Powerball Lottery Jackpot Grows to New Record of $340 Million

Comment #45

CASH Only — Sun, 30 Oct 2005 18:20:48 GMT

I look up to Jack more than most people on LP do. I have respect for those who believe CASH is KING.

Comment #44

libra926 — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 18:10:10 GMT

HAPPY FRIDAY.......TO ALL MY FELLOW MM PLAYERS...10/28/05.....IST....Let me say once again CHEWIE I thorpughly enjoyed your statement of 10/15...9:45pm. It was one of the best statements you have made....and I totally agree.....it was awesome. I couldn't have stated it better, and I do not mean to sound harsh towards anyone else on here. I think there's a prinicple involved and I respect your attitude on this subject.2nd.....I am not always able to come on-line when I want because I have m... [ More ]

Comment #43

Chewie — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 17:24:58 GMT

Sure you do. Show up at the gate and collet them. If they say anything, tell them I said it was OK! Should be no problem. Do not chose the gate near the lake, unless you can swim.

Comment #42

CASH Only — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 17:09:18 GMT

I was correct on the six flags. Do I win a 2006 season pass

Comment #41

Chewie — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 17:04:06 GMT

Actually I can name them - Texas is my favorite State. Friendliest people, generally, that I have ever met. You can find them here: http://www.lsjunction.com/facts/6flags.htm

Comment #40

CASH Only — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 16:56:49 GMT

Can you name the six flags? USA, Mexico, France, Texas Republic, Confederacy, Spain-that's my guess.

Comment #39

Chewie — Sat, 22 Oct 2005 20:46:53 GMT

Six Flags is based on Six Flags Over Texas, because six flags have flown over Texas. It turned into a money maker,, and walla, everyone got in on the act. Surprise, surprise. I don't think any of them would be open every day. Something, some how would cause a closing. Christmas Day? Thanksgiving? 9-11? There were days when Disneyworld closed, if I remember right.

Comment #38

libra926 — Sat, 22 Oct 2005 19:59:48 GMT

HAPPY SATURDAY......10/22/05HEY CASH....you saw me come on board a little while ago didn't you???LOLOLOL....and I thought I was sneaky......you got meHEY CHEWIE....I love your last statement......awesome......You can be my attorney any day...LLOLO

Comment #37

CASH Only — Sat, 22 Oct 2005 19:42:57 GMT

chewie:AFAIK Six Flags Great Adventure is not open year round. I was just outside Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, CA eight days ago...I bet they are.

Comment #36

Chewie — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 01:24:49 GMT

Powerball's match 5 bonus pool is respectful - Powerball just knows when to say enough is enough - after all, how much do lottery jackpot winners really need?So now you and MUSL are looking out for me? Goodie, Goodie. I now have two new mommies and two new daddies! Happy days are here again.Maybe, next week, when the lottry hoopalah is over, you can take time out to take me to Six Flags. Then you could make sure I only spent the amount you think I should spend. After all, how much does one rea... [ More ]

Comment #35

ryanm — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 00:05:33 GMT

No, in any state except California, you would win the full $250,000 per ticket. Powerball's match 5 bonus pool is respectful - Powerball just knows when to say enough is enough - after all, how much do lottery jackpot winners really need? Yes, the individual states do cover the $200,000 prize. Imagine what a shock it would be to the Virgin Islands if they had more than one PowerPlay match 5+0 winner - that could put the Virgin Islands lottery out of business

Comment #34

twisted — Mon, 17 Oct 2005 11:51:52 GMT

Do you mean 250k per 5+0 in Mega Millions? Not 175k, right

Comment #33

dvdiva — Mon, 17 Oct 2005 05:40:08 GMT

Powerplay is separate from the bonus pool. It would be 200k + whatever is the multiplier minus the 200k + whatever percent of the bonus pool you get IF there is a jackpot winner for that game. Since the 5 multiplier has come up so much recently as the bonus pool gets bigger it would be a disincentive to get a powerplay since you will already get what's in the bonus pool. Kind of an ass-backward way of marketing. I hope individual states aren't covering the 200k or someone will get a rude surpris... [ More ]

Comment #32

fiona$ — Mon, 17 Oct 2005 05:34:11 GMT

The only reason is $$$ to the lottery. With tickets sold so far there is $13million in the Pick 5 pool. It would have gone into the cash option under the old rules. The lottery is betting more people will spend the extra dollar on the power play. Sales have been down this year so they are going to cash in while they can.

Comment #31

Down — Mon, 17 Oct 2005 04:56:28 GMT

i don't get it, whats the whole point of the cap? it just seems like its taking something away from the game

Comment #30

fxdwg — Mon, 17 Oct 2005 02:45:12 GMT

I too live on a border state but I buy multi draw tickets and at times like these it does cut down on having to wait in line. But that is just me

Comment #29

DoubleDown — Mon, 17 Oct 2005 02:36:12 GMT

My trip to Hardeeville is not mythical--Indeed that is where I buy my tix:Hardeeville, SC

Comment #28

mken32 — Mon, 17 Oct 2005 01:47:03 GMT

Hey I live in Jacksonville Fl and I took a road trip to SC to play because I love to play the Big jackpots, was it worth it probably not if I don't win anything or If my ticket hit the Jackpot I am the man. 330 round trip

Comment #27

Deadsantaclaus — Mon, 17 Oct 2005 01:39:29 GMT

There reaches a point in someone's life when they have to take the mythical trip to Hardeeville. Someday you'll look back and know this is one of those times

Comment #26

DoubleDown — Mon, 17 Oct 2005 01:14:47 GMT

Do what I do...cross the border and buy your tix..Fortunately, I live in a border county to South Carolina, so it's not too much of a ride, but I admit it is getting monotonous .Driving over there, standing in line, buying the tickets like a good little drone.. Somebody please win Wednesday so we all can go back to normalcy

Comment #25

BloodNinja — Mon, 17 Oct 2005 00:47:13 GMT

Times like this, I wish Texas had Powerball.

Comment #24

Chewie — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 21:40:21 GMT

If Whitikar won, he would be buried with the ticket. His wife would kill him. She would make him the next sacrifice.

Comment #23

RJOh — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 20:58:52 GMT

A ticket? No. Jack deals in hundreds, he bought a hundred dollars worth before when he won and he has even more money to waste now. He'll probably buy a bunch.If Jack had dealt with single bills, he probably wouldn't have won the jackpot and certainly people would not have been robbing him and his cars so often.

Comment #22

ryanm — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 20:50:25 GMT

Apparently, lots of players bitched about the new annuity payments, although they only changed those to respond to the other lot of players who bitched about inflation hurting the value of the annuity payments. Taken from Powerball's FAQ page:WHY HAS THE CASH JACKPOT GONE DOWN?Actually, it is the annuity jackpot that has gone UP. We start with the cash jackpot amount. In the Powerball game, thirty cents of every dollar sale goes into the cash jackpot pool. The difference between the cash jackpo... [ More ]

Comment #21

libra926 — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 20:47:37 GMT

OCTOBER..16TH........ADDENDUM......4:45PM ESTquestion.........Would it be possible for someone to win both the $$$$$$$90,000,000.00 MM PRIZE, as well as the $$$$$$$$$$340,000,000.00 POWERBALL JACKPOT......??????After all my understanding is that the new $$$$$$$ IS 90,000,000.00

Comment #20

libra926 — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 20:40:51 GMT

OCTOBER...16TH.....HAPPY SUNDAY...TO MY FELLOW MM PLAYERS.......I was watching the football game.....finaly broke away...couldn't take anymore......LOLOLOLOLOr rather my nerves couldn't....I concurr w/those of you on this subject who say, you'd be happy with any slice of this pie.....$164 million dollars.....(forget the original $$$$340.00)we don't even have to dsicuss the original sum...just that $164.00 after you satisfy the FEDS.is phenominal to me. Just a piece that would give my checking... [ More ]

Comment #19

bellyache — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 19:00:32 GMT

I wonder if Jack Whitaker is going to buy a ticket for this draw.Wouldn't that be weird if he did buy some tickets and won again? I know that there have been people who have won multiple jackpots, but it still would be strange.

Comment #18

MPJO — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 18:56:21 GMT

I wonder if Jack Whitaker is going to buy a ticket for this draw.

Comment #17

Chewie — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 18:28:50 GMT

Thanks. Never knew what a great person he was, until it was too late to tell him. Everything your dad told you when you were sixteen - or twenty-one - was a lectrure, not advise. Same mistake most people make.

Comment #16

konane — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 18:12:40 GMT

Chewie ..... that was a superbly qualified statement about emotion and most of all not allowing it to be a decision maker. Applause!!! Very well stated!! Your dad did a good job of teaching you

Comment #15

DoubleDown — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 17:56:03 GMT

I would take it even if it were split 5 ways.....

Comment #14

bellyache — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 17:16:14 GMT

Would any of you even care if you had to deal with the problem of worrying about this if you actually won the jackpot? Not me. I'd love the problem of figuring out what to do with with $340 million bucks or any of the second prizes for that matter.Not me. I would love to win any amount.

Comment #13

twisted — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 16:59:33 GMT

Most of us are not going to be that lucky. There might be only one or two ticket holders who will be that lucky.Ofcourse when you are given $164.4 million dollars before taxes you wont care if it was a record jackpot or not. I would be happy even if I win $200,000 for matching 5 balls. I'm not sayings that its not a lot of money for most of us.But I just dont agree that the next wednesday's jackpot is a record Powerball jackpot. I don think you can compare a annuity jackpot that is backloaded to... [ More ]

Comment #12

lmatlaw — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 16:32:33 GMT

I'm constantly amazed at the quibbling on these posts over how the players are getting bamboozled by the lottery executives or the hand wringing over whether it's better to take the annuity versus cash and how the lottery is rigging everything against the players. Or whether it's a new record depending upon how the calculation is done.Would any of you even care if you had to deal with the problem of worrying about this if you actually won the jackpot? Not me. I'd love the problem of figuring ou... [ More ]

Comment #11

RJOh — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 16:08:52 GMT

I stand corrected, but I don't think it will matter to the winner.

Comment #10

twisted — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 15:55:14 GMT

So did I. You need to read a little more and you will see that the 5th paragraph tells you that the cash value was more than $170 million.

Comment #9

RJOh — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 15:53:27 GMT

I got my information at : http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/12/26/powerball.jackpot/Sorry I only read the head lines and not the rest of the story.

Comment #8

twisted — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 15:43:46 GMT

I dont know where you got your information but the cash value was more than $170 million when Jack won. http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/12/26/powerball.jackpot/The $111.7 Million must have been after taxes.Lets compare. Jack won $315 million/$170 million cash and the jackpot next wednesday is $340 million/$164.4 million cash. Dont get me wrong, its still alot of money.

Comment #7

Chewie — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 15:29:47 GMT

When some one from the lottery higharchy tells me how great something is, I gotta ask what their motive is.My dad told me, almost every day of his life, nothing is free. Someone, somewhere, paid for it some how. There is a penalty for every short cut. He made me question my decision to want a motorcycle over a car, and analysize the advantages and disadvantages of each decision. When I did that, the results were results I was aware of. He felt you could do dumb things in life, just know they wer... [ More ]

Comment #6

RJOh — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 15:27:41 GMT

When Jack Whittaker won the prize in 2002 the jackpot was $314.9M worthed $111.7M cash.Wednesday's jackpot is estimated to be $340.0M worthed $164.4M cash.The actual cash payout will be $50M+ more than it was when Jack won.That makes it a new record in my book.

Comment #5

twisted — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 15:24:57 GMT

I wonder how much marketing they did to educate people of the new annuity schedule. Most people will believe that when there is a new record annuity jackpot that basically means a new record cash value (Most people at this jackpot level will choose cash). Powerball could tomorrow change the cash to annuity ratio to around 25% which could lead to a new record annuity jackpot of $400 million. Does that really mean its a new record? Not in my book.The record jackpot title should only be given to th... [ More ]

Comment #4

Todd — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 15:00:52 GMT

The cap is based on the annuity value, not the cash value, so the cap is being appropriately applied to this drawing.I think some people are just having a hard time with the fact that they changed the annuity forumla.There is no false advertising. The cash value is what it is, and the annuity is what it is. You're placing too much emphasis on the cash value, because like it or not, MUSL bases everything off the annuity value, not the cash.

Comment #3

twisted — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 14:36:40 GMT

The cap should not be in effect until the next drawing (if it rolls one more time). If you calculate the annuity jackpot with the same cash to annuity ratio they had before Powerball changed this year, the jackpot is only a $300 million jackpot. $15 million less than what Jack won. By saying its a record powerball jackpot they are basically false advertising (atleast in my book).

Comment #2

Todd — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 14:05:50 GMT

Chewie,That's the way it's always worked. Why the sour attitude about it? Have some fun! That rule about the Bonus Prize Pool has been in effect for years now, but it's never even been tested before. Why not give it a chance to see how it goes before ripping it a new one?However, as always, I enjoy your commentary.

Comment #1

Chewie — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 13:08:46 GMT

I would rather have seen every one who hit 5-5 during the freeze share in the total Bonus Pot at the end. Of course, that would not have made for as great a number, and the higher the numbers, the greater the hype. The greater the hype, the higher the sheep count. The higher the count, the higher the bonus. No wonder that John Musgrave, Chairman of the Powerball Group and Director of the West Virginia Lottery, was so thrilled about the new rules.

Powerball Lottery Jackpot Grows to New Record of $340 Million

Lottery Post — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 12:15:11 GMT

Wednesday's Powerball jackpot will be the largest in the game's history. The estimated $340 million jackpot breaks the game's previous record of $314.9 million won on December 25th, 2002.Even though the grand prize was not hit Saturday evening, 2,575,121 players across the nation won a total of more than $19.9 million in prizes.The cash option for the Wednesday, October 19th drawing will be an estimated $164.4 million. The numbers drawn Saturday night were 1, 7, 8, 34, 45 and the Powerball was... [ More ]