Powerball’s big $1.5 billion drawing is tonight

Thousands of Alabamians made a run for the state border on Wednesday to buy a Powerball ticket and a chance to win the $1.5 billion jackpot.

Just 86% of all potential winning sequences had been selected by ticket purchasers, said Alex Traverso, a spokesman for the California State Lottery.

Ever non-jackpot winning can be multiplied by the Power Play number that’s picked during the drawing, which is either 2, 3, 4, or 5.

She also says it’s smart to hold off on announcing your winning ticket to the entire world, because once it’s out there, everyone knows.

The odds of hitting the jackpot on a single ticket are one in 292.2 million. The jackpot was an estimated $1.5 billion as of Wednesday evening, with a cash option of $930 million. About one in every 25 tickets will win either $1 million, $50,000, $100, $7 or $4.

Powerball is played in 44 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

But residents in the six states that don’t participate are finding ways to get their hands on tickets.

The $1.6 billion prize, easily surpassing all other lotteries.

There is an enduring and very real satisfaction and comfort in never having to look at the price of a meal in a restaurant again (even though I still do).

That’s not about the odds or the pace of actual ticket sales and how many numerical combinations will be covered by the tickets. And if they pay an extra dollar when they buy their ticket, that prize can double to $2 million.

As of 12:45 a.m. Thursday, the Texas Lottery said prize results in this state were not yet available.

Maintain anonymity: In many states, von Tobel says, you have a whole year to claim the prize.

This store is number one because it’s just a stone’s throw from the Alabama state line, which does not have a state lottery.

California does get some money from Powerball, with 40 percent of the state’s sales going toward California’s education system, Traverso said.