With Saturday’s Powerball drawing yielding no grand prize winners, the jackpot is now up to a cool $394 million.
Three people matched five balls in the Jan. 25 drawing, earning them $1 million each. The power play would have doubled those winnings, but none of the three took advantage of that option.
Saturday’s numbers were: 2 – 9 – 17 – 36 – 67 and the Powerball was 18.
Why it may be prime time to swing for the Powerball fences
According to the LA Times, tonight’s drawing is a particularly appealing one as the expected value of a $2 ticket actually exceeds the ticket price once the jackpot is over $287 million.
The expected value of a ticket is $2.64 when the jackpot reaches $400 million, which we’re coming up on. Those values assume there is only one winner when it hits.
It’s also important to note, with the jackpot at $394 million, the lump sum payment is valued at $274.6 million.
If you could use over a quarter million dollars and have a few disposable bucks lying around, it may be high time to purchase a Powerball ticket. You can do that at any number of PA Lottery retailers and now, also online through the iLottery platform.
Sign up for an account with the PA iLottery through our links for a $5 free bonus to get you started.
Winning numbers for January 29
Check back at 11 p.m. ET for the winning numbers as soon as they are announced.
Winning numbers: 9 – 12 – 15 – 31 – 60
Powerball: 2 (PowerPlay 2x)
The jackpot was actually $396 million at drawing time, up $2 million from the estimated number earlier in the day.
If you are holding multiple tickets, you can make use of the PA Lottery app, which will scan your tickets to let you know which is a winner, if any.
Remember, just because there is much to be gained, and the expected value of a ticket is above $2, it’s still a long shot to win. Please, gamble responsibly.
Powerball jackpot odds of winning
Here is a look at the odds of winning in the Powerball drawing:
Numbers Matched Prize Amount Odds of Winning
5 + Powerball Jackpot 1 in 292,201,338.00
5 w/o Powerball $1 million 1 in 11,688,053.52
4 + Powerball $50,000 1 in 913,129.18
4 w/o Powerball $100 1 in 36,525.17
3 + Powerball $100 1 in 14,494.11
3 w/o Powerball $7 1 in 579.76
2 + Powerball $7 1 in 701.33
1 + Powerball $4 1 in 91.98
Powerball $4 1 in 38.32
What to you do if you win the lottery?
Should you defy the odds and win the jackpot, you may want to broadcast your great fortune with the world.
Don’t.
The first thing you should do is call a lawyer. With hundreds of millions at stake, it is worth the money to consult a legal expert to go over the finer details to avoid costly mistakes.
Also make sure you do not sign the back of the ticket. Your lawyer will likely suggest you set up a private trust that does not have your name on it. You cannot do that in the state of Pennsylvania if you sign the back of your ticket.
So, if you value your privacy and don’t want anyone coming out of the woodwork to beg you for money, put the ticket somewhere safe and do nothing to it until after you seek legal advice.
As far as what to do with the money, we have some ideas, but you’ll have to make that decision on your own.
