alum_02

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Apr 17, 2007
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WOW, I am shocked to hear that they only go $9000 grand off $100,000. I know taxes and cash option hit really hard, but to only get > ~10%. I may have just taken the payments at that point instead of cash option, I think you would have had to have gotten substantially more over the term?

For real?

I read that as 9k was her cut.
 

BKH34

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I won a T-shirt design contest for my school when I was in 5th grade.

I also won the Derby Festival Spelling Bee in 8th grade to earn a bid in the big one in DC.
 

UKGrad93

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Jun 20, 2007
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  • concert tickets from a local radio station (Elton John and Rod Stewart).
  • small oak tree
  • dvd player
 

JDHoss

Well-known member
Jan 1, 2003
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Won a Sanyo 50" HDTV a couple of years ago when I bought a $20 raffle ticket from a local sportsman club. It was a toys for tots type of thing for Christmas.
 

Ron Mehico

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First contest I ever won was one of those "be the 12th caller and win!" things on the radio when I was a senior in high school. Won a poster, soundtrack, and 4 tickets to the opening night of "Star Wars: A Phantom Menace". Was thrilled, then saw the movie [sick]. That's about it for contests. Won several other things, but those weren't lucky contests they were things you had to work for (scholarships, science fairs, free throw competitions etc.)
 
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JDHoss

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Jan 1, 2003
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My father in-law won a customized Chevy Tahoe at the fall Bristol race several years ago that was given away by Food City. He and two other Food City customers were selected to participate in a drawing before the Busch race in the infield, and he picked the envelope with the right key. I think the sticker price was around $60K. The thing I remember most about it was my mother in-law calling my wife while we were at a high school football game to tell her about it. My wife answered and then started freaking out. Scared the touch out of me for a minute because I thought it was some sort of emergency.
 

catsfanbgky

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Won my fantasy football league year before last. $800 1st place. I am more happy over the gd trophy, the $800 is long gone. Old.

Local punt , pass, and kick. Got smoked in the next round. Meet up with some real aflethes.

$2500 on slots in Tunica

Probably some other minor **** growing up / younger adult life.
 

dgtatu01

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Sep 21, 2005
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I have won a few things over the years. My favorite win was at 3-card poker at the boat on my buddies birthday. He had just made his last bet of the night and was down about $300. I was up about $300 so he was a little sore about it anyway. He was sitting directly to my right and they deal you all 3 of your cards then give the next person their 3 cards and so on. Well he got up and no one set in his seat so I got what would have been his hand if he had just played one more hand. It was a 2-3-4 of clubs for a strait flush which paid 40-1 on the $10 minimum bet for $400 I did go buy him a beer, but he is still sore about me winning $700 totaling his birthday playing the same game all night.

I'm most famous for winning the cake walk at the Sublimity Elementary fall carnival in 1988 (4th grade) 8 times in a row. My parents were working the game in another room and I just kept bringing them cakes.
 

slford00

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Dec 12, 2004
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I never win contests/sweepstakes type stuff.

But my wife, man, she's amazing at them. Last year she won 2 spots for us to go to an invite-only unplugged-style Zac Brown Band show hosted by a local radio station here in Houston (she was the "x" number caller into the station). It was at Killen's BBQ (cited by several sources as a top 5-10 BBQ restaurant nationally) and came with free dinner. Only about 50 or so people total at the show, got to meet the band afterward.

Then a month or so ago she won some artsy-submit-clever-photo type contest, with the reward being a free trip for our family of five to Disney World for 7 days (flights, tickets, deluxe resort, etc.).

That's just in the past 12 months.
 

Atrain7732

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Dec 11, 2009
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Gotta say this is good thread idea and has been interesting reading the responses.

I have won a couple minor things in my lifetime. Most notably, just about 3-4 months ago I won the progressive pot at a local home builders association I belong to here in SW FL. Was about $800 I think. Of course, I was a newer member and was getting some crap from the older members so ended up donating it all right back to the local future home builders chapter.

Otherwise, had some good and some really bad nights at the black jack tables in IN & FL.
 

WildcatFan1982

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Dec 4, 2011
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I actually won $1000 on a slot machine in Florida once.

And in 6th and 7th Grade I was the Owensboro Sega Genesis Champion at the Blockbuster on Frederica
 

Bkocats

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When I was a kid, all the Convenient Food Mart stores gave away Schwinn bikes. They'd give all kids under 15 one free ticket, if you wanted anymore you had to buy them. When I was 12, filled out the one free ticket and won the bike.

A few years ago, hit the slot machine for $500 at Caesar's Casino (Horseshoe now)
 

humperk12

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Mar 24, 2009
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I won a date through a random contest on the radio....three weeks ago.

Let the judgements begin...
 
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anon_q409idbs5m40a

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My ex-wife won $10,000 from a radio call-in show but I've had no such luck. If it were raining soup I'd be stuck with a spoon.
 

UKserialkiller

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If it were raining soup I'd be stuck with a spoon.
Yeah, that sucks. It's like...

An old man turned ninety-eight. He won the lottery and died the next day
It's like a black fly in your Chardonnay. It's a death row pardon two minutes too late.
It's like rain on your wedding day. It's a free ride when you've already paid. It's the good advice that you just didn't take.
Mr. Play It Safe was afraid to fly. He packed his suitcase and kissed his kids good-bye
He waited his whole damn life to take that flight. And as the plane crashed down he thought
"Well, isn't this nice."
 

80 Proof

Well-known member
Jan 3, 2003
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I won a scooter when I was in 4th grade. Not a cool one that was powered, but a ****** one. I lived on a farm with a gravel driveway so there was no where to ride it. Maybe used that thing for 5 minutes total.

Had a big day at derby a few years ago and cleared about a grand on the day. I've hit some other races in the $300-600 range including a couple of 10 cent superfictas.

Won a vacation to a KY state park from the radio back in the day.