Gordon "Buddy" Cline of Zachary was shocked to discover one of several Powerball tickets in his car's cup holder was a $10,000 Powerball winner from the Jan. 8 drawing. 

"Sometimes I don't check my tickets for weeks," explained Cline.  "It was about a week after the drawing when I brought this one into a store to be checked." 

When the store clerk checked Cline's ticket, she told him he needed to take his ticket to a Lottery office.  "That's when I knew I'd won big," shared Cline, age 53.  "I went home to tell my wife the news and she said 'you're lying!'"

Cline's ticket matched four of the five white ball numbers drawn and the red Powerball number to win $10,000. The winning numbers for the Jan. 8 Powerball drawing were 06-07-26-33-52 and the Powerball number was 24.

Cline purchased his winning ticket from Bordelon Chevron on Highway 1 in White Castle. He plans to use his winnings to pay off his wife's car and purchase new work boots.   

Ticket purchasers must be at least 21 years of age. The Lottery encourages anyone who may have a gambling problem or friends and family of anyone with a gambling problem to call toll free 1-877-770-7867 for help.

For security purposes, the Lottery strongly encourages players to sign the back of their tickets immediately after purchasing.  As with all draw-style games, Powerball winning tickets must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing in which the prize was won.