De’Andre Spencer Sr. of Farmville says he knows it takes a lot of luck to win a jackpot, but he always believed he would one day.

That day came on Monday, Feb. 4, when Spencer stopped by Vapor Tobacco & More on Marlboro Road in Farmville and bought one of the two tickets that beat odds of 1 in 962,598 to split the Cash 5 jackpot of $643,796.

“It’s something that I always envisioned, but it is still a shock,” said Spencer, a welder. “I always expected to win though. I’m a good guy. I feel like I was supposed to win. I’m a positive person and I treat people right.”

Spencer claimed his half of the jackpot, $321,898, Monday, and said he would use some of his winnings to pay bills. After required state and federal tax withholdings, he took home $227,743.

Spencer said he was fine with sharing his good luck with someone else. “I only paid $1 for that ticket,” he said.

The other half of the jackpot went to a Wake County man, Michael Wildenberg of Raleigh. He claimed his prize Tuesday.

Cash 5 is a statewide draw game that gives players the chance to win a jackpot every single night. Tickets cost $1 and players can buy tickets at most lottery retailers or through Online Play on the lottery’s website. Jackpots start at $100,000. Monday night’s jackpot is $238,000.

Ticket sales from draw games like Cash 5 make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $650 million a year for education. For details on how $10.4 million in lottery funds made a difference in Pitt County last year, click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website.