Powerball is one of the most popular lottery games in the United States and is played across the country. The jackpot has soared to $725 million after no winner was drawn on Monday.
But aside from the multi-million-dollar top prizes, there are a number of other ways to win. If you correctly select the red ‘Powerball number’ you are guaranteed to get your money back, with a little extra to boot.
Players have to fork out $2 for each ticket they purchase for the chance to win at least $4. The jackpot amount changes for each draw and is bolstered when there are a series of draws without a winner.
You're more likely to go pro in the NBA than hitting a Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot. Good luck, though! pic.twitter.com/jxOOeu2u1T
Even if you fail to pick all six numbers correctly, you can bank up to $1 million for selecting all but the Powerball.
However there are also special add-on features that players can opt to purchase. Doing so could multiply the base amount of non-jackpot prizes or even get a second chance to win with their numbers.
Powerball is played three times a week
Drawings occur three times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 pm ET. Ticket sales cut off either one or two hours before the drawing, depending on the lottery jurisdiction. An initial investment of $2 per ticket gives players a chance to win nine different prize amounts.
Wherever the game is played, punters can chance another dollar on each ticket to increase all winning combinations except the jackpot by up to ten fold while in some lottery jurisdictions, for another dollar per ticket, players can have a second shot at winning up to $10 million.
How to play Powerball
When you play Powerball you need to choose six numbers from two separate pools for the drawing. Players choose five numbers between 1 and 69 for the white balls and one number for a red ball, or Powerball, from 1 to 26.
There are a total of nine ways to win a prize in Powerball,ranging from $4, recovering your initial $2 buy-in plus $2 winnings, to the jackpot. But players have additional options to potentially multiply the prize money they get for a winning combination or even have a second chance at winning.
All states set the 2nd through 9th prizes at pre-determined amounts, except California, where all prize payouts are based on sales and the number of winners. Typically, the top prize starts at $20 million and accumulates with a rollover every time there is no winner. Should more than one person win the top prize the jackpot will be divided equally between them all.
The nine possible winning combinations are as follows:
Match 5 + Powerball: Jackpot (1 in 292,201,338)
Match 5: $1,000,000 (1 in 11,688,054)
Match 4 + Powerball: $50,000 (1 in 913,129)
Match 4: $100 (1 in 36,525)
Match 3 + Powerball: $100 (1 in 14,494)
Match 3: $7 (1 in 580)
Match 2 + Powerball: $7 (1 in 701)
Match 1 + Powerball: $4 (1 in 92)
Match 0 + Powerball: $4 (1 in 38)
Boost your potential winnings
Players can increase their prize amounts by spending an extra $1 for the “Power Play” option to win two, three, four or five times the corresponding prize, even possibly multiplying the prize by ten if the estimated jackpot is below $150 million. However, the Power Play only applies to non-jackpot prizes below $1 million.
Any Power Play number doubles the $1 million prize. The number is randomly generated before each drawing with each multiplier weighted.
Double Play gives players a second chance at winning a prize based on the numbers they’ve chosen. The winning numbers are draw immediately after the Powerball drawing. Double play is only available in 13 lottery jurisdictions.
Like Powerball, each number combination has a set prize amount starting at $7 and topping out at $10 million, but the Power Play add-on feature does not apply to Double Play drawings.
The gist: If you only match the red Powerball number on your $2 lottery ticket, you win $4. If you match two numbers on your ticket, you win $7. Once you match three or more numbers, the amount of money you can win escalates substantially, even if you don't win the jackpot.
If your Powerball matches the one that is drawn you will get your $2 ticket purchase back and a couple bucks more, for a total of $4. The odds of your ticket matching only the Powerball is 1 in 38.
How many Powerball numbers do you need to win a prize? You only need to match one number in Powerball to win a prize. However, that number must be the Powerball worth $4. Visit powerball.com for the entire prize chart.
If you correctly select the red 'Powerball number' you are guaranteed to get your money back, with a little extra to boot. Players have to fork out $2 for each ticket they purchase for the chance to win at least $4.
Yes, if you just hit the Powerball number, you win $4.
This gives you the $2 purchase of your ticket back, plus an extra $2. According to Powerball's official website, the odds of your ticket matching only the Powerball is 1 in 38.32.
Select five numbers between 1 and 69 for the white balls, then select one number between 1 and 26 for the red Powerball. Choose your numbers on a play slip or let the lottery terminal randomly pick your numbers.
Jackpot winners may choose to receive their prize as an annuity, paid in 30 graduated payments over 29 years, or a lump-sum payment. All lower-tier prizes are set cash amounts. In California, prize payout amounts are pari-mutuel and determined by sales and the number of winners.
How many Mega Millions winning numbers do you need to match to win a prize? You only need to match one number in Mega Millions to win a prize. However, that number must be the Mega Ball, worth $2.
Double Play is an add-on feature that gives players in select jurisdictions another chance to match their Powerball numbers in a separate drawing with a top cash prize of $10 million. Players can add the Double Play feature to their Powerball ticket for an additional $1 per play.
Matching three main numbers and the Powerball or four main numbers, that's a $100 payout. To land a $50,000 prize, you'll have to match four main numbers and the Powerball. If you match five main numbers but not the Powerball, your ticket is worth $1 million.
You will receive a payoff unless you match 0 red balls and 0, 1, or 2 white balls. [Match 3, 4, or 5 white balls, or the red ball, and you win!] KEY FACTS: We're assuming the lottery is fair: all balls are equally likely to be drawn (classical approach to probability).
So, do you win anything for one number in Powerball? Only if the matching number is the red "Powerball number" itself. You'll win a $4 prize which covers the cost of a Powerball ticket plus a little extra to boot. The odds of this happening are 1 in 38.
In order to win the Powerball jackpot you need to guess all six numbers correctly. However, you can still win some cash with just a few. The jackpot is now at $185 million for Wednesday's drawing after nobody claimed the prize on Monday.
Snooker is played with 22 balls, made up of one white ball (the cue ball); 15 red balls, valued at 1 point each; one yellow, 2 points; one green, 3; one brown, 4; one blue, 5; one pink, 6; and one black, 7.
WHAT IS THE GOLD BALL JACKPOT DRAW? An exciting feature of LOTTO 6/49, the Gold Ball Jackpot Draw determines whether the Gold Ball Draw winner wins either a $1 million prize or a multimillion-dollar jackpot that starts at $10 million and can grow up to a maximum of $68 million.
Powerball® is one of the most exciting PA Lottery games! The chart below shows Powerball prizes and chances of winning based on how many Powerball numbers you match. The white balls represent numbers and the red ball represents the Powerball number. Check Lottery results to see how many numbers you match.
You will receive a payoff unless you match 0 red balls and 0, 1, or 2 white balls. [Match 3, 4, or 5 white balls, or the red ball, and you win!] KEY FACTS: We're assuming the lottery is fair: all balls are equally likely to be drawn (classical approach to probability).
Introduction: My name is Eusebia Nader, I am a encouraging, brainy, lively, nice, famous, healthy, clever person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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