Arts & Entertainment
Powerball Jackpot Hits $415M
When are Powerball drawings? Wednesday and Saturday nights at 10:59 p.m. Eastern.
The Powerball jackpot hit $415 million for tonight's drawing.
It's among the top 10 lottery prizes in U.S. history
So how does Powerball work?
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Tickets are sold for $2 in 44 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The jackpot starts at $40 million and increases after each drawing if there isn't a winner.
Drawings are Wednesday and Saturday.
Find out what's happening in Martha's Vineyardfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Players pick five numbers from one to 69 and a sixth Powerball number, one through 26. (Most people just choose to get random numbers.) There are various levels of payouts, but to win the ultimate jackpot, you have to match all five numbers plus the Powerball.
The odds of that happening? Just one in 292 million.
A winner can pick two ways to claim their prize. The first is an annuity that is paid out 30 times over 29 years. The second is an immediate cash payout that is available immediately but is significantly less money than the total jackpot.
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