Will 2 Numbers Win Anything in Powerball?
As a player, you are probably wondering how many matched numbers are necessary to win a prize in Powerball. Will matching 1 number suffice? Will 2 numbers win anything in Powerball? This article is here to answer your questions, and explain the odds of winning Powerball and every other possible win. So, buckle up and enjoy the “becoming a millionaire” journey!
Powerball is an American lottery game played since 1992. The people in 45 states in America, including Washington DC, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands are privileged with the opportunity to play the game and win the big bucks! Powerball was a replacement for the Lotto America Lottery and was the first of its kind to use two instead of one drum to draw the numbers. If you are a regular player you are probably in front of the TV every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET waiting for your luck to come alive. If you are a newbie you might want to know that you can also watch the game online. The website gives you the option to select your state and track the next drawings and winnings. Rules-wise you should know that the first drum is used for the drawing of white balls, and the second for the red “power” ball, hence the name of the game. One drum contains 69 white balls (from 1 to 69), and the other 26 (from 1 to 26) red ones. Once you buy the Powerball ticket you need to mark 4 white balls and 1 red “power” ball or use the quick pick for a random choice of numbers and patiently wait for the drawing outcome.
Your chances of becoming a millionaire grow with the Powerball jackpot offer, which increases when no winning jackpot ticket was sold. Powerball’s highest jackpot so far was $2.04 billion by a single ticket sold in California. Powerball also launched a new Double Play feature that gives you another chance of winning the Powerball in a separate drawing in selected areas with the highest cash prize of $10 million.
What are the Odds of Winning Powerball?
There are 9 ways and several odds to win a prize in Powerball. With a 2$ Powerball ticket, another $1 bundled with Power Play (automatically included in Idaho and Montana), and an additional $1 for the Double Play drawing (available for purchase in 13 areas) these are your odds of winning Powerball:
- You have a 1 in 292,201,338.00 odd of winning the jackpot (matching 5 white balls plus one red ball also known as the power ball);
- You have a 1 in 11,688,053.52 odd of winning a $1 million (matching 5 white balls);
- You have 1 in 913,129.18 odd of winning a $50,000 (matching 4 white balls plus one red ball);
- You have 1 in 36,525.17 odd of winning a $100 (matching 4 white balls);
- You have 1 in 14,494.11 odd of winning a $100 (matching 3 white balls plus one red ball);
- You have 1 in 579.76 odd of winning a $7 (matching 3 white balls);
- You have 1 in 701.33 odd of winning a $7 (matching 2 white balls plus one red ball);
- You have 1 in 91.98 odd of winning a 4$ (matching 1 white ball plus one red ball);
- You have 1 in 38.32 odd of winning a $4 (matching THE one red “power” ball);
You should know that the general odds of winning a prize with a $2 Powerball ticket are 1 in 24.87. The prizes are rounded to two decimals.
So, to answer your initial question “Will 2 numbers win anything in Powerball”, is YES! As you can see matching one white with one red “power” ball gives you a 1 in 91.98 chance to win $4. The odds and the prize are small, but the outcome may be big. Maybe the next Powerball ticket that you buy with the winning prize of $4 will lead you to your millionaire status. Before we continue with the Power Play odds it’s important you know the following rules of Power Play:
- For a total prize of $3 you can get a Power Play feature that enables you to multiply non-jackpot prizes times 2, 3, 4, 5, or 10;
- The multiplier number is randomly selected just before each drawing;
- The 10 times multiplier is only in play when the promoted jackpot prize is $150 million or less, while the match 5 prize with Power Play never changes, and it’s always $2 million.
Here are your odds of winning a prize when a 10 times Power Play multiplier is available:
- You have a 1 in 43 odd of winning a prize times 10 (in a Power Play times 10)
- You have a 1 in 21.5 odd of winning a prize times 5 (in a Power Play times 5)
- You have a 1 in 14.33 odd of winning a prize times 4 (in a Power Play times 4)
- You have a 1 in 3.31 odd of winning a prize times 3 (in a Power Play times 3)
- You have a 1 in 1.79 odd of winning a prize times 2 (in a Power Play times 2)
When a 10 times multiplier is not available you have the following odds of winning a prize:
- You have a 1 in 21 odd of winning win a prize times 5 (in Power Play times 5)
- You have a 1 in 14 odd of winning a prize times 4 (in a Power Play times 4)
- You have a 1 in 3.23 odd of winning a prize times 3 (in a Power Play times 3)
- You have a 1 in 1.75 odd of winning a prize times 2 (in a Power Play times 2)
Now that you know every detail of the odds of winning in Powerball and Powerball Play, it’s time to concentrate on matching two numbers in Powerball.
Matching Two Numbers
If you are interested solely in what happens when you match two numbers in Powerball and Powerball Play here are the data that might be of interest:
- By matching two numbers (one white and one red “power” ball) with a $2 Powerball ticket you can win a grand prize of 4$;
- If you choose the Power Play feature with a $3 Powerball ticket you can win $8 in a Power Play times 2, $12 in Power Play times 3, $16 in a Power Play times 4, $20 in a Power Play times 5, and $40 in Power Play times 10.
Other Prize Tiers
Besides the lowest prize of matching one number (the “power” ball), and two numbers (one white plus one red-the “power” ball) there are other prize tiers that can win you a much higher prize. For example, with a $2 Powerball ticket you can win:
- The current prize of $700 million (cash value of $375.7 million) for the jackpot (all other prizes have set cash amounts, accepts the jackpot) by matching 5 white balls and the “power” ball;
- $1 million for matching 5 white balls;
- $50,000 for matching 4 white balls and one red “power” ball;
- $100 for matching 4 white balls;
- $100 for matching 3 white balls and the red “power” ball;
- $7 for matching 3 white balls;
- $7 for matching 2 white balls and the red” power” ball;
For an additional $1 you can choose to use the Power Play option and win even higher prizes. This option is available in all participating states and areas except California, where according to California law the prizes must be pari-mutuel. As we already mentioned in Idaho and Montana, Power Play is automatically included on every Powerball ticket. With the Power Play, you can increase the prize amount times 2,3,4,5 and 10 for any non-jackpot win, and expect the following prizes:
- Power Play times 2 will enable you to win the jackpot for matching 5 white and a red “power” ball, $2 million for matching 5 white balls; $100,000 for matching 4 white balls and the power ball; $200 for matching 4 white balls, and 3 white plus the power ball; $14 for three white balls, and 2 white plus the power ball;
- Power Play times 3 will enable you to win the jackpot for matching 5 white and a red “power” ball, $2 million for matching 5 white balls; $150,000 for matching 4 white balls and the power ball; $300 for matching 4 white balls, and 3 white plus the power ball; $21 for three white balls, and 2 white plus the power ball;
- Power Play times 4 will enable you to win the jackpot for matching 5 white and a red “power” ball, $2 million for matching 5 white balls; $200,000 for matching 4 white balls and the power ball; $400 for matching 4 white balls, and 3 white plus the power ball; $28 for three white balls, and 2 white plus the power ball;
- Power Play times 5 will enable you to win the jackpot for matching 5 white and a red “power” ball, $2 million for matching 5 white balls; $250,000 for matching 4 white balls and the power ball; $500 for matching 4 white balls, and 3 white plus the power ball; $35 for three white balls, and 2 white plus the power ball;
- Power Play times 10 will enable you to win $2 million for matching 5 white balls; $500,000 for matching 4 white balls and the power ball; $1000 for matching 4 white balls, and 3 white plus the power ball; $70 for three white balls, and 2 white plus the power ball;
If we compare the prize amount for matching 2 and 3 numbers, you will see that there isn’t a huge difference. For example:
- When playing with a $2 Powerball ticket there is a $3 difference between matching 2 and 3 numbers;
- When playing with the Power Play option in Power Play times 2, the difference is $6;
- When playing with the Power Play option in Power Play times 3, the difference is $9;
- When playing with the Power Play option in Power Play times 4, the difference is $12;
- When playing with the Power Play option in Power Play times 5, the difference is $15;
- When playing with the Power Play option in Power Play times 10, the difference is $30;
When we compare the prize amount for matching 2 and 4 numbers there is a slightly higher difference, but there is no comparison whatsoever between matching 2 and 5 numbers, or 5 numbers plus the power ball. The difference in the prize amount is huge! Just for reference in the lowest Power Play option (times 2) the difference between matching 2 and 5 numbers is an astounding $99,992 (for 4 white and a red “power” ball), $1,999,992 (for 5 white balls).
Other Ways to Win
Powerball, one of the most popular lottery games, offers other ways to win. We briefly mentioned this feature in the introduction, and now we are giving a full description of this optional possibility. This is another add-on to the basic Powerball, like the Power Play, and it’s called Double Play.
When you add this optional feature for an extra $1 (available in some states) your numbers are entered into an individual drawing which happens after the main drawing. The Double Play includes five randomly selected numbers from 1 to 69, plus a Powerball from 1 to 26. The jackpot is $10 million (fixed) in every drawing, and the Double Play prizes are as follows:
- $10 million for matching 5 white and one power ball
- $500,000 for matching 5 white balls
- $50,000 for matching 4 white and one power ball
- $500 for matching 4 white balls
- $500 for matching 3 white and one power ball
- $20 for matching 3 white balls
- $20 for matching 2 white and one power ball
- $10 for matching 1 white and one power ball
- $7 for matching 0 white and one power ball
In Double Play just like the main Powerball, there are 9 ways to win prizes but there is a difference in the prizes. Double Play is higher than the equivalent Powerball payouts in 6 of the 9 prize levels. For example, in Double Play, you win $7 for matching one power ball compared to $4 in the main Powerball draw. It’s good to know that you can win prizes in the main Powerball draw and the Double Play with the same set of numbers. Also, you can’t play Double Play as a separate game, because it’s an add-on to the main Powerball, and Double Play doesn’t include Power Play.
There is another difference between the main Powerball game in the payout department. The Double Play jackpot is a non-annuitized figure, so If you win, you will receive a cash sum of $10 million, which is subject to state and federal taxes, while the value of the main draw jackpot is an annuitized amount and you can choose whether to take the money as a cash lump sum or over 29 years. The largest Double Play prize of $10 million went to Florida not once but twice in 2022. If you are the next Double Play winner make sure to claim the prize within 182 days and check how much tax you will pay on your Powerball prizes.
Since August 2021, you can play Double Play in Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Washington, and Montana (that joined in July 2022).
Conclusion
The chances of winning the $4 prize in the main Powerball game by matching two numbers are 1 in 91.98. However, with the Power Play feature for an additional $1 by matching two numbers, you can win $8 (Power Play times 2), $12 (Power Play times 3), $16 (Power Play times 4), $20 (Power Play times 5), and $40 (Power Play times 10). If you choose the Double Play add-on for an extra dollar, you can win $10 for matching two numbers.
By choosing the add-ons you are maximizing the chance of winning in Powerball not just for matching 2 numbers, but for the other 8 matching combinations. All rules and prizes in Powerball apply to the United States. So, if you play in the US even if you match only 2 numbers you get to win a prize which might not be the case in other countries. If you are interested in playing Powerball someplace else, make sure to check out the rules and prizes on the following links:
Hopefully, the information in this article will help you learn more about the main Powerball game and the available add-ons, thus getting you closer to your dream of winning high prizes and becoming a millionaire. And last but not least, if you win, don’t forget to claim your prize within 182 days. Wait no longer! Buy the Powerball ticket, choose the add-ons to increase your chances of winning, and watch the next Powerball drawing!
