By 12:30 p.m., nearly 500 Pistons fans had joined them in the arena, each of them clutching a raffle ticket. The winning number would put you at the front of the line to purchase up to four of the Pistons’ first 1,000 playoff tickets - 500 to each of the first two home games. All for $12, and sold only in person at The Palace box office.

“We thought there was too many people and we wouldn’t get tickets at all,” Curt said.

And then the raffle got under way - and a young Pistons fan drew Jan’s number.

“I couldn’t believe it. He did it - ” Jan said, pointing to her grandson, a freshman at Garden City High School. “I told him, ‘I never win anything.’”

Initially, Curt was more interested in getting autographs than playoff tickets. Four Pistons - Lindsey Hunter, Jason Maxiell, Nazr Mohammed and Flip Murray - were in the West Atrium signing autographs and taking pictures with ticket buyers on their way to the box office window.

“We didn’t even want to come down at first but then we thought, ‘yeah, we might as well go down and give it a try, see if we could get some tickets and get some autographs,’” Curt said. “We ended up getting all the players’ autographs and first tickets, so it turned out being good.”

This was the first year the Pistons held a raffle for the $12 seats. Jan’s ticket number put her at the front of the line; the following number had the second place in line, and so on. The raffle was well received by fans - and not just the Schlacters, who could hardly argue with the results.

“I can understand why they’re doing it, because not everyone can get out here early,” said Henry Underwood, from Detroit. “Some people are going to be late, so as long as they go with the raffle, as long as you get lucky … a lot of people should get some tickets.”

Underwood arrived around 10:45 a.m., but not just for playoff tickets. A half-season ticketholder, Underwood had brought his two grandchildren to the Kids’ Crew party also at The Palace. Raffle participants were able to watch the kids’ clinic on the court before the number was drawn.

Underwood’s appetite for playoff tickets was whetted by Rasheed Wallace’s unbelievable 62-footer to force overtime in the win Monday over Denver.

“After he hit that, it was a playoff atmosphere,” Underwood said. “It went into overtime. It makes you feel like it’s a college-game atmosphere, when the playoffs begin. Every possession means something.”

Yaneka Mattingly, 33, from Ypsilanti, went to several Pistons away games and even the NBA All-Star Game, but hasn’t made it to the Palace this year because of conflicts with her work schedule. She found out about the on-sale by visiting pistons.com and made the trip out with a couple of friends.

“In the first round? It doesn’t matter,” Mattingly said, when asked if she wanted to see a particular team. “We’re going to crush every opponent.”

Mattingly also agreed with the raffle system, and is eager to see a playoff game at The Palace. She went to Game 6 in the Cleveland series last season at Quicken Loans Arena.

“I think it’s fair. I hope everybody gets a ticket but at the time we came from a long way,” she said. “If we don’t get one I won’t be mad, I still love coming to The Palace anyway.”

Rather than purchasing four tickets to one game, Jan bought two tickets to Game 1 and Game 2. The grandmother and grandson will attend both games together.

“I’d rather go to both games,” said Curt, who realized how close he was to getting nothing. His own ticket number was just before Jan’s. Technically speaking, he knew what that meant in terms of the lineup.

“I would have been the last one.”

Individual tickets to the Pistons’ first two playoff games are still available. Fans can also secure “strips” for tickets to every home game of the playoffs. For individual tickets or playoff strips, call The Palace at 248-377-0100.

Fans can also secure playoff priority for future playoff games when they subscribe to the Detroit Pistons online newsletter, Hard@Work at www.pistons.com.