The Powerball lottery for Wednesday, February 2, has been drawn, offering a jackpot of $123 million and a cash-value option of $84.7 million.
The winning numbers on this occasion were 18, 29, 33, 62 and 63. The red Powerball number was 15 and the Power Play multiplier was 3x, meaning that you had a chance to treble your winnings here.
Did Anyone Win Wednesday's Jackpot?
The results of each Powerball lottery draw are displayed in a database on the official website. Here, you can find out if anybody claimed the jackpot, how many people won the smaller prizes and what states they lived in.
Nobody claimed the top Powerball prize on Wednesday, which means that those jackpot winnings will be carried over into Sunday's draw.
There was only a single player who managed to get all five white balls in this round. This New York resident didn't opt for the Power Play multiplier, which means that they won $1 million (as opposed to $2 Million).
A total of eight people managed to get four white balls and the red power ball (worth $50,000). Half of these winners also paid the extra $1 for a Power Play ticket, and so increased their winnings to $150,000. Those four players were from Colorado, Florida, Kentucky and Puerto Rico.
Some 196 people managed to correctly guess four of the white balls (without the Powerball), netting them a sum of $100 each. Out of this group, 55 people chose to get the Power Play multiplier and so ended up getting $300.
A total of 522 lottery players matched three white balls and the Powerball. As such, they won $100 each, while 170 of them bumped their prize money up to $300 by getting a Power Play ticket.
As for the lower prizes, 13,272 got three white balls and 11,214 matched two white balls and the red power ball. In both cases, this means that they won $7 (or $21 with Power Play).
Finally, 89,181 people matched the white ball and the power ball, while 221,463 got just the red ball on its own. These players have won $4 each (or $12 with Power Play).
The next drawing will be on Sunday, February 6, with an estimated jackpot prize of $137 million and a cash value of $94.4 million.
How to Play Powerball
It costs to $2 for a Powerball ticket. They can be purchased in 45 states, as well as in the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Once you have got a ticket, you are then able to select your lucky numbers for each of the five white balls that are featured in the lottery. You can choose anything between one and 69 for this. Then, you will have to select a number (from one to 26) for the special Powerball as well.
When it comes to doing this, you can choose your numbers on a play slip or let the lottery terminal randomly pick your numbers for you.
By opting to pay an extra $1 per game, you can potentially increase any non-jackpot prizes that you happen to win. This is known as the "Power Play" option and, if you commit to it, then your winnings could be multiplied by two, three, four, five or even 10 times their original amount. This multiplier is randomly selected before each draw.
Powerball lottery drawings take place every Wednesday and Saturday, from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee.
What Are the Powerball Prizes?
There are 9 different prizes that you can win in a given Powerball draw. The table below shows what the criteria for each of these is.
| Numbers | Prize | 2X Power Play | 3X Power Play | 4X Power Play | 5X Power Play | 10X Power Play |
| 5 White Balls + Power Ball | Grand Prize | Grand Prize | Grand Prize | Grand Prize | Grand Prize | Grand Prize |
| 5 White Balls | $1 Million | $2 Million | $2 Million | $2 Million | $2 Million | $2 Million |
| 4 White Balls + Power Ball | $50,000 | $100,000 | $150,000 | $200,000 | $250,000 | $500,000 |
| 4 White Balls | $100 | $200 | $300 | $400 | $500 | $1,000 |
| 3 White Balls + Power Ball | $100 | $200 | $300 | $400 | $500 | $1,000 |
| 3 White Balls | $7 | $14 | $21 | $28 | $35 | $70 |
| 2 White Balls + Power Ball | $7 | $14 | $21 | $28 | $35 | $70 |
| 1 White Ball + Power Ball | $4 | $8 | $12 | $16 | $20 | $40 |
| Just the Power Ball | $4 | $8 | $12 | $16 | $20 | $40 |
The official Powerball website notes that all prizes are set cash amounts, except for the Grand Prize which alternates in value. This jackpot will continue to grow until it has been claimed.
If you are lucky enough to win the latter pot of money, then you can either take it as a lump-sum or receive it via annuity payments that are spread out over the course 29 years. By choosing the latter option, you are guaranteed 30 graduated payments which will increase by 5% each time, until the very last installment.
Another thing worth noting is that the prize payouts are allocated a little differently in the state of California. Here, the amounts are pari-mutuel and determined by sales and the number of winners.
What Are the Odds of Winning the Powerball Jackpot?
The Powerball website indicates that the overall odds of winning any prize whatsoever are one in 24.87, so you have decent enough chance of winning a couple of bucks.
However, the odds of winning that elusive jackpot grand prize are considerably steeper. According to the website's designated section on this topic, it's a one in 292 million shot.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
