How to miss out on a quaterno

Oh what a pity to miss out on a quaterno and lose €200,000. The story goes back to early this year when a lady from Mosta lost her husband at the age of 71. He had died on the 17th of the month. So this widow started to play her dead husband's numbers, that is, 17-71. Later in the year her daughter bought a new car with registration number 220. So she added another ambo and started playing 2-20 separately. Later on the lotto receiver drew her attention to the new quaterno and he instructed her to combine the two sets of ambos into one quaterno with the number 2-17-20-71. She played this regularly every week.

Then came the fateful Saturday, August 8. It was a very busy and hectic day for this lady as she took charge of some of her grandchildren.

She forgot all about the numbers until her son phoned her at about 7.30 p.m. to congratulate her for winning a quaterno. But, alas, it was not to be. She had missed it just once and lost such a unique opportunity. On hearing the news she fainted. The numbers drawn on August 8 were: 17 -2 - 20 -46 -71.

I think she would have been the first person to win a quaterno. Although the new quaterno ticket is quite generous and attractive, I don't think there has been a winner up to the time of writing.