How much will i get if i win the powerball

Powerball is one of the most popular lottery games in the United States and is played right across the country. After the Powerball draw soared to a billion-dollar jackpot this week, there has been renewed interest in the lottery.

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.

The Powerball jackpot has climbed to a record $1.6 billion ahead of the next drawing on Saturday. Routine lottery players and even some skeptics are on a frenzy of ticket buying, hopeful that the 1-in-292.2-million odds of winning will tilt in their favor. https://t.co/6supwWFI52

— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 5, 2022

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.

What are the nine prizes for the Powerball?

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 current Powerball jackpot stands at an estimated $1.6 billion, after nobody claimed the prize in Wednesday’s draw. The next draw for this jackpot will take place on Saturday, 5 November at 10.59 pm ET. The numbers for the most recent drawing on Wednesday night, 2 November, were 22, 11, 60, 2 and 35, with the additional red Powerball number of 23.

  • Watch out for lottery scams! Hints and tips

Although there were no jackpot winners, three lucky folks can take home $2 million after smaller wins, while 16 others matched five white balls meaning they won $1 million.

The Powerball jackpot has climbed to a record $1.6 billion ahead of the next drawing on Saturday. Routine lottery players and even some skeptics are on a frenzy of ticket buying, hopeful that the 1-in-292.2-million odds of winning will tilt in their favor. https://t.co/6supwWFI52

— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 5, 2022

The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292,201,338, so you’re more likely win at a slot machine than of winning the grand prize. But, if you choose to play, what will you get for the more modest Powerball prizes?

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, to the jackpot. Players can increase their prize amounts by spending an extra $1 for the “PowerPlay” option to win two, three, four or even five times as much. However the PowerPlay only applies to non-jackpot prizes below $1 million. Any PowerPlay number doubles the $1 million prize.

  • How much do you win if you get the red ball?
  • What combinations do you need to win Powerball?
  • What is Powerball Double Play?
  • How many numbers do you need to win a prize in Powerball?

What are the nine prizes for the Powerball?

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. The nine possible winning combinations are as follows, starting from the smallest, and thus the highest odds of winning.

The Powerball - $4

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.

1 number plus the Powerball – still $4

If you choose one correct number plus the Powerball you’ll bring home $4 again. The odds more than double to a 1 in 91 chance.

2 numbers plus the Powerball - $7

If your ticket matches two numbers and the Powerball you’ll get $7 but the odds to get there begin to skyrocket to 1 in 701.

3 numbers - $7 again

The odds of getting three correct numbers are a bit better at 579 to 1, but you only take home another $7.

3 numbers plus the Powerball - $100

If you purchase a ticket that matches three numbers and the Powerball you’ll finally get back enough money to treat yourself or someone else to something special. The odds to get that $100 in your pocket jump to 1 in 14,494.

4 numbers - $100

The odds of buying a ticket containing four numbers without the Powerball almost double again to 36,525 to 1 chance, but the prize stays the same at $100.

4 numbers plus the Powerball - $50,000

Now the prize really climbs as do the odds for hitting four numbers plus the Powerball. If you can overcome the roughly 931,129 to 1 odds you’ll be able to take that holiday you’ve been putting off with the $50,000 prize or even a new car. You’re twice as lucky, or better said unlucky, to be hit by lightning at this point (500,000 to 1).

5 numbers - $1 million

To get the $1 million prize you’ll need to match the numbers on the five white balls drawn without the Powerball and beat the 11,688,053 to 1 odds.

Powerball jackpot – The whole lot

Everyone who plays the lottery, and many who don’t, think about the prospect of taking home the big prize, but what are the odds of it actually happening? The vast majority who do play will keep dreaming with the odds stacked seriously against them with just 292,201,338 to 1 shot of buying a ticket that matches all five numbers and the Powerball. It’s extremely more likely you will be struck by lightning.