| READY TO ROLL: Excitement builds up at the Singapore Pools headquarters as the numbers for the top prizes are rolled out. ST Photos: Desmond Wee | | | TWO weeks ago, a four-digit number - 6904 - became the talk of the town. It won both the first and second prizes in the June 27 4-D draw, a one-in-a-100-million chance that this could happen. As punters can bet on any number from 0000 to 9999 from $1 upwards, there are 10,000 possible outcomes, which means that any number has a one-in-a-10,000 chance of winning. For a number to appear twice in the same draw, the probability is 10,000 times 10,000, says a Singapore Pools spokesman, or one in 100 million. The same number coming up twice is not unheard of. On Nov 5 last year, the number 2096 won both the second and third prize. But it is believed that 6904 was the first time a first-second prize windfall has taken place. It is unclear how many lucky winners there were as Singapore Pools does not reveal such information. Still, the amazing coincidence made headline news and dominated coffee shop gossip for days as excited punters gave their two cents' worth on it. One of them was Mr Henry Tan, who is probably one of the most ardent fans of the 4-D lottery here. Every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, the 85-year-old retired businessman will take the MRT, then a bus, from his Jalan Besar home to the Singapore Pools' headquarters at Paradiz Centre in Selegie Road. The hale and hearty man has been doing this without fail since the gaming operator moved its headquarters there in 2000. The reason? To watch the 4-D draw that takes place on those days at 6.30pm. 'I love the excitement of watching the winning numbers being drawn,' he says, eyes dancing. He spends about $80 betting on each draw and says 4-D is 'just a hobby' to him, adding that 'win too much money also no use'. It is anyone's guess how many 4-D punters there are here, but a 2005 survey conducted by the Ministry of Community, Youth and Sports provides some clues. It found that 58 per cent of adults in Singapore gamble, with 53 per cent of respondents saying they had played 4-D in the past year. Next came Toto, with 39 per cent participation, and then Singapore Sweep, with 31 per cent. A Singapore Pools spokesman also confirmed that 4-D sales make up over half of the company's business, making it the most popular lottery game among Singaporeans. No figures are available on how much that translates into in terms of takings, but in all, the Ministry of Finance collected about $1.5 billion in betting taxes last year. The spokesman stresses that punters should play responsibly, adding that Singapore Pools already has in place a self-exclusion option for all its account customers since May last year, although no one has signed up yet. Account customers place bets via telephones. 'Due to practical difficulties and the very short transaction time, the self-exclusion option is not available for cash customers,' she adds. Its marketing brochures and posters have also extolled the 'Play Responsibly' message since 2002. Still, all punters dream of how to increase their odds of winning in this game of pure chance. Asked if Singapore Pools had any tips, the spokesman quips: 'This is something we all would want to know.' So in the meantime, punters will continue to look to anything and everything for inspiration, from birthdays and mobile phone numbers to accidents and murders. And in the case of Mr Tan, even the number on the collection slip of the tailored shirt he is wearing can be a potential lucky number. Pointing to his shirt, he says conspiratorially: 'This is 3922. I have numbers for almost everything.' According to Singapore Pools' website, this number has won four times, all consolation and starter prizes. A hot number? It's your bet. munsan@sph.com.sg Do you have any 4-D related stories you'd like to share? Please e-mail
'I love the excitement of watching the winning numbers being drawn'
Mr Henry Tan, a regular at 4-D draws | 
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