$310 MILLION: Powerball lottery jackpot in rare territory

Feb 9, 2012, 7:43 am (165 comments)

Powerball

By Todd Northrop

For only the 13th time in the history of United States lotteries, a lottery jackpot run-up has crossed into $300 million+ territory.

The new high-water mark of $310 million for the current Powerball jackpot was achieved after no winning tickets were sold for Wednesday night's $250 million grand prize.

The lump-sum cash payout value of Saturday's Powerball jackpot is $193.4 million.

The mammoth prize is the result of 13 draws without a winner. The run-up started as a $20 million prize on Dec. 28, 2011.

The winning numbers for Wednesday, February 8, 2012 were 17, 28, 38, 39, and 51, with Powerball number 33.

Even though nobody won the jackpot Wednesday, 5 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $1,000,000 prize: 1 from Georgia, 1 from Missouri, 1 from Nebraska, 1 from New Jersey, and 1 from North Carolina.

None of the second prize winners had purchased the Power Play option for an extra $1, which would have increased their second prize win to $2 million.

64 tickets matched four white numbers plus the Powerball and won $10,000. Of those tickets, 12 were purchased with the Power Play option, increasing the prize to $40,000.

When a Powerball ticket is purchased with the Power Play option for an extra $1 per ticket, any non-jackpot prize is increased according to a fixed prize schedule, which can be found on the Powerball Drawing Detail page at USA Mega, as well as on the Powerball Prize Payouts page at Lottery Post.

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. Tickets cost $2 each.

Powerball lottery results are published within minutes of the drawing at USA Mega (www.usamega.com).  The USA Mega Web site provides lottery players in-depth information about the United States's two biggest multi-state lottery games, Mega Millions and Powerball.

Top 25 United States lottery jackpots of all time

Saturday's Powerball jackpot currently stands as the 13th-largest lottery jackpot of all time in the United States.  That position may rise before the drawing Saturday night, as lotteries are typically conservative in their initial estimates, and brisk sales may push the jackpot estimate higher by draw time.

If nobody wins Saturday, it's anyone's guess how high it will go.

  1. Mega Millions: $390 million, Mar. 6, 2007 - Georgia, New Jersey
  2. Mega Millions: $380 million, Jan. 4, 2011 - Idaho, Washington
  3. Powerball: $365 million, Feb. 18, 2006 - Nebraska
  4. The Big Game: $363 million, May 9, 2000 - Illinois, Michigan
  5. Powerball: $340 million, Oct. 19, 2005 - Oregon
  6. Mega Millions: $336 million, Aug. 28, 2009 - California, New York
  7. The Big Game: $331 million, Apr. 16, 2002 - Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey
  8. Mega Millions: $330 million, Aug. 31, 2007 - Maryland, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia
  9. Mega Millions: $319 million, Mar. 25, 2011 - New York
  10. Mega Millions: $315 million, Nov. 15, 2005 - California
  11. Powerball: $314.9 million, Dec. 26, 2002 - West Virgina
  12. Powerball: $314.3 million, Aug. 25, 2007 - Indiana
  13. Powerball: $310 million, Feb. 11, 2012 (preliminary estimate, not won yet)
  14. Powerball: $295.7 million, Jul. 29, 1998 - Indiana
  15. Powerball: $295 million, Aug. 25, 2001 - Delaware, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Hampshire
  16. Mega Millions: $294 million, Jul. 2, 2004 - Massachusetts
  17. Powerball: $276.3 million, Mar. 15, 2008 - West Virgina
  18. Mega Millions: $275 million, Feb. 22, 2008 - Georgia
  19. Mega Millions: $270 million, Feb. 28, 2006 - Ohio
  20. Mega Millions: $266 million, May 4, 2010 - California
  21. Mega Millions: $265 million, Apr. 18, 2006 - Ohio
  22. Powerball: $261.6 million, Jun. 2, 2010 - Ohio
  23. Powerball: $261.3 million, Jul. 9, 2003 - Missouri, Pennsylvania
  24. Powerball: $259.9 million, Aug. 19, 2009 - South Carolina
  25. Powerball: $258.5 million, Apr. 21, 2010 - Missouri

For those keeping score, the number of jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:

  • Mega Millions: 11
  • Powerball: 12
  • The Big Game: 2

The Big Game is the original name of Mega Millions, from the game's first drawing on Sep. 6, 1996 through May 14, 2002.  The name was changed to Mega Millions starting with the May 17, 2002 drawing.

Lottery Post Staff

Comments

hearsetrax's avatarhearsetrax

Skepticalcuriouser and curiouser........

 

I wonder when and whar the next lucky strike will be .......

 

good luck to all of us here @ LP Cheers

mcginnin56

For only the 13th time in history. Love that number 13! Has alway's been lucky for me, not to mention I was born on the 13th.

Any predictions for Saturday's jackpot? I would conservatively say $400 Million. That would be a $251 Million lump sum. In my "LIVE, FREEZE THEN DIE"

state that translates to about $188 Million after federal taxes only.   Lovies Wouldn't that be a nice Valentine's gift?

NightStalker's avatarNightStalker

I had forgotten about some of those larger JP's.  Had a $4 winner, so I'm closing in on it . . .

Reign22

Really starting to believe that it's rigged...I mean come on people:

 

Mega Millions Winning Numbers 2/7/2012   17-23-30-37-45 (04)

Powerball Winning Numbers 2/8/2012        17-28-38-39-51  (33)

 

The number schemes are nearly identical! What are the odds that two separate lotteries with different numbers picks & crazy odds draw almost the same identical number pattern on consecutive days?! A: ASTRONOMICAL!!!!! But I'm sure they will LET someone win when it reaches at least a $400m advertised annuity! That's why I haven't spent a dime in this run yet!!!

Todd's avatarTodd

Quote: Originally posted by Reign22 on Feb 9, 2012

Really starting to believe that it's rigged...I mean come on people:

 

Mega Millions Winning Numbers 2/7/2012   17-23-30-37-45 (04)

Powerball Winning Numbers 2/8/2012        17-28-38-39-51  (33)

 

The number schemes are nearly identical! What are the odds that two separate lotteries with different numbers picks & crazy odds draw almost the same identical number pattern on consecutive days?! A: ASTRONOMICAL!!!!! But I'm sure they will LET someone win when it reaches at least a $400m advertised annuity! That's why I haven't spent a dime in this run yet!!!

The numbers are nothing alike, plus you are looking at them in sorted order.  You are going to make the claim the Mega Millions and Powerball drawings are both somehow rigged to produce similar number sets?  How does that make any sense at all?  Why in the world would the lotteries even want to do such a thing?

dk1421's avatardk1421

I'm definitely buying a ticket today!

MissDiana's avatarMissDiana

Well, at least I picked the powerball (33)  Yes Nod    I had one other number also (17).  Bummer that I didn't have more.

Todd's avatarTodd

Quote: Originally posted by NightStalker on Feb 9, 2012

I had forgotten about some of those larger JP's.  Had a $4 winner, so I'm closing in on it . . .

I had a $4 winner too ... maybe we'll share that $310M. Smile

The thing is, my $4 winner was a 1+1, not just the PB.  I wonder why Powerball counts 1+1 as a separate prize level in the new prize structure when the prize is identical to 0+1.  There should be something extra for matching one of the main draw numbers in addition to the Powerball.

 

[Edit]:   MissDiana, I had the same - 17 and 33..

C0w Pi3

Had nothing BUT my dry streak ends this saturday with a jackpot win. Cool

dk1421's avatardk1421

I just realized... MM is listed 8 times in the Top 10; PB only 2! I always thought it was the other way around! I guess PB does a better PR/advertising job.

WesternRedDoug

Quote: Originally posted by Reign22 on Feb 9, 2012

Really starting to believe that it's rigged...I mean come on people:

 

Mega Millions Winning Numbers 2/7/2012   17-23-30-37-45 (04)

Powerball Winning Numbers 2/8/2012        17-28-38-39-51  (33)

 

The number schemes are nearly identical! What are the odds that two separate lotteries with different numbers picks & crazy odds draw almost the same identical number pattern on consecutive days?! A: ASTRONOMICAL!!!!! But I'm sure they will LET someone win when it reaches at least a $400m advertised annuity! That's why I haven't spent a dime in this run yet!!!

As someone who plays one QP at a time and never used a system, I guess I need a little lesson. How are those two sets of numbers "nearly identical"? If you can break it down for this newbie in a few sentances, I'd appreciate it. I don't see it.

$300M makes me dizzy. Good luck this week. I say two winners next Wednesday. Please sign your tickets.

Reign22

Because they can if they wanted to. And it's people like you that believe that it can't occur is the very reason they make so much money!!! It's like they are laughing at the masses! Keep believing if you want to!!!

mcginnin56

Quote: Originally posted by Todd on Feb 9, 2012

I had a $4 winner too ... maybe we'll share that $310M. Smile

The thing is, my $4 winner was a 1+1, not just the PB.  I wonder why Powerball counts 1+1 as a separate prize level in the new prize structure when the prize is identical to 0+1.  There should be something extra for matching one of the main draw numbers in addition to the Powerball.

 

[Edit]:   MissDiana, I had the same - 17 and 33..

Noticing a high number of member "Conspiracy Theory" agenda's. Whatever happen to common sense? Because numbers do not come out to your perceived patterns or expectations don't go crazy with the "rigged" cope outs.

hearsetrax's avatarhearsetrax

Quote: Originally posted by mcginnin56 on Feb 9, 2012

Noticing a high number of member "Conspiracy Theory" agenda's. Whatever happen to common sense? Because numbers do not come out to your perceived patterns or expectations don't go crazy with the "rigged" cope outs.

TwitchI think I hear the numbers laughing @ us all Twitch

I can't begain to fathom what to do with all that loot

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