If you’ve ever walked into a bar or club and seen a huge jackpot total on the wall for a Queen of Hearts drawing — or read the headlines about million-dollar jackpots at places like Brookies in Ripley — you’ve probably wondered: “How did it get that big?”
The secret is in how the game rolls over — and why each week’s drawing makes the pot grow faster than the week before.
The Basics: What Happens Each Week
In a typical Queen of Hearts raffle, players buy tickets all week long. On drawing night, one ticket is pulled at random.
- If that ticket’s chosen card is the Queen of Hearts, the jackpot is won.
- If it’s any other card, the jackpot rolls over into the next week.
That means no one loses the big prize — it just keeps building.
The “Rollover” and 10% Rule
When someone wins, most venues keep 10% of the jackpot to “seed” the next game.
- Example: If a jackpot is $50,000 and someone wins, the new game would start with $5,000 already in the pot.
- The rest of the jackpot is paid out to the winner(s) according to the venue’s posted rules.
Importantly, the venue doesn’t profit from the raffle — all money from ticket sales is either paid out to winners or rolled into future jackpots. This is what keeps it legal under Ohio’s charitable gaming rules.
Why Jackpots Grow So Quickly
The rollover effect is only part of the story. The real acceleration comes from player behavior:
- As the jackpot gets bigger, more people buy tickets.
- More tickets mean a larger weekly contribution to the pot.
- A bigger pot draws even more players the next week.
It’s a snowball effect — and it’s why jackpots that start at a few thousand can skyrocket into the tens or even hundreds of thousands in just a couple of months.
The Tension Builds
With each rollover, there are fewer cards left on the board. The odds of pulling the Queen of Hearts improve, but the jackpot is bigger than ever. That combination creates a buzz in the crowd and online, leading to record-breaking ticket sales on drawing night.
Why It Matters to Players
If you’re chasing the Queen, knowing the rollover mechanics can help you decide when to jump in. While there’s no guarantee, the sweet spot for many players is when:
- The jackpot is already high
- The number of cards left is under 20
- The venue is attracting big weekly ticket sales
That’s when the excitement — and your potential payout — peaks.