Jackpot in Maniwaki, Que. radio station 'Catch the Ace' contest tops $3M

In the 'Catch the Ace' card game, the premise is simple. Pull the ace of spades from the deck and you win! In Maniwaki, Que., local radio station CHGA 97.3 has been playing their version of 'Catch the Ace' for nearly a year without a winner. There's only one card left in the deck, so on Thursday, the winning ticketholder is guaranteed to take home a huge cash prize.

The town of nearly 4,000 people has never seen anything like this. Maryse Gauthier has spent nearly $1,000 buying tickets for herself, and for groups gunning for a chance at the jackpot.

"I'm buying tickets because I'm going to win," says Gauthier with a laugh. "How would you feel if we call you and tell you you're going to win $3.5 million?"

CHGA 97.3 Program Director Sébastien Plouffe will change at least one person's life when he pulls the winning ticket from Thursday's final draw.

"It's difficult to imagine. It's a lot of money. I don't know what kind of feeling I will have. It's weird," says Plouffe. "People say, 'Hey, you will call me next Thursday!' or 'Hey, don't forget to pick my ticket!' It's great — the interaction with the people."

In the station's contest, tickets are sold each week for the 'Catch the Ace' contest. A portion of the funds from ticket sales go toward running the contest, 35 per cent of ticket sales goes to help raise funds for more 50 organizations in the Gatineau Valley region, 20 per cent goes toward the weekly prize, and 30 per cent goes toward the cumulative "Catch the Ace" grand prize.

Each week, a ticket is pulled for a weekly cash prize and that winner then gets a chance to "Catch the Ace". If the ace of spades is found, they also win the grand prize. If it isn't found, another round is played the following week. After 51 weeks, the ace of spades is the only card left in the deck.

This is the second time the radio station has put on the contest. Last time, it only lasted 16 weeks. "It's incredible. We never thought it would go the entire way," says Plouffe. "It's good because that means more money for the organizations in the area."

The lucky ticket will be drawn live on air at 11:30 a.m. Thursday.