Many of us have “lucky numbers”—a set of birthdays, anniversaries, or random digits that just feel right. But how long would you play them? For one North Carolina woman, the answer was six years, and that unwavering persistence just turned a simple habit into a six-figure payday.

A Sister’s Advice and a Winning Ticket

Barbara Munford, a resident of Hope Mills, had a set of numbers she liked for the North Carolina’s Cash 5 lottery game. For six full years, she played them faithfully. She even had encouragement from her sister, who told her to stick with those specific numbers and not give up on them.

That persistence finally paid off. Munford purchased her regular ticket at a local Lucky Stop, and her six-year-old numbers finally matched the winning combination. The prize was a life-changing $154,168.

The Logic vs. The Heart

From a purely mathematical perspective, this strategy is a paradox. Lottery officials and statisticians will always tell you that every single draw is an independent, random event. The odds of one set of numbers coming up are exactly the same as any other combination, every single time.

This means that playing the same numbers for six years gives you no statistical advantage over picking random numbers six seconds before the draw. The lottery, as they say, has no memory. But the human heart does, and that’s where the real story lies.

The Psychology of Sticking With It

So why do so many people, like Munford, stick to their numbers? It’s about psychology, not just probability. Playing the same numbers transforms the lottery from a simple, random gamble into a personal ritual. It creates a narrative— “These are my numbers, and their time will come.”

There’s also a powerful motivator: the deep-seated fear of regret. Can you imagine playing the same numbers for six years, skipping just one week, and then watching them all get drawn? For many, that potential pain is far worse than the small disappointment of a non-winning ticket. Sticking with the numbers becomes a way to protect yourself from that specific kind of regret.

The Payoff Is More Than Just the Prize

When Munford won, the prize was more than just the money, which she happily planned to use to pay off bills. The win was a validation of her hope, her sister’s advice, and her own quiet, unwavering persistence. It reinforces a narrative we all love to believe: that good things can come to those who wait and that sticking to your guns can pay off.

In the end, stories like this capture our imagination because they represent a triumph of human hope over random chance. While a statistician sees a random outcome, the rest of us see a powerful and relatable lesson in patience. It’s the magic that happens when you decide to believe in your numbers, and just keep believing.