WATERLOO, Ill. – At the start of Tuesday night, everyone knew there would be a guaranteed millionaire at the Queen of Hearts drawing in Waterloo, Illinois, but no one knew how long it would take.
Eleven people had their card drawn, and eleven people failed to find the queen until 61-year-old Sam Houston of Red Bud, Illinois, pulled the queen with a one-in-three chance.
“Totally shocked, absolutely shocked,” Houston said after winning nearly $1.9 million. “I got my brother and sister (with me, it’s) unbelievable.”
Houston is a retired iron worker and said he plans to travel to Las Vegas with his brother. Houston said he put 20 tickets in tonight’s drawing, with each ticket costing a dollar.