Game guide
How to Play Powerball
To play Powerball, choose five different white-ball numbers from 1 to 69 and one red Powerball from 1 to 26, then buy an official ticket before your lottery's sales cutoff. You can choose your own numbers or request a Quick Pick. After the drawing, compare your ticket with the winning numbers.
This guide covers Powerball tickets purchased in the United States. International games and purchase arrangements can differ.
How to play Powerball in 3 steps
1. Pick your Powerball numbers
Pick five different white numbers from 1 to 69 and a sixth number, the red Powerball, from 1 to 26. The white and red balls come from separate pools, so the red number may match a white number. Matching the red Powerball by itself can win a prize. See how many numbers you need to match to win.
You can choose numbers yourself or request a Quick Pick. QP means Quick Pick. The official lottery terminal randomly selects numbers for a Quick Pick play, which has the same odds as any other valid combination. Our free Powerball Number Generator makes random picks and lets you save favorites before you visit a retailer. It is an independent tool, not an official lottery or Quick Pick issuer.
Five white balls: 8, 17, 34, 52, 69. Red Powerball: 17.
White balls × 5 Red Powerball × 1
For context about past drawings, view the historical frequency chart or Explore number history. These records describe past results and do not predict future drawings.
2. Buy an official Powerball ticket
On a playslip, choose five different white numbers from 1 to 69 and one red Powerball from 1 to 26 for each play. Each set of six numbers is one play. Or ask the retailer for a Quick Pick. Save favorites in My Picks as a shopping list, saving them on your phone to pull up at the retailer. Use the same browser and device where you saved them, because they stay in that browser's local storage. Saving numbers does not buy a ticket or enter a drawing.
Powerball Playground does not sell lottery tickets or issue official lottery Quick Picks. To enter a drawing, purchase an official ticket through an authorized lottery retailer or other officially authorized sales channel before its cutoff. Choose any available add-ons, pay, and check the printed numbers and drawing date before you leave. Keep the official ticket safe; it is your proof of entry. A playslip or saved list is not an entry.
3. Check your ticket after the drawing
Compare the ticket's drawing date and numbers with the Powerball winning numbers. If you saved a selection here, My Picks can help you check its number matches. A saved match does not prove you own a ticket or qualify for a prize. Confirm any result with the lottery that issued your ticket, and follow its claim instructions. For a ticket you haven't saved here, use the Ticket Checker.
How much does a Powerball ticket cost?
A standard U.S. Powerball play costs $2 per drawing. More plays or drawings raise the ticket's total. Power Play generally adds $1 per play. Idaho and Montana bundle Power Play, so their minimum purchase is $3 per play. Check your state lottery's price before buying.
When are Powerball drawings and ticket cutoffs?
Powerball drawings are scheduled for Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET. Ticket sales close before the drawing, and the exact cutoff varies by jurisdiction. Check your official lottery's deadline before buying.
What is Power Play?
Power Play is an optional add-on in participating jurisdictions. It increases eligible non-jackpot prizes without changing which numbers match. Multipliers are 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, or 10x; 10x is available only when the advertised jackpot is $150 million or less. The Match 5 prize (five white balls without the red Powerball) is $2 million with Power Play, regardless of the multiplier. The jackpot is never multiplied. Power Play is unavailable in California; see the California Lottery's Powerball rules for local details.
What is Double Play?
Where offered, Double Play is a separate $1 add-on that enters the same numbers in a separate drawing after each Powerball drawing, with a top cash prize of $10 million. Power Play does not apply to Double Play, and Powerball Playground does not check Double Play results. See the official Double Play rules.
How many numbers do you need to win Powerball?
Matching the red Powerball can win a prize even if none of your white numbers match. Without the red Powerball, you need at least three white matches. The jackpot requires all five white numbers and the red Powerball. Matches count within one play; numbers from different ticket lines cannot be combined.
| White matches | Red Powerball matched? | Base prize | Odds (1 in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Yes | Jackpot | 292,201,338 |
| 5 | No | $1 million | 11,688,053.52 |
| 4 | Yes | $50,000 | 913,129.18 |
| 4 | No | $100 | 36,525.17 |
| 3 | Yes | $100 | 14,494.11 |
| 3 | No | $7 | 579.76 |
| 2 | Yes | $7 | 701.33 |
| 1 | Yes | $4 | 91.98 |
| 0 | Yes | $4 | 38.32 |
Odds are per $2 base play and rounded where needed. The chart shows standard base prizes; California prizes are pari-mutuel and vary with ticket sales and winners. Check the California Lottery for its payouts. Official lottery rules control.
How do you claim a Powerball prize?
Keep your original ticket safe and confirm the result with the lottery where you bought it. Claim through that jurisdiction; retailer, lottery office, mail, and digital options, along with claim thresholds and deadlines, vary by lottery and prize. Follow its official instructions, such as the California Lottery claim guide or Texas Lottery claim instructions.
Does choosing your own numbers improve your odds?
No. A Quick Pick and a self-chosen valid combination have the same winning odds. Each valid full combination has the same chance in a fair drawing, and past results do not make any numbers due. The jackpot odds are 1 in 292,201,338; the odds of any prize are about 1 in 24.87 per base play. A prize is not necessarily a profit. A generator helps you choose numbers; it cannot improve the odds or predict a result. The Combination Filter can exclude consecutive or evenly spaced number runs and randomly select from the remaining combinations, but filtering does not improve your odds.
Powerball FAQs
Do Powerball numbers have to be in order?
No. White numbers can match in any order within the same play. The red Powerball must match the red Powerball; do not mix colors or play lines.
Can the Powerball be the same as a white number?
Yes. It comes from a separate pool, as the two 17s in the example above show.
Can you buy Powerball tickets online?
Availability and eligibility depend on the selling jurisdiction. Check your official lottery's approved options. Powerball Playground does not sell tickets.
How old do you have to be to play Powerball?
You must meet the legal minimum age where you purchase the ticket. Check that lottery's rules.
Play responsibly and check the official rules
Play for entertainment, set a spending limit, and do not spend money needed for essentials. See Powerball's responsible-play resources.
For game details, check the official Powerball game information, prize chart, and FAQs. Local purchase and claim rules come from your selling lottery.
Rules checked October 18, 2026.