All Susan Nott wanted was to win enough at the slot machine to buy herself a $4,500 diamond ring she has been eyeing for two weeks.

Early Tuesday morning, the 54-year-old Auburn woman woke up thinking, "Maybe today will be my lucky day."

About 3:30 a.m., Nott headed to Thunder Valley Casino in Lincoln to try her luck at her favorite "Wizard of Oz" nickel machine.

She likes to go to the casino early.

"It's quiet and you've got your pick of the machines," Nott said. Also, "that's my magic hour," she said.

By 4:30 a.m., within half an hour of playing the machine, Nott hit it big – winning $1,648,076.81.

"It hasn't quite sunk in yet," Nott said Wednesday evening.

A federal employee for almost 35 years who is a contract specialist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nott said she's blessed. She plans to retire in February.

About once a month for the past year, Nott said, she has been going to Thunder Valley Casino with her girlfriends, usually on a Sunday morning and always playing the same slot machines.

"There are four little 'Wizard of Oz' slot machines" by the rewards center, Nott said. She always picked the one in front on the right, she said.

And she always made sure she bet the $5 maximum on each spin.

On Tuesday morning, she won $300 within the first 10 minutes, cashed it out and returned again to the machine.

In the next few minutes she won another $800. Three hits later, she saw the four rows and five columns lined up perfectly with the words "progressive."

But no bells or whistles went off.

Nott sat there looking at the machine, feeling a little disappointed when she saw purple words in the middle of the machine that said, "Call attendant."

Still baffled, she took a step back from her seat and noticed the flashing lights at the top of the machine. The screen started to spin psychedelic dollar and coin signs.

"The graphics on the machine were beautiful," Nott said.

Casino attendants started to appear from all corners.

"I knew I hit something big, I just didn't know how big," Nott said.

When the attendants told her the amount she'd won, Nott said she started crying.

"I didn't know what to do," she said.

Nott said she plans to buy her best friend a car, pay off her car loan, set up a trust fund for her two children, who recently graduated from college, invest some of the money and maybe go on a trip to Mexico with friends.

And on Wednesday, she bought herself the diamond ring.

© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.

Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.