When someone hits the Powerball jackpot, the headlines are huge — like when a ticket sold in Los Angeles last summer created a brand-new billionaire. But for everyone else, the big question is: What do you actually win if you don’t hit all six numbers?
The answer depends on how many numbers match—and whether you paid an extra buck for the Power Play option. Let’s break it down step by step.
How Powerball works
Powerball tickets cost $2. Players pick five numbers between 1 and 69 (the white balls) and one number between 1 and 26 (the red Powerball). You can also pay $1 extra for Power Play, which multiplies most prizes (but not the jackpot) by two to five times.
The jackpot is only won by matching all five white balls and the Powerball, which is incredibly rare — about a 1 in 292 million shot. Still, there are nine different prize levels, so you can win even with just one or two numbers.
Matching just the Powerball — $4
If the only number you match is the red Powerball, you win $4. That’s basically your $2 ticket price back, plus a little extra for coffee. The odds are about 1 in 38.
One number plus the Powerball — still $4
If you match one white ball and the red Powerball, your prize is still $4. The odds of this are 1 in 91 — a little harder than just hitting the Powerball, but the payout stays the same.
Two numbers plus the Powerball — $7
If you get two white balls and the Powerball, your prize goes up to $7. The odds of hitting this combo are 1 in 701 — a long shot, but still far more likely than winning the jackpot.
Three numbers without the Powerball — $7
If you pick three correct white balls but miss the Powerball, you also win $7. The odds improve slightly to 1 in 579.
Three numbers plus the Powerball — $100
Now we’re talking. If your ticket matches three white balls and the Powerball, you win $100. But it’s much harder to land this prize — about 1 in 14,494 odds.
Four numbers without the Powerball — $100 again
Matching four white balls without the Powerball also nets you $100. But the odds are tougher — roughly 1 in 36,525.
Four numbers plus the Powerball — $50,000
If you’re lucky enough to get four white balls and the Powerball, the prize jumps to $50,000. The catch? The odds are about 1 in 931,000—harder than being struck by lightning.
Five numbers without the Powerball — $1 million
This is the second-biggest prize. If you match all five white balls but miss the Powerball, you win $1 million. The odds: 1 in 11.7 million. If you added the Power Play option, that $1 million doubles to $2 million automatically.
Jackpot — match all six numbers
If you match all five white balls plus the Powerball, you win the jackpot, which often reaches hundreds of millions, even billions. But the odds are staggering: 1 in 292,201,338.
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The bottom line
Most Powerball players will only match a few numbers and win $4 or $7 — not exactly life-changing. But if you manage three numbers plus the Powerball, or four numbers plus the Powerball, you’ll have a very good reason to celebrate.
And if lightning strikes and you match all six numbers? Congratulations—you’re the newest millionaire (or billionaire) on the block.
