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Keith Selix of Waterloo is a three-time Iowa Lottery scratch game winner, allowing him to make renovations to his kitchen.
MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Staff Photographer
MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Staff Photographer
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Waterloo man collects third big lottery prize in 1 year
By JEFF WILFORD, Assistant City Editor
WATERLOO --- Keith Selix has always enjoyed playing lottery scratch tickets, buthis wife always told him to stop scratching "those cotton-picking tickets."
"She thought I was wasting away my money," Selix, 81, said. He kept scratching.
His wife, Virginia, died in February 2005. Since then, Selix has won three big prizes with the scratch tickets, totaling $81,000 before taxes.
After his latest win, Selix said he owed his winning streak to more than just good luck. He said Virginia is guiding his good fortune.
"And I'm still thinking that I'm being led from up above," said Selix, a retired John Deere machinist. "I'm firmly in belief of that."
For his latest win, Selix won $30,000 playing the "Wild Crossword" (confetti) instant-scratch game. He purchased the winning ticket at Metro 66, 1625 W. Fourth St. and claimed his prize at the Iowa Lottery's regional office in Cedar Rapids.
Selix previously won $30,000 in June 2005 playing the "Wild Crossword" (lizard) instant-scratch game and $21,000 in September 2005 playing the "Double Blackjack" (green) instant-scratch game. He bought both of those tickets at the National Cigar Store, 617 N. Sycamore St.
Selix said his reaction to winning the top prize for a second time in the game he loves was much the same as it was the first time he won last year. He just about fell out of his chair.
"I'll tell you, I was sitting here at the kitchen table and the only one I could tell it to was the three dogs," Selix said. "They knew something was up."
Selix has used most of his winnings to remodel his home. He has a new kitchen, with new cupboards, new appliances, new ceramic tile. He's put new vinyl siding on his house, and new windows.
"And now I'm going to start on my bathroom and living room," Selix said.
The odds of winning the grand prize in either "Wild Crossword" game, just once, is 1 in 89,775, according to the Iowa Lottery. The odds of winning the grand prize in "Double Blackjack" is 1 in 119,700.
Joe Hrdlicka, vice president for marketing, couldn't even begin to guess the odds in winning three times. Repeat winners are pretty rare, he said. "But it does happen."
Look at it another way: The odds of somebody getting hit by lightning sometime within an 80-year life span, according to the National Weather Service, is 1 in 3,000.
Selix is 81. He's never been hit by lightning.
"That convinces me I'm getting help from upstairs."
Selix plays scratch ticket games "quite often," he said. He estimated (conservatively, he said) that he spends about $200 a week on the tickets.
"I don't drink and smoke for one thing. And life is a gamble as such," Selix said. "I get an enjoyment out of it. It keeps my mind active and busy, for being 81 years old ...."
Aside from the occasional trip to a casino, Selix just plays the scratch tickets.
"They've been good to me," he said.
Contact Jeff Wilford at (319) 291-1423 or jeff.wilford@wcfcourier.com.
"She thought I was wasting away my money," Selix, 81, said. He kept scratching.
His wife, Virginia, died in February 2005. Since then, Selix has won three big prizes with the scratch tickets, totaling $81,000 before taxes.
After his latest win, Selix said he owed his winning streak to more than just good luck. He said Virginia is guiding his good fortune.
"And I'm still thinking that I'm being led from up above," said Selix, a retired John Deere machinist. "I'm firmly in belief of that."
For his latest win, Selix won $30,000 playing the "Wild Crossword" (confetti) instant-scratch game. He purchased the winning ticket at Metro 66, 1625 W. Fourth St. and claimed his prize at the Iowa Lottery's regional office in Cedar Rapids.
Selix previously won $30,000 in June 2005 playing the "Wild Crossword" (lizard) instant-scratch game and $21,000 in September 2005 playing the "Double Blackjack" (green) instant-scratch game. He bought both of those tickets at the National Cigar Store, 617 N. Sycamore St.
Selix said his reaction to winning the top prize for a second time in the game he loves was much the same as it was the first time he won last year. He just about fell out of his chair.
"I'll tell you, I was sitting here at the kitchen table and the only one I could tell it to was the three dogs," Selix said. "They knew something was up."
Selix has used most of his winnings to remodel his home. He has a new kitchen, with new cupboards, new appliances, new ceramic tile. He's put new vinyl siding on his house, and new windows.
"And now I'm going to start on my bathroom and living room," Selix said.
The odds of winning the grand prize in either "Wild Crossword" game, just once, is 1 in 89,775, according to the Iowa Lottery. The odds of winning the grand prize in "Double Blackjack" is 1 in 119,700.
Joe Hrdlicka, vice president for marketing, couldn't even begin to guess the odds in winning three times. Repeat winners are pretty rare, he said. "But it does happen."
Look at it another way: The odds of somebody getting hit by lightning sometime within an 80-year life span, according to the National Weather Service, is 1 in 3,000.
Selix is 81. He's never been hit by lightning.
"That convinces me I'm getting help from upstairs."
Selix plays scratch ticket games "quite often," he said. He estimated (conservatively, he said) that he spends about $200 a week on the tickets.
"I don't drink and smoke for one thing. And life is a gamble as such," Selix said. "I get an enjoyment out of it. It keeps my mind active and busy, for being 81 years old ...."
Aside from the occasional trip to a casino, Selix just plays the scratch tickets.
"They've been good to me," he said.
Contact Jeff Wilford at (319) 291-1423 or jeff.wilford@wcfcourier.com.
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