Northern Ont. man wins $171K after Poker Lotto ‘All In’ bet

Tunis man Joseph Lafave won $171,000 in a Poker Lotto jackpot on Nov. 1 while in Sault Ste. Marie, Robin McDonald won $100,000 with Encore in a Nov. 18 draw.

A northern Ontario man is celebrating a major lottery after going ‘all in’ to win with Poker Lotto All In last month.

Joseph Lafave of Tunis, Ont., in the Cochrane district, “anted up” for the Nov. 1 draw where he won a jackpot worth $166,388.50.

“He also won $5,000 on the instant portion of his Poker Lotto play, bringing his total winnings to $171,388.50,” said the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation in a news release Tuesday.

Poker Lotto is a $2 lottery game that gives players two chances to win with one ticket. Players have a chance to win up to $5,000 instantly, then keep their ticket to see if they win the nightly $100,000 draw or players can “up the ante” with All In Poker Lotto’s $1 add-on game for a chance to win even bigger prizes, including the progressive jackpot. The progressive jackpot starts at $10,000 and grows with each ticket sold. The ‘All In’ option is only played on the instant portion of the game.

More details about the game can be found on the OLG website.

Lafave told OLG that he enjoys playing Poker Lotto All In because it offers multiple chances to win. He learned about his big win in a local store.

“I saw the screen light up with the word ‘winner’ and I was in shock – just at a loss for words,” Lafave said, while at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up his winnings.

“Eventually, I found my voice and called my wife, who was waiting outside.”

Lafave said he plans to put his windfall towards a new generator and is considering treating himself to a new truck.

The winning ticket was purchased at Circle K on Kingsway in Sudbury, OLG confirmed.

Play responsibly

“OLG supports safe play and wants to keep the fun in the game,” said OLG on its website.

“That’s why OLG is proud to be a leader in promoting responsible gambling with our globally recognized Playsmart program.”

Playsmart offers information on gambling games.

If you or someone you know is struggling with a problem, help is available.

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