The ticket holder pointed to the middle of three remaining cards. When it was flipped over, he raised his hands to his hat, threw back his head, took a deep breath and let out a four-letter word in relief as the crowd cheered.
Organizers confirmed a man from Flin Flon was the winner of $1,009,870 after a 16-month long Chase the Ace game in The Pas that drew so many people it had to be moved from the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 19 to the Roy H. Johnston Arena.
"It was a great night," said legion branch manager Linda Kuhl, but while everyone was happy for the winner and disappointed it wasn't them, the overwhelming feeling was of relief.
"Everybody is happy [the pot] is gone," she said. "There have been people … that have been coming in every weekend.
CBC has reached out to the winner.
People began arriving outside the arena before the 10 a.m. official line up time, and there was a bit of a mad dash when that line was finally opened, said Kuhl. But once 1,000 people had filled the arena, people warmed up and settled down, she said.
I give the crowd that have been attending our event just so much credit for their stamina and perseverance.- Linda Kuhl
"It was not a very pleasant day, the wind was very cold," said Kuhl. "I give the crowd that have been attending our event just so much credit for their stamina and perseverance."
This round of the game started Jan. 7, 2017 with a $65,000 pot. When it hit $200,000, that's when people really started to take notice, said Kuhl.
In Chase the Ace one ticket is drawn by the legion weekly. The ticket winner gets to come up, choose a card and, if they draw the Ace of Hearts, get the pot.
If the person doesn't choose the ace, they win 15 per cent of that week's ticket sales. Half of the proceeds are added to the pot, and the other 35 per cent is donated to various local charities, said Kuhl.
It's likely Chase the Ace will be back in September with an even bigger starter pot, said Kuhl.
"In September of 2016 we gave away $207,000," she said. For the upcoming draw, the pot will start at over $220,000, she said.