Quick answer: To play Powerball you pick five numbers from 1 to 69 and one red Powerball from 1 to 26. A ticket costs $2. Match all six and you win the jackpot; match the Powerball alone and you win $4. Drawings are Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 PM ET.
How does Powerball work?
Powerball is a single national game run by the Multi-State Lottery Association and sold in 45 states plus Washington DC, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Every jurisdiction sells into the same prize pool and the same drawing, which is why the jackpot climbs so fast — see why Powerball jackpots get so large.
Two separate ball machines are used. Five white balls are drawn from a drum of 69, and one red ball — the Powerball — is drawn from a second drum of 26. The white balls are order-independent: your numbers do not have to match in sequence, only as a set.
How many numbers are in Powerball?
Six numbers in total: five white plus one red. The two pools are different sizes and separate, so the same number can appear as both a white ball and the Powerball in one draw.
| Element | How many you pick | Number range |
|---|---|---|
| White balls | 5 | 1–69 |
| Red Powerball | 1 | 1–26 |
How do you play, step by step?
- Get a playslip at any lottery retailer, or ask for a Quick Pick and skip straight to step 4.
- Choose five numbers from 1 to 69 and fill in one red Powerball number from 1 to 26.
- Decide on add-ons. Power Play costs $1 extra and multiplies non-jackpot prizes. Double Play, where offered, costs another $1 and enters your numbers in a second nightly drawing.
- Pay $2 per play ($3 with Power Play) and take the printed ticket. Check the draw date on it.
- Sign the back immediately. A lottery ticket is a bearer instrument — whoever holds it can claim it.
- Check your numbers after the drawing, and keep the ticket even if you only matched the Powerball.
What do you win? All nine prize tiers
Powerball has nine ways to win. Eight of them pay a fixed amount, so they do not change with jackpot size:
| Match | Prize | Odds of one play |
|---|---|---|
| 5 white + Powerball | Jackpot | 1 in 292,201,338 |
| 5 white | $1,000,000 | 1 in 11,688,054 |
| 4 white + Powerball | $50,000 | 1 in 913,129 |
| 4 white | $100 | 1 in 36,525 |
| 3 white + Powerball | $100 | 1 in 14,494 |
| 3 white | $7 | 1 in 580 |
| 2 white + Powerball | $7 | 1 in 701 |
| 1 white + Powerball | $4 | 1 in 92 |
| Powerball only | $4 | 1 in 38 |
Overall odds of winning something: 1 in 24.87. Most of that is the $4 tier — matching the red ball on its own, which happens on roughly one ticket in 38.
What is Power Play?
For $1 more per play, Power Play multiplies every non-jackpot prize by 2, 3, 4 or 5 — and by 10 when the advertised jackpot is $150 million or less. The one exception is the second tier: match five white balls with Power Play and the $1 million becomes a flat $2 million, whatever multiplier is drawn. Full detail in our Power Play guide.
How much does the jackpot start at, and how is it paid?
The jackpot resets to $20 million after a win and grows every drawing it is not hit. Winners choose between a lump-sum cash value — about 43% of the advertised amount on recent draws, and it moves with interest rates — and a 30-year annuity paid in payments that rise 5% each year. The advertised figure is always the annuity. That gap surprises people every time: see lump sum vs annuity and how the tax lands.
Cómo se juega el Powerball (en español)
Respuesta rápida: para jugar Powerball se eligen cinco números del 1 al 69 y un número Powerball rojo del 1 al 26. El boleto cuesta $2 dólares. Los sorteos son los lunes, miércoles y sábados a las 10:59 PM hora del Este.
Si aciertas los seis números ganas el premio mayor. Si aciertas solo el Powerball rojo ganas $4 dólares. Hay nueve categorías de premios en total y las probabilidades de ganar algún premio son de 1 en 24.87.
Por $1 dólar adicional, la opción Power Play multiplica todos los premios excepto el premio mayor. Puedes pedir un boleto de "Quick Pick" para que la máquina elija tus números al azar. Firma el boleto en la parte de atrás inmediatamente después de comprarlo: quien lo tenga en la mano puede cobrarlo.
Consulta los números ganadores de Powerball después de cada sorteo.
Quick answers
How do you play Powerball?
Pick five numbers from 1 to 69 and one red Powerball from 1 to 26, pay $2 per play, and check the numbers after the Monday, Wednesday or Saturday drawing. Quick Pick lets the terminal choose for you at no extra cost.
How many numbers do you need to win something?
One — the red Powerball on its own pays $4. Matching white balls alone starts paying at three.
Does the order of the numbers matter?
No. The five white balls count as a set in any order. Only the red Powerball has to be in its own position, and the terminal handles that for you.
How much is a Powerball ticket?
$2 per play, $3 with Power Play, and $4 if your state also offers Double Play and you add it.
What are the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot?
1 in 292,201,338 per play. Overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 24.87.
Bottom line
Five numbers from 69, one from 26, $2 a play, three draws a week. The rules take a minute to learn; the odds do not change no matter how you pick. See tonight's Powerball numbers, learn the full game rules, or compare it with Mega Millions.
Rules and prize amounts verified against Lottery Atlas draw data, September 2026. For entertainment only — 18+ (21+ in some states). 1-800-GAMBLER.
