PITTSFIELD, Pa. — When Bryan Lake of Pittsfield, Pa., walked into Sheetz in North Warren on Friday, he had a $10 bill and was planning to use it for gas. Instead, he turned part of it into a winning ticket in a $4.5 million lottery.

Lake saw the lottery ticker advertising that Match 6 was up to $4 million.

He plays the lottery now and then, “once or twice a week,” and had never won any meaningful amount. He decided he could get by with a little less fuel.

“I bought one ticket,” he said.

It was a good decision. On Saturday, Lake found out that his quick picks matched all six numbers.

His first act was to phone a friend.

A few years ago, that friend at the Garland Volunteer Fire Department had won $1 million on a scratch-off ticket. He had taken Lake along to turn in the ticket.

Lake returned the favor. “You want to run up to Tops with me?” Lake asked him.

“How much did you win?”

“A little bit bigger than yours,” Lake said.

So, they went to Tops in Warren, filled out the necessary paperwork, and turned in that winning ticket. “I knew you couldn’t just go to Harrisburg and get this money,” he said.

Lake expects to have to wait six to eight weeks and he expects to receive close to $3 million after taxes.

When he gets it, he wants to thank the person that sold him the ticket.

“I’d like to give her a couple hundred bucks,” he said.

The store receives a windfall of $10,000, but none of that is earmarked for the clerk, he said.

After that, Lake’s plan is to make his retirement official.

He doesn’t have any serious plans for the money.

“Pay off the debts, take care of some family members, and give some to charity,” Lake said.

In the long run, he may indulge in one of his hobbies.

“I’m a poker player,” he said. “I’ll probably be out in Vegas playing in poker tournaments.”