What combinations do you need to win Powerball?
Three times a week Powerball players have an opportunity to win a prize, the amount of which is set depending on the combination of correct numbers picked.
When playing Powerball, for an initial investment of $2, players have a chance of winning astronomical sums of money if they get all five numbers correct along with the Powerball. The odds of that happening are also astronomical, but the chances of getting smaller prizes are more down to earth.
This popular lottery game also offers punters a chance at increasing their winnings with a special add-on feature if they fork over an additional dollar for each ticket. In certain lottery jurisdictions, for another dollar per ticket, players can have a second shot at winning up to $10 million.
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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.
Drawings occur three times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 pm ET. Ticket sales cut off one to two hours before the drawing depending on the lottery jurisdiction.
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. 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)
Increasing 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.