ELEVEN tickets bear the winning combination for this year's $10 million ($10,044,188) Toto Hongbao draw - the largest sum since the annual event started four years ago.
Since the prize stands at $10,044,188, each top-prize ticket is worth $913,108.
The six winning numbers picked yesterday were 30, 20, 36, 25, 24 and 14. The additional number, which does not count towards the top prize, was 29.
Previously, the highest number of winning tickets was nine in 2000 and 2002.
The Hongbao draw - held during the Chinese New Year period - typically promises a fatter prize than the regular twice-a-week draws.
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So over 500 punters crowded into the Singapore Pools office at Paradiz Centre, Selegie Road yesterday to witness the 6.30pm draw - queuing for hours earlier but dispersing swiftly afterwards, tickets still in hand.
One happy face amid the general dejection was that of retiree Chua Tian Chye, although the 73-year-old won only a modest consolation prize.
Having attended every hongbao draw, he found this year that he had one of 4,683 tickets that gave payouts of $551 each, for having five matching numbers.
Said Mr Chua in Mandarin: 'I suffered a stroke three years ago and coming here, accompanied by my friends, helps me to relax.'
He had bought his ticket at the NTUC FairPrice at Tanjong Pagar Plaza.
The outlet is one of the top four nationwide - in terms of the number of winning Toto tickets it has sold since 1997.
The outlet did not add to its tally of 11 yesterday.
But another in the top four did: Murugan Sports and Video in Bedok North.
Said 54-year-old owner, Mr M. Balakrishnan, of its 11th winning ticket: 'The fengshui here is really good.
'The gods must have really helped. I'm always praying to them for my customers to win the first prize and this is just another miracle.'
