Man strikes 4D 1st Prize after betting on winning auction bid at Geylang Temple, wins $20,000
A man won $20,000 after placing a 4D bet using a number combination derived from a winning bid at a banquet event held at a temple in Geylang.
Geylang United Temple, located in Paya Lebar, held a celebratory banquet on May 3 to commemorate the birthdays of several deities, as well as the Taoist temple’s 45th anniversary.
Oh Thiam Li, the temple’s general affairs officer, told Shin Min Daily News that such banquets happen annually, with auctions forming part of the festivities.
At the recent auction, Jiang Guoyi (transliteration), a temple staff member, won a “fortune incense burner” with a bid of $1,633.
He then placed 4D bets using the number “3361” — a permutation of the winning bid amount — buying four “Big” and four “Small” entries.
A few days later, Jiang found himself $20,000 richer when “3361” ended up being the 1st Prize winning combination for the 4D draw on May 6.
The 66-year-old told Shin Min Daily News: “I thought this number was auspicious, so I bought it. I didn’t expect to win $20,000. I feel very lucky.”
Jiang added that it was his third time successfully bidding for a fortune incense burner, but his first time winning the top lottery prize: “I’ve served at the temple for more than 20 years. If the temple needs any help, I’m willing to help or sponsor it.”
Several temple board members won lottery prizes
General affairs officer Mr Oh revealed that seven to eight people associated with the temple also walked away with lottery prizes.
“Some were our board members, and some were devotees. They felt the numbers were auspicious and placed bets, but I’m not sure exactly how much they won. Some won more, some less.”
He added that lion dance performers “spat out” two numbers during the banquet — “18” and “19” — which were two of the winning numbers of the TOTO cascade draw on May 4, with a jackpot prize of $12 million.
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