Powerball is offered in 44 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Powerball's minimum advertised jackpot is $40 million (annuity); Powerball's annuity is paid in 30 graduated installments or winners may select a lump sum payment instead. One lump sum payment will be less than the total of the 30 annual payments because one check for a much larger sum will be taxed at a greater rate than 30 checks each at a much lower sum will be taxed.

Powerball drawings are held every Wednesday and Saturday evening at 7:59 p.m. PDT.

Powerball-Justin Sullivan-Getty Images
Powerball-Justin Sullivan-Getty Images
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Since October 7, 2015, the game has used a 5/69 (white balls) + 1/26 (Powerballs) matrix from which winning numbers are chosen, resulting in odds of 1 in 292,201,338 of winning a jackpot per play. Each play costs $2 or $3 with the Power Play option.  The official cutoff for ticket sales is 7:00 p.m. Pacific Time; some lotteries cut off sales earlier.

The drawings are usually held at the Florida Lottery's studio in Tallahassee.

Good luck!

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