Powerball odds & prize statistics
Powerball draws 5 white balls from 69 and one red Powerball from 26 — 292,201,338 equally-likely lines, one of which wins the jackpot. Here's every prize tier with its exact odds, the combinatorics behind them, and tools to feel what those numbers really mean.
Powerball in plain English
Each Powerball play picks 5 white-ball numbers from 1–69 and a single red Powerball from 1–26. To win the jackpot you must match all five white balls (order doesn't matter) and the red Powerball. There are nine ways to win in total, right down to matching just the Powerball.
Powerball is a fixed-prize game for all tiers except the jackpot and the Match-5 prize (those are set amounts too, but the jackpot rolls over and grows). The optional Power Play add-on multiplies non-jackpot prizes by 2×–10× for an extra $1 — it changes payouts, not your odds of winning. Draws are held three times a week.
That single number is where every odds figure on this page comes from: you choose 5 main numbers from 69, then 1 from 26, giving 292,201,338 equally-likely outcomes. Exactly one of them is the jackpot line — which is why the jackpot odds are 1 in 292,201,338.
Powerball prizes & odds
All nine Powerball prize tiers, each with the exact odds computed from the game's matrix. Non-jackpot prizes are fixed national amounts (before any Power Play multiplier and before tax).
| Match | Odds (1 in…) | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 5 + Powerball | 1 in 292,201,338 | Jackpotannuity or cash, varies by draw |
| 5 white balls | 1 in 11,688,054 | $1,000,000 |
| 4 + Powerball | 1 in 913,129 | $50,000 |
| 4 white balls | 1 in 36,525 | $100 |
| 3 + Powerball | 1 in 14,494 | $100 |
| 3 white balls | 1 in 579.8 | $7 |
| 2 + Powerball | 1 in 701.3 | $7 |
| 1 + Powerball | 1 in 92.0 | $4 |
| Powerball only | 1 in 38.3 | $4 |
Odds are exact and fixed by the 5/69 + 1/26 matrix — they never change between draws. Prize amounts shown are the base U.S. amounts; the jackpot and Match-5 prize can be higher, and Power Play can multiply non-jackpot prizes. California pays all tiers pari-mutuel rather than fixed.
Interactive odds tools
Put 1 in 292,201,338 in perspective
Drag to see how the Powerball jackpot chance stacks up against everyday long shots.
What's a ticket really worth?
Powerball has fixed non-jackpot prizes, so we can compute the exact average return of the smaller prizes. Enter a jackpot to see the full picture. (Ignores tax & shared jackpots — read the note.)
Expected value is what an average ticket returns over the very long run — it is not a prediction and never exceeds the ticket price across a fair lottery. Real returns are lower after tax and any shared jackpots.
Simulate Powerball draws
Every draw below is generated by your device's cryptographic RNG (crypto.getRandomValues) — the same fairness our SHA-256 generators are built on. Run a batch and watch how rarely the top tiers actually land.
Powerball myths, busted
Every draw is independent. Balls have no memory, so a number that hasn't appeared in months is exactly as likely as any other — never more, never less.
Quick-pick and hand-picked lines have identical odds. Quick-pick just wins more <em>in total</em> because most tickets sold are quick-picks.
That line is exactly as likely as any other. The only practical reason to avoid obvious patterns is that more people play them, so you'd share a jackpot more often.
Want provably-fair Powerball picks?
Members get the SHA-256 version of every generator — seed it with your own entropy and verify the draw was never tampered with. Free picks stay free; provably-fair is the VIP upgrade.
See membership →How to play Powerball
Pick 5 white-ball numbers plus 1 red Powerball. It's the multi-state US game famous for ten-figure jackpots.
You choose 5 white balls from 1 to 69 and 1 red Powerball from 1 to 26. Match all six and you win the jackpot — one of 9 ways to win, down to matching just the Powerball for $4. For an extra $1, Power Play multiplies non-jackpot prizes by 2×–10× (the 10× only when the jackpot is $150M or less).
Powerball is played across 45 states plus DC, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands — and as of 21 July 2026 it launched in the UK too. The current 5/69 + 1/26 matrix has been in place since October 2015; a third weekly draw (Monday) was added in August 2021.
When is the Powerball draw?
Powerball is drawn three times a week — Monday, Wednesday and Saturday — at 10:59pm ET.
Draws are held every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59pm ET from Tallahassee, Florida. Ticket sales cut off earlier — often around 10:00pm ET, and up to two hours before the draw in some states — so buy early. Local draw times vary by state (for example 7:59pm PT in California, 9:59pm CT in the Central zone).
Times are set by the operator and can shift around holidays; confirm the cut-off with an official outlet before playing.
The biggest Powerball jackpots
Powerball holds the record for the largest lottery jackpot in history.
Powerball was the first lottery to offer both a $1 billion jackpot (2016) and a $2 billion one. The all-time record is $2.04 billion, won in California in November 2022 (a cash value of about $997.6 million). Jackpots start around $20 million and roll over until won, three draws a week — which is how they climb into ten figures.
Powerball odds, answered
What are the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot?
The jackpot odds are exactly 1 in 292,201,338 — that's C(69,5) × 26, the number of equally-likely 5-white-ball-plus-Powerball combinations.
What are the odds of winning any Powerball prize?
About 1 in 24.9. That counts all nine tiers together, from the jackpot down to matching just the red Powerball for $4.
Does Power Play change my odds?
No. Power Play multiplies non-jackpot prize amounts (2× to 10×) for an extra $1 per play, but it has no effect on your probability of winning any tier.
Can a generator improve my Powerball odds?
No tool can. Every combination is equally likely on every draw. A generator only saves you the effort of choosing and guarantees a valid, unbiased random line.
How much is a Powerball ticket?
Each play costs $2. Adding the Power Play multiplier costs an extra $1 per play, and Double Play (where offered) is another $1.
What time is the Powerball draw?
Powerball is drawn every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59pm ET from Tallahassee, Florida. Ticket sales usually close around 10:00pm ET, and earlier in some states, so buy well before the draw.
How do you play Powerball?
Pick 5 white balls from 1 to 69 and 1 red Powerball from 1 to 26. Match all six for the jackpot; there are 9 ways to win in total, down to $4 for matching just the Powerball.
What is the biggest Powerball jackpot ever?
$2.04 billion, won in California in November 2022 — the largest lottery jackpot in history. Powerball was also the first game to reach both $1 billion and $2 billion.
Can you play Powerball in the UK?
Yes — Powerball launched in the UK on 21 July 2026. UK prizes are paid on a pari-mutuel basis and the jackpot is paid as an annuity.
Understanding Powerball odds & your chances
Every official Powerball draw is independently random and regulated. Each possible combination has exactly the same probability of being drawn, no matter how the numbers were chosen — birthdays, a generator, or last week's results. Lotteries are games of pure chance, and no tool, pattern, or hot/cold analysis changes the fixed mathematical odds on this page.