What are the combined odds for a Powerball ticket with a Double Play add on?Prev TopicNext Topic

• Moonfaced Man

  

  Boynton Beach, Florida
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  October 11, 2021
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  Oct 11, 2021, 7:17 pm

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  I was curious if anyone has calculated the overall odds for a single Powerball ticket purchase with the $1 Double Play option. I did a web search and keep coming up with the same overall odds of 24:87-1, but since there are now two chances to win with just the Powerball, not to mention the other prize tiers, wouldn't the overall odds be slightly lower?
• cottoneyedjoe

  

  United States
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  March 28, 2019
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  Oct 11, 2021, 7:35 pm

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  In response to Moonfaced Man

  Quote: Originally posted by Moonfaced Man on Oct 11, 2021

  I was curious if anyone has calculated the overall odds for a single Powerball ticket purchase with the $1 Double Play option. I did a web search and keep coming up with the same overall odds of 24:87-1, but since there are now two chances to win with just the Powerball, not to mention the other prize tiers, wouldn't the overall odds be slightly lower?

  The odds of winning at least one prize with the double play are 1 in 12.69.

  To work it out, first take the probability of winning nothing in a single drawing. That's 0.9597861595. Now the probability of winning nothing in two independent drawings is 0.9597861595*0.9597861595 = 0.921189472. So the probability of winning something in at least one of the drawings is 1 - 0.921189472 = 0.078810528. Then you calculate 1/0.078810528 to get the odds of 1 in 12.96.
• Moonfaced Man

  

  Boynton Beach, Florida
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  October 11, 2021
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  Oct 11, 2021, 7:48 pm

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  Awesome. Thank you