The latest Powerball lottery draw, offering a $264 million prize, with a cash value option of $186.7 million, took place last night.
The winning numbers for December 1 were 12, 15, 38, 57 and 63, while the Powerball was 24 and the Power Play was 2x.
Last night's game saw nobody win the jackpot or the second prize valued at $1 million. Had there been any second prize winners who purchased the Power Play option for $1, their second prize would have been worth $2 million.
But 12 players did match four white balls plus the Powerball, earning them each $50,000. Four of those winners bought the Power Play option, doubling each of their earnings to $100,000.
There were 252 ticket holders who correctly guessed four white balls without the Powerball, each winning $100, with 87 of them having opted for Power Play, earning them each $200.
A group of 653 players matched three white balls plus the Powerball, which also won them each $100, while 191 of them purchased the Power Play option, raising their winnings to $200.
The next drawing will be on Sunday, December 5, with an estimated jackpot prize of $278 million, and a cash value of $196.6 million.
How to Play Powerball
Powerball tickets, which cost $2 per play, are sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Ticket holders each select five numbers from one to 69 for the five white balls and a number from one to 26 for the Powerball.
Players can multiply non-jackpot prizes by two, three, four, five or 10 times by purchasing the Power Play option for an additional $1 per play.
Drawings take place every Wednesday and Saturday from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee.
The Prizes
"There are nine ways to win a prize in Powerball. All prizes are set cash amounts, except the Grand Prize. In California, prize payout amounts are pari-mutuel and determined by sales and the number of winners," the Powerball website explains.
The Powerball jackpot prize value continues to grow until it's won. "The Match 5 + Power Play prize value is always $2 million, while the 10X multiplier is only in play when the advertised jackpot is $150 million or less," according to the website.
Jackpot winners can receive their prize as either an annuity or a lump-sum payment. For those who choose the annuity option, the winner is guaranteed to receive 30 graduated payments over 29 years. The annual payments increase by 5 percent until the 30th and final payment, the website notes.
What Are the Odds of Winning?
The overall odds of winning a prize are one in 24.9 and the winning odds are the same in every Powerball draw, according to the Powerball website.
"Even if there are more tickets sold in a particular drawing, your odds of winning a prize are the same," the website states.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in travel and health.
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