PowerBall: Official Guide, Rules, Odds & How to Play
What is PowerBall lottery?
PowerBall is one of the most popular American multi-state lotteries, played in 45 US states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The first PowerBall draw took place in 1992.
PowerBall drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 pm ET. Tickets cost $2.00 per play.
Did You Know?
PowerBall has created some of the largest lottery jackpots in world history, with the record being $2.04 billion won in November 2022!
How to play PowerBall lottery?
Players pick five numbers from 1 to 69 for the white balls and one number from 1 to 26 for the red PowerBall. You win the jackpot by matching all six winning numbers in a drawing.
The jackpots start at $20 million and grow based on ticket sales each time the jackpot rolls.
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Choose 5 main numbers from 1 to 69
- Choose 1 PowerBall from 1 to 26
- Add Power Play for an extra $1 to multiply non-jackpot prizes
- Wait for the draw on Monday, Wednesday or Saturday at 22:59 ET
- Check your numbers and claim your prize!
Odds to win PowerBall jackpot
PowerBall has some of the longest odds to win the jackpot, making it one of the toughest lotteries to win!
| Winning Selections | Odds | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| Match 5 numbers + PowerBall | 1 in 292,201,338 | Jackpot! |
| Match 5 main numbers | 1 in 11,688,054 | $1,000,000 |
| Match 4 numbers + PowerBall | 1 in 913,129 | $50,000 |
| Match 4 main numbers | 1 in 36,525 | $100 |
| Match 3 numbers + PowerBall | 1 in 14,494 | $100 |
| Match 3 main numbers | 1 in 580 | $7 |
| Match 2 numbers + PowerBall | 1 in 701 | $7 |
| Match 1 number + PowerBall | 1 in 92 | $4 |
| Match the PowerBall | 1 in 38 | $4 |
Power Play option multiplies non-jackpot prizes by 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, or 10X (when jackpot is $150 million or less), increasing prizes up to $2,000,000 for Match 5, $1,000,000 for Match 4 + PowerBall, $500,000 for Match 4, $50,000 for Match 3 + PowerBall, $500 for Match 3, $500 for Match 2 + PowerBall, $40 for Match 1 + PowerBall, or $40 for Match PowerBall.
Reality Check
As you can see, the odds of winning PowerBall jackpot are not great! You are more likely to become President of the United States than to win PowerBall lottery!
PowerBall Odds Calculations
If you ever wondered why the odds are so sky-high, let's have a look at how exactly they are being calculated.
In every PowerBall drawing, 5 white balls are drawn together with a single red PowerBall, making it a total of 6 balls.
Main Balls Odds
There are 69 numbers to pick from for the main balls. None can repeat. The number of ways to choose 5 balls from 69 is:
That means there are over 11 million ways to pick 5 numbers from 69 without repeating.
PowerBall Odds
There are 26 numbers for the PowerBall. You pick 1, so there are 26 possible choices.
Overall Odds to Win PowerBall
Multiply the main and PowerBall combinations:
So your odds are 1 in 292,201,338!
So there you go! If you wanted to purchase every possible combination to guarantee winning the jackpot, you would need to purchase over 292 million tickets!
But the good news is, there are better ways to improve your odds of winning PowerBall without spending so much money.
Winning vs Losing Combinations
After each Powerball draw, the distribution of combinations is:
Winning Probability Calculations
In Powerball, you pick 5 numbers from 1 to 69 and 1 Powerball from 1 to 26. To win the smallest prize, you need to match either the Powerball number or at least 3 main numbers. The number of combinations that will always win any prize after each draw is calculated as follows:
Total Number of Combinations
The total number of ways to choose 5 main numbers from 69 and 1 Powerball from 26 is given by:
Winning Combinations Breakdown
Let's calculate all the winning combinations for each prize tier:
| Prize Tier | Winning Combinations | Calculation |
|---|---|---|
| Match Powerball only | 11,238,513 | \( \binom{68}{5} \times \binom{1}{1} = 11,238,513 \) |
| Match 1 main + Powerball | 3,176,880 | \( \binom{5}{1} \times \binom{64}{4} \times \binom{1}{1} = 3,176,880 \) |
| Match 2 main + Powerball | 196,800 | \( \binom{5}{2} \times \binom{64}{3} \times \binom{1}{1} = 196,800 \) |
| Match 3 main only | 229,600 | \( \binom{5}{3} \times \binom{64}{2} \times \binom{25}{1} = 229,600 \) |
| Match 3 main + Powerball | 14,000 | \( \binom{5}{3} \times \binom{64}{2} \times \binom{1}{1} = 14,000 \) |
| Match 4 main only | 9,600 | \( \binom{5}{4} \times \binom{64}{1} \times \binom{25}{1} = 9,600 \) |
| Match 4 main + Powerball | 320 | \( \binom{5}{4} \times \binom{64}{1} \times \binom{1}{1} = 320 \) |
| Match 5 main only | 25 | \( \binom{5}{5} \times \binom{25}{1} = 25 \) |
| Match 5 main + Powerball | 1 | \( \binom{5}{5} \times \binom{1}{1} = 1 \) |
| Total Winning Combinations | 11,750,538 |
Non-Winning Combinations
Conclusion
Therefore, there are 11,750,538 combinations (4.02%) that win any prize in each Powerball drawing, while 280,450,800 combinations (95.98%) win nothing.
Probability Insight
Your chance of winning ANY prize in Powerball is approximately 1 in 24.9, which is significantly better than the jackpot odds of 1 in 292 million!
Power Play Multiplier Impact
When you add the Power Play option for an extra $1, your non-jackpot prizes can be multiplied by 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, or 10x. This doesn't change your odds of winning, but it significantly increases the potential value of your winnings!
Note: The 10x multiplier is only available when the jackpot is $150 million or less. The Power Play doesn't apply to the jackpot prize.
Ready to Play Smart?
Use our advanced tools and predictions to maximize your chances!
Explore Winning StrategiesNotable Changes & History
As of March 25, 2020, PowerBall implemented changes in response to the coronavirus pandemic:
- Starting Jackpot Lowered: Reset from $40 million to a guaranteed $20 million (annuitized prize)
- Minimum Rollover: At least $2 million when no one wins the jackpot between future subsequent drawings
On October 4, 2015, PowerBall underwent significant format changes:
- Matrix Change: White balls increased from 59 to 69, PowerBall decreased from 35 to 26
- Odds Impact: Improved chance of winning any prize to 1 in 24, but jackpot odds lengthened to 1 in 292,201,338
- Prize Adjustments: Match 4+1 prize increased to $50,000
- Power Play Update: 10x multiplier became available when jackpot is under $150 million
This format change resulted in the record $1.5 billion jackpot in January 2016.
On January 15, 2012, PowerBall implemented major changes:
- Price Increase: Ticket price doubled from $1 to $2
- PowerPlay Cost: Increased to $3 per play
- Starting Jackpot: Doubled to $40 million
- Matrix Change: PowerBall pool decreased from 39 to 35
- Non-Jackpot Prize: Match 5 without PowerBall increased to $1 million
On January 22, 2014, the variable Power Play option returned (2x-5x) for multiplying non-jackpot prizes.
PowerBall and Mega Millions began cross-sell agreement:
- Expanded Reach: Most states could sell both games
- National Coverage: Increased availability across the United States
Format update on August 28, 2005:
- Matrix Change: From 5/53 + 1/42 to 5/55 + 1/42
- Draw Days: Added Monday drawings, making it three times per week
Power Play multiplier option introduced:
- Multiplier Feature: Optional multiplier for non-jackpot prizes
- Cost: Additional $1 per play
- Multipliers: Originally 2X, 3X, 4X, or 5X
PowerBall launched on April 22, 1992:
- Original Format: 5/45 + 1/45
- Initial States: 15 participating states
- Draw Schedule: Once per week on Wednesdays
Source: PowerBall Official Site
