Powerball
Powerball is an American lottery that has gained popularity in India as well. It is one of the biggest lotteries in the world, offered by 45 states and includes the districts of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands but the citizens of Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada, and Utah have to go out of the state to get a chance to win cash. It runs under the coordination of the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL).
It was originally started in 1988. Initially, it was known as Lotto America but later the name was changed to Powerball on April 19, 1992, on the day of its inaugural drawing. It was the first game that featured balls drawing from two separate barrels - a concept proposed by Steve Caputo.
A total of 69 white balls are held by one drum and the other drum holds 26 red balls drawing only 1 red ball labeled as Powerball. The Powerball Lotteries offer their players the biggest prizes all over the world.
In India, there is no countrywide prohibition but only 13 states allow it to run legally. The states that allow Powerball lottery to conduct legally are Kerela, Goa, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Sikkim, Nagaland, and Mizoram. The draws are conducted 3 times a week i.e., Monday morning, Wednesday, and Saturday evening at Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee, Florida. That means on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday in India.
The draw takes place in the US at around 10:59 PM ET so in India is held around 9:29 AM. The draws on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays takes place at the same time. The US Powerball has been running for more than 16 years, and throughout these years it has given away $2.4 billion to lucky winners, who sometimes have just bought with family and friends on a group ticket! A world record was set when Powerball awarded a $1.586 billion jackpot prize in January 2016 to 3 winners.
A 5/69 (white balls) + 1/26 (Powerballs) matrix has been used in the game since October 7, 2015. Winning numbers are chosen from them, only resulting in 1 lucky winner out of 292,201,338 who wins a jackpot per play. Initially, Powerball's plays per play cost was around $1 but now it has been increased to $2 or $3 coupled with a Power play option.
The structure below will help in the odds calculation.
| Powerball | Prizes | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 5 + Powerball | Million $268 | 1 in 292,201,338.00 |
| 4 + Powerball | $50,000 | 1 in 913,129.18 |
| 3 + Powerball | $100 | 1 in 14,494.11 |
| 2 + Powerball | $7 | 1 in 701.33 |
| 1 + Powerball | $4 | 1 in 38.32 |
Types of Pick Entries in Powerball
The picks entries in Powerball can be classified into 2 types:
• Pick Entry
Lotto draws 6 main numbers on Saturdays, Mondays, and Wednesdays. Pick 5 with one guaranteed number and Pick 4 with 2 guaranteed numbers are available. Similarly, 7 main numbers are drawn by Powerball with the availability of Pick 6 with 1 guaranteed number and Pick 5 with 2 guaranteed numbers.
In simple terms, it means that on Saturday while playing if you decide to buy Pick 5 then you need to guess 5 numbers correctly. And if you buy Pick 6 then you need to guess 6 correct numbers. The prices of these are fixed accordingly.
• Pick 6 and Pick 5 of PowerHit
The PowerHit entries make you win as they guarantee winning Powerball. By buying a PowerHit ticket you increase your chances of winning a Powerball as they guarantee you a Powerball number. You will have to choose a number starting from 1 -35 except the Powerball number.
After that, you just need to wait for the draw and then you will have to match the 7 main numbers with the winning 7 numbers of that draw. The winning numbers need not be in sequence order.
System Ticket
A system ticket will allow you to play for more than 7 numbers. It covers all the combinations of possible 7 numbers. The system type is related to the numbers that are playing.
For example, a System 8 gives you every combination of your 8 numbers, and a System 15 gives you every combination of your 15 numbers.
Once the number is chosen on your System ticket your Powerball number does not change.
The number chosen for Powerball remains constant for every combination.
PowerBall Numbers Generator
Ready to bet on PowerBall but don’t know which numbers to play? Our Number Generator has you covered! Click the “Dice” icon to generate a completely random line for PowerBall.