An Ellsworth County man has won a $10,000 lottery prize. According to the Kansas Lottery, Patrick Kyler won $10,000 on a scratch ticket.

When Kyler first won $40 on a $20 instant scratch ticket last week, his brother was philosophical about it.

“He told me ‘I guess if you want to win big, you gotta play big,’” said Kyler. The 51-year-old Kanopolis resident said his brother was referring to the $20 price of the ticket. Perhaps because of that comment, his brother was the first person Kyler called when he quite unexpectedly scratched off a $10,000 prize over the weekend.

“I reminded him of what he said about playing big, and told him apparently it was true because I had just won big!” Kyler said.  Kyler purchased his $20 Platinum Payout ticket Friday at the store where he usually plays. He had purchased two other tickets from the same pack at the same store the week before, and won $40 on one of them, prompting the comment from his brother.

“I was outside waiting to be picked up for work when I scratched the $10,000 ticket,” he said. “I wasn’t sure at first what I’d won because I didn’t have my glasses on.” Kyler went back inside, put on his glasses and it all became quite clear – he had won $10,000.

“That sure got my blood pumping!”

Kyler works at Phillips Lighting in Salina. He is married with two grown children and an 8-year-old grandson. Right now, he plans to keep his prize money and save it for a rainy day. Although, he said jokingly, his family may have something a little different in mind.

The lucky Platinum Payout ticket was purchased at Ampride-Ellsworth Coop, located at 1402 Foster Drive in Ellsworth. There are still two $100,000 prizes, ten $10,000 prizes and tens of thousands of other prizes remaining in the game.