By Todd Northrop
There was no jackpot winner in the Wednesday drawing of the multi-state Powerball lottery game, causing the grand prize to increase to an estimated $203 million for Saturday's drawing.
Wednesday was the 12th consecutive drawing without a jackpot winner.
The estimated cash value for the new jackpot is $123.2 Million. After-tax cash and annuity prize amounts are reported state-by-state at USA Mega, a web site devoted to the Powerball and Mega Millions multi-state lottery games.
Players should note that jackpot amounts are conservative estimates provided by the lotteries, and are often somewhat higher by the time the drawing occurs.
Even though there were no jackpot winners, 9 lucky tickets matched the first five numbers for a $200,000 second-place prize: 1 from Colorado, 1 from Florida, 1 from New Jersey, 1 from New York, 1 from Pennsylvania, 2 from Texas, 1 from Virginia, and 1 from West Virginia.
The ticket sold in Colorado was purchased with the Power Play option, multiplying the prize to a sizeable $1 million.
61 tickets matched four white numbers plus the Powerball and won $10,000. Of those tickets, 6 also were purchased with the Power Play option, multiplying the prize by 3 for a total cash prize of $30,000.
The Powerball winning numbers for Wednesday, October 26, were 1, 18, 21, 39, and 55, with Powerball number 6. The Power Play number was 3.
Saturday's drawing will be only the fourth time in the past year that players are vying for a $200 million+ jackpot. On Aug. 10, 2011, a Minnesota couple won a $228.9 million Powerball jackpot (see Minnesota couple claims $229M Powerball lottery jackpot, Lottery Post, Aug. 13, 2011.) Previous to that, on June 1, 2011, a group of 20 Costco workers from New York won $200 million prize, and on April 6, 2011, two men who worked together as welders in the small Southern Indiana town of Clarksville snagged a $221.7 million Powerball jackpot.
When a Powerball ticket is purchased with the Power Play option for an extra $1 per ticket, any non-jackpot prize is multiplied from 2-5 times, depending on a computerized random number generated that evening. Second-place Power Play-enabled tickets matching five numbers but not the Powerball are always multiplied by 5 times, for a $1 million prize.
Powerball is now played in 42 states, plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are Wednesdays and Saturdays at 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Powerball lottery results are published within minutes of the drawing at USA Mega.
Attention LP members:
There is NO NEED for anyone to post on this thread.
For I will be the sole winner.
Thank You.
I'll buy my regular set of numbers along with one quick-pick = $3 no more, no less. Jackpot frenzy strikes every year around this time with people spending hundreds of dollars trying to hit the big one - only to find out the winner never played before and only spent one or two bucks on quick picks. Actually I'll probably spend more money on 203 - I like that number for New Jersey midday.
Good luck everyone.
Holy cow.....Here we go again with Powerball Fever.....I love the chatting that starts when it gets this high..Sure I'ld love to win a big jackpot but the odds are very high againest me ....Hey you never know . I wonder if it wil roll over and how many times at that..Well best of luck again to my LP family...If someone wins in NEW YORK STATE. and you dont hear from me in a few months,{wink}..I guess i have to buy everyone a beer and a shot at the party....OK ....Peace and Love to everyone and good luck
I can't see how you could claim something in your sleep, when it belongs to me.
It's mine I tell you, ALL mine...! Your Welcome.
With that kind of money I can get a housekeeper and spend more time on Lottery Post .
WOW $203 million!!! Will buy my $1 Qp like do I for each drawling. My parents always told me paitence is a vertue so i am being paitent and waiting my turn, but winning the jackpot Saturday would be amazing lol. Good Luck Everyone!!!!!!!
DREAMS DO COME TRUE!!!!!!!!!!
Here in Pennsylvania we don't pay State Tax on Lottery winnings, so I will be very careful with the approximately $80,000,000 after 35% Federal Taxes! Thank you all for your past, present and future donations for my Saturday Powerball Retirement Plan winnings!
I will spread the wealth without anyone's help!
I'm dreaming of an Extreme Silver Continental GT .........
........ oh ............ and I live fairly close to lucky Latrobe .............. and I won $3 last nite
I don't normally play these games but considering the size of the prize and the fact I feel pretty lucky this week, I'll take a shot at it.
I keep dreaming of a Ford Expedition lol not quite as fancy as your Bentley GT! Good Luck
Hire my wife, please. She'll vacuum clean your house 24 hours a day.
She's driving me insane with this infernal vacuum cleaner!
This is a nice chunk of dough. It's enough for me to choose the annuity payments.
thanks for the good laugh Ridge . yur the best buddy
The ball stops here with $1 dollar quick pick!