SINGAPORE - Some lucky Singaporeans will be getting a giant red packet this weekend, with this year's Toto Hong Bao draw offering a jackpot prize of $12 million, up from the usual $10 million.
With even the once-a-year punters joining in the fun, here are some stories from the Straits Times archives which might just help you clinch the winning combination.
Quick Toto facts
Last year, Singapore Pools updated the Toto game for the first time since 1997, although it has changed the game several times since its launch in 1968.
Instead of choosing from 45 numbers before, punters have to choose from 49. But instead of needing four numbers to win a prize, you need just three.
Six to share in S$10 million top prize
This article was first published on Feb 16, 2014.
Last year, the Ng Teo Guan Self Service outlet in Ubi Avenue 1 continued its winning streak by providing one of the winning tickets.
That was the 20th time the outlet produced a Toto top prize winner.
Each winner got $1,668,188.
Meanwhile, three of last year's winners got their tickets in the Jurong area.
Long queues hours before Toto draw
This article was first published on Feb 14, 2014.
You might want to get a head start on queueing. Last year, close to a hundred people were queuing at any one time on the day of the draw at one of the hottest Singapore Pools outlets, at Block 102, Yishun Avenue 5.
The Straits Times got some Singaporeans to share their Toto-picking tips, and how they intend to spend their winnings.
Single winners of Toto jackpots
This article was first published on Oct 23, 2012.
The two biggest individual wins in recent history were in August 2013, when a single winner won the $5-million National Day draw, and in October 2012, when a single winner won the $3.4 million jackpot.
The former lucky ticket was purchased at the Singapore Pools' Holland Drive branch. The latter was bought at Tiong Bahru's FairPrice outlet, making it the seventh time that a ticket from the outlet has won the jackpot.
Single winners tend to be rare, as the big top prizes tend to draw more punters.
Playing God of Fortune
And if all else fails, you could try your luck with this God of Fortune today and tomorrow at the Chingay Parade.
This article was first published on Feb 19, 2015
Mr Edward Lean, 49, is a regular volunteer God of Fortune at Chingay parades who dips into his own pocket to buy Toto tickets to distribute in red packets to the public.
The generous bachelor seems to live up to his moniker - he has quite a knack for giving out winning digits, and has given out prize-winning Toto combinations at least twice.
Ticket sales will close at 9pm on Friday, Feb 27, the day of the draw and the results will be posted on the Singapore Pools website from 10.30pm on the evening of the draw.
