Saturday jackpot enters top 25
By Todd Northrop
Powerball is on a roll. For the 5th time in the past year, a Powerball jackpot run-up has crossed the threshold to the top 25 jackpots of all time.
The new high-water mark of $330 million for the current Powerball jackpot was achieved after no winning tickets were sold for Wednesday night's $286.1 million grand prize.
The lump-sum cash payout value of Saturday's Powerball jackpot is $189 million. After-tax cash and annuity prize amounts are reported state-by-state on the Jackpot Analysis page at USA Mega, a web site devoted to the Powerball and Mega Millions multi-state lottery games.
The largest Powerball jackpot ever awarded was on May 18, 2013, when Gloria C. MacKenzie of Zephyrhills, Florida, held the solitary winning ticket for a grand prize worth nearly $600 million (see Winner of record $590.5 million Powerball lottery jackpot announced, Lottery Post, June 5, 2013).
Players should note that jackpot amounts are conservative estimates provided by the lotteries, and are often somewhat higher by the time the drawing occurs. For example, the original estimate for Wednesday's drawing was $284 million, but by the time all the proceeds were counted just before draw-time, the jackpot had swelled to $286.1 million.
The mammoth prize is the result of 14 consecutive draws without a winner. The run-up started as a $40 million prize on Dec. 28, 2013.
The winning numbers for Wednesday, February 12, 2014 were 36, 44, 49, 52, and 57, with Powerball number 1. The Power Play number was 2.
Even though nobody won the jackpot Wednesday, 8 lucky players matched the first 5 numbers for a $1,000,000 prize: 1 from California, 1 from Florida, 1 from Idaho, 1 from Michigan, 1 from New York, 2 from Pennsylvania, and 1 from West Virginia.
The California second-prize winner will be awarded $723,452, because California does not award fixed prizes. By law, California awards all prizes on a pari-mutuel basis, meaning the prizes will change each drawing based on the number of tickets sold and the number of tickets that won at each prize level. Because there was only one second-prize winner in California, that one ticket will take home the entire pool of money allocated for second prize.
None of the second-prize tickets was purchased with the Power Play option. If a second-prize ticket were purchased with the Power Play option, the prize would automatically be doubled to $2 million. Power Play is not available in California, because the fixed nature of the prize increase offered in Power Play is not compatible with California's pari-mutuel payouts.
42 tickets matched four white numbers plus the Powerball and won $10,000. Of those tickets, 3 were purchased with the Power Play option, increasing the prize to $20,000, and 7 of the tickets were sold in California, where the prize was worth $8,207 this drawing.
Following the Wednesday drawing, the Powerball annuity jackpot estimate was raised $43.9 million from its previous amount of $286.1 million. The cash value was raised by $25.1 million from its previous amount of $163.9 million.
The next Powerball drawing will take place Saturday night at 10:59 pm Eastern Time.
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 43 states, plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Tickets cost $2 each.
A 44th Powerball state will be added later this year, as the state of Wyoming has approved a new state lottery with the intention of joining Powerball and other multi-state lottery games. (See Wyoming officially becomes 44th state with a lottery, Lottery Post, Mar. 14, 2013.)
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 tied for the 17th-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.
- Mega Millions: $656 million, Mar. 30, 2012 - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
- Mega Millions: $648 million, Dec. 17, 2013 - California, Georgia
- Powerball: $590.5 million, May 18, 2013 - Florida
- Powerball: $587.5 million, Nov. 28, 2012 - Arizona, Missouri
- Powerball: $448.4 million, Aug. 7, 2013 - Minnesota, New Jersey (2)
- Powerball: $399.4 million, Sep. 18, 2013 - South Carolina
- Mega Millions: $390 million, Mar. 6, 2007 - Georgia, New Jersey
- Mega Millions: $380 million, Jan. 4, 2011 - Idaho, Washington
- Powerball: $365 million, Feb. 18, 2006 - Nebraska
- The Big Game: $363 million, May 9, 2000 - Illinois, Michigan
- Powerball: $340 million, Oct. 19, 2005 - Oregon
- Powerball: $338.3 million, Mar. 23, 2013 - New Jersey
- Powerball: $337 million, Aug. 15, 2012 - Michigan
- Powerball: $336.4 million, Feb. 11, 2012 - Rhode Island
- Mega Millions: $336 million, Aug. 28, 2009 - California, New York
- The Big Game: $331 million, Apr. 16, 2002 - Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey
- Powerball: $330 million, Feb. 15, 2014 - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
- Mega Millions: $330 million, Aug. 31, 2007 - Maryland, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia
- Mega Millions: $319 million, Mar. 25, 2011 - New York
- Mega Millions: $315 million, Nov. 15, 2005 - California
- Powerball: $314.9 million, Dec. 25, 2002 - West Virgina
- Powerball: $314.3 million, Aug. 25, 2007 - Indiana
- Powerball: $295.7 million, Jul. 29, 1998 - Indiana
- Powerball: $295 million, Aug. 25, 2001 - Delaware, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Hampshire
- Mega Millions: $294 million, Jul. 2, 2004 - Massachusetts
For those keeping score, the number of jackpots in the top 25, by lottery game, are:
- Powerball: 14
- Mega Millions: 9
- 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.
Top 25 cash value jackpots
Since many lottery winners collect their winnings in cash, the lump-sum payout is an important measure of what a winning ticket could be worth.
Looking at the cash value, the upcoming Powerball jackpot ranks as the 15th-largest cash value in U.S. history.
- Mega Millions: $471 million cash, Mar. 30, 2012 ($656 million annuity) - Illinois, Kansas, Maryland
- Powerball: $384.7 million cash, Nov. 28, 2012 ($587.5 million annuity) - Arizona, Missouri
- Powerball: $370.9 million cash, May 18, 2013 ($590.5 million annuity) - Florida
- Mega Millions: $347.6 million cash, Dec. 17, 2013 ($648 million annuity) - California, Georgia
- Powerball: $258.2 million cash, Aug. 7, 2013 ($448.4 million annuity) - Minnesota, New Jersey (2)
- Mega Millions: $240 million cash, Jan. 4, 2011 ($380 million annuity) - Idaho, Washington
- Mega Millions: $233.1 million cash, Mar. 6, 2007 ($390 million annuity) - Georgia, New Jersey
- Powerball: $224.7 million cash, Aug. 15, 2012 ($337 million annuity) - Michigan
- Powerball: $223.3 million cash, Sep. 18, 2013 ($399.4 million annuity) - South Carolina
- Mega Millions: $214 million cash, Aug. 28, 2009 ($336 million annuity) - California, New York
- Powerball: $211 million cash, Mar. 23, 2013 ($338.3 million annuity) - New Jersey
- Powerball: $210 million cash, Feb. 11, 2012 ($336.4 million annuity) - Rhode Island
- Mega Millions: $202.9 million cash, Mar. 25, 2011 ($319 million annuity) - New York
- Mega Millions: $194.4. million cash, Aug. 31, 2007 ($330 million annuity) - Maryland, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia
- Powerball: $189 million cash, Feb. 15, 2014 ($330 million annuity) - Preliminary estimate, not won yet
- Mega Millions: $185 million cash, Nov. 15, 2005 ($315 million annuity) - California
- The Big Game: $180 million cash, May 9, 2000 ($363 million annuity) - Illinois, Michigan
- Powerball: $177.3 million cash, Feb. 18, 2006 ($365 million annuity) - Nebraska
- Powerball: $170.5 million cash, Dec. 25, 2002 ($314.9 million annuity) - West Virginia
- Mega Millions: $168 million cash, July 2, 2004 ($294 million annuity) - Massachusetts
- Mega Millions: $167.7 million cash, Feb. 22, 2008 ($275 million annuity) - Georgia
- Powerball: $166 million cash, Aug. 25, 2001 ($295 million annuity) - Delaware, Kentucky, Minnesota, New Hampshire
- Mega Millions: $165.2 million cash, May 4, 2010 ($266 million annuity) - California
- Powerball: $164.4 million cash, won Oct. 19, 2005 ($340 million annuity) - Oregon
- Mega Millions: $164 million cash, Feb. 28, 2006 ($270 million annuity) - Ohio
The number of jackpot cash values in the top 25, by lottery game, are:
- Mega Millions: 12
- Powerball: 12
- The Big Game: 1
OK folkssss... ready to play yet.... I'm all in....
Yahoo !!!! I'm also the 1st one too on this thread...
It's almost time to pop open the Cranberry juice.
Yep, almost.
Next draw where it breaks into top 10, or next weekend when it breaks $400M.
BUYING 1 $20 POWERBALL QUICK PICK TICKET.
I got my ticket this afternoon ..........
I am ready for this big win
Well I got $6 riding on this jackpot come on lady luck.-weshar75
hey thrifty, i thought it only takes $1, well $2 in the case of PB. hehehe good luck buddy.
Good Luck everyone
$330 Million Woo Hoo!!!!!!!!!
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh, lets have a bit more enthusiasm...let's have it roll once more, maybe twice just for S&G
All 5 white balls were above 31 in the last draw and still 8 people matched all 5 of them. Before the stats came out i felt good it would roll but not have that many players get so close. That might be a record.
I think I will sit out. The jackpot is not large enough for me to risk going out and breaking my neck on the icy pavement.
maybe you have someone drive you
At least the cash value is about 57% of the advertised amount, the higher the better
Good luck everyone.
His chauffeur probably doesn't want to drive with all the snow NY has gotten. He should just send his butler to pick up a ticket.
Thats a great idea. I know because I had it.
Unfortunately they could not get a grip on the road and the car crashed into a tree.
lol
Line C looks like a good set of numbers!
I hope the snow melts enough that I can get out to get tickets! We really have a lot of ice and snow on the roads still.
Snow is big story, sense so many people effected. just look at this map.
poor southerns not use to snow and cant drive worth crap in it. ofc they claim no one can! Our Urbanized Hillbillies use Snow chains on our tires, we can drive fine thro anything on the road, the clueless morons that drive on the snowy roads are ones that screw up everthing. stay off roads if no snow chains folks. don't blame the bad wealther on your stupid logic its fine to drive on roads in first place.
hope the mega millions gets tid higher then 330m come draw. the 30 year Treasury Yield sure way below 4%. cash is only way to go. with fed keeping rates down.
I have tickets in a pool plus I have my own.
I can only hope.
Good luck everyone!
Jill, could that be as a result from global warming/transfat ban or oversized drinks ?.....Maybe he could put an ad on Craigslist to have someone to go get it and pay em $20.00 ???
just sayin'
Thank you!
Amen DP...amen...But I am betting it rolls on Saturday.
Hey CDanaT- I think it's a combination of all three. The ad on Craigslist may indeed be useful for someone snowed in.
Good luck to you! but I don't think it will hit yet. Too many people probably got stranded due to the winter storm.
I might take my children for a golf cart ride to the local Publix to get my ticker anyway.
We call the Chinese delivery man. Those Rickshaws go thru snow like a H2 Hummer.
no kidding ???? I wanna see that !!!!
NO CRITICAL THINKING. I WOULD RATHER WALK.
I AM BUYING 1 $20 POWERBALL QUICK PICK TICKET SOMEDAY.
Were you the first one to buy a $2 Powerball Quick Pick Ticket? Good luck. Win it all.LOL
Powerball tickets cost $2 without Power Play.
"I AM BUYING 1 $20 POWERBALL QUICK PICK TICKET SOMEDAY."
I just bought 1 $2 Powerball QP ticket today.
Spending $2 on the Powerball lottery jackpot versus $100?
Powerball lottery jackpot is going to rollover due to low tickets sales.
I am in the pool of possible winners too.LOL
Buying multiple lottery tickets per drawing increases your chances of winning the jackpot, but you lose more money in the short run.
You are playing the lottery to win.Good luck.
50% of tickets sales?
Well for $4,412,950 net first annuity payment for the state of Washington, I'm in. We have no state tax. Ain't that break yar heart 49ers??
Annuity or lump sum? Get it started guys. It's that time again.
What about the other lines? Do not go broke buying this ticket. I hope this ticket win the jackpot for someone.
It would generate more taxes for New York.Good luck.
I see all USA lotteries selling lottery tickets through the Internet in the year 3000.
PLAY THE LOTTERY SOMEDAY - IT IS OKAY TO DREAM!
Ok I have two bucks an a dream. people do when this thing sometimes,I like to be put to the TEST win the lottery an check back with me in five years.LOL.
That is dedication !!!!!
You know the thread in Discussions asking if lotteries are watching LP?
All they need is a thread like this.
They probably have huge bar charts hanging on the walls of their offices, one axis has the date and the other one the amount where the frenzy kicked in.
Hi! Lottery reps!
A Most Happy St Valentine's Day
Fortuna
EddessaKnight
lol,
I've got 2 tckets in
they just need the charts on ticket sales, they know big pots= big sales. thats why the race to ever larger pots is continuing.
oh and my buddy in USA bought 2 tickets, of which i am going halves. so im in,
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There's a new rule starting April 1st, any jackpot winner that wants an annuity gets the cash, and anyone that wants the cash gets an annuity.
I'm in for the win! Woo hoo!
Picking up another ticket later this morning. Also have an office pool going with 23 people.
GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!
Todd I've always been a fan of megamillions even when they recently changed the matrix. But when they went to a 29 year annuity, that was the first time I hated a change in megamillions. But I still figured if thats how powerball pays their annuity then both games were still sort of equal to me. But as one member just reminded me on this thread, pb is paying about 57% cv of the jp. I figured mm must be a similar number and to my disgust I noticed it's only paying 54% and change. Todd can u explain to me why are both games paying the cv at a different rate even though both annuitys are payed in 29 years. I'll appreciate ur help. Thanks Todd and keep up the good work.
I don't know the jackpot never so high it was $284 last night? You must won the jackpot in order to win a CASH PRIZES!!!
Gee I wonder which of the usual states will win the jack pot.
probably one of the states that sell boatloads more tickets than your state. it cannot possibly matter what state you buy your ticket in. no such thing as a lucky state or a lucky store that happens to be on a state border thus selling more tickets than a store in the middle of a state. it's all the luck of a quic-pic (ugh) a gutless way to play or your expertise in filling out a card is all that matters.
They've gotten so frequent that people just get tired of saying "million" and all, so they abbreviate it
PB supposed to roll to $400/$227.8M if nobody wins tonight
Since Todd may be busy, I will attempt to explain this to you. Both MM and PB annuities are no longer equal, average payments but heavily back end loaded and work off a graduated annualized payment.
MM is more back end weighted than PB and carries a 5% annual increase while PB has a 4% increase. FYI, the larger the annual increase the less someone would receive initially.
Winner
I am voting for Texas or Florida since I have a vested interest in both
Although I do not get hyped whether the jackpot is $330 million or even $650 million, I do make sure I have a play in for every drawing. I am even keeled in my emotions regarding the lottery since I know that the jackpot size does not impact me until I happen to have the 6 winning numbers. Until then, it is all dream land and possibilities, but no reality.
So the jackpot is $330 million...big whoop! I won't do anything different than buy a few QPs and play "my numbers." I am hopeful that my pool of one will win. I will have to contact my legal firm on Tuesday to make up my "Pool of One LLC" but I just might change it to "POO LLC". However, maybe "POO-NANI LLC" would be even better. Those scratching your heads on what that means obviously have not been to Jamaica. But it could also mean "Pool of One Not A Naive Individual."
So that would be my hope and winning would definitely change my life, unlike someone else I won't mention. I will say it does get old when news outlets jump on the lottery jackpot bandwagon once the jackpot rolls a few times. They, and some people here, act as though $25 million before taxes is not enough for them to bother with playing it. Well, you who do that have your reasons and I can respect that, but as for me and my wallet, we will be all in every drawing, so I can never say I never gave myself a chance to win, no matter how slim that chance might be. If Congress people, convicts, drug addicts and crazy people can win, I sure as heck can win!
While I do like Texas I am just a little biased toward Florida
Poo-Nani is HILARIOUS, but I was tired so it took me a minute. If you can find me a good acronym for Yuh Bumbo, that'll be my LLC.
How about "YBC GMC, LLC"...."Yuh Bumbo Clot, Give Mi Cash LLC"
On second thought, I think it'll have to have "to rahtid" in there somewhere. It's not official unless there's a rahtid.
New Jersey.
Your brain is awesome.
Darn birthday numbers......If no jackpot winners I'll be surprised
I would bet that it goes, maybe even split .
I got 2+1 on PB... there should be alot of 1 million winners, very low numbers
Shenanigans!
With the low numbers I am thinking two winners or more maybe three like the $450,000,000 jackpot last year was it.-weshar75
I hope you realize how CLASSIC your Poo-Nani reference really is. Big up!!!!
hahahaha, another CLASSIC reference, hahaha, too funny. Big up to you too Teddi!!!
Better not be the case, i didnt see ONE of my numbers, LOL!!!! All the best to anyone whose night turns out to be magical though!!!
Let the frenzy commence! No winner
Frenzy Time :)
$400 MIL.....
Although the projected sales indicated ~77% chance of rollover, even I am a little surprised that nobody got it. Those numbers were pretty low.
And again, Florida has 2 more millionaire's. Too bad I have to go to work on Monday, and yes I know it's a Holiday.
Never let it be said, an all bday jackpot with strong sales Can't roll.
Clearly this jackpot intends to surpise us all. it be more then 400m come draw I hope, am thinking 430m to 450m range.
2013 auguest 7th powerball jackpot that was once marketed to us as 400 million ended up at 448m final draw. if thats anthing to go on. form recent history
Why is everyone hating on Florida? The sell the most or second most tickets in the country for each draw ...seems only natural they'd garner a tat more winners every now and then.
Good luck to all for the upcoming draws...not too much luck though
Well....the $2 million dollar winner in TX was not me !...Time to get to work on the $400/227.8 million jackpot.
Best of luck to us all !!!
Its not that I am hating Florida. I'm hating that it wasn't this Floridian.
Well, no jackpot winner(s).Right now, $400 million for Wednesday.
hahahhaha, my bad, i didnt even look at your handle to see that you were from the sunshine state. lol!!! Cool. Now i can aggree with you....yeah, another darn Florida winner!!!!! hahahha
Not me either, but I've been in that HEB store in Fredericksburg. I think I might have even bought tickets there. I did buy tickets at an HEB north of Houston.
Close, but no potatoes.
Thanks for the explanation Jill. I guess I'll spend a little more on pb till jp is hit. Then play a little more of mm til that jp is hit.
I have been to the HEB in Victoria and bought a few tix and scratchers, no luck, however we don't have any of the HEB's up here near Tyler/Longview. I like that store, they carry alot of products.
I thought it was "Close but no cigar" ??? hmph<shoulder shrug> learn sumpin new every day on here.
Had 2 numbers correct last night on the drawing...Time to improve that to ALLLLLLLLLLLLL the #s !!!!
I really thought the B-day numbers would have won, gotta another chance and that's alright with me.
"No potatoes" because 1. Don't smoke and 2. Was at the grocery store.
Love HEB.
Great store, great giver back to the community. For both Bastrop and Magnolia wildfires in 2011, they sent fully stocked & staffed mobile kitchens capable to feed 8000 meals per day for the firefighters & volunteers on their own dime. I'll pay their slightly higher prices just for that.
I did get PB twice for $8. I thought for sure they'd never pick 3 since I had that one on 2 lines (1 pick + 1 QP) on one ticket. Office pool has $14 to roll (2+1 & 3+0).
I just can't believe these birthday numbers rolled.
Those numbers were very low.... The last time I found numbers this low on the $2 game was on
Under the old $1 game it happened on
Both of those times it was a rollover as well