This Saturday’s Powerball drawing has an estimated jackpot of $1.6 billion, with a cash value of $782.4 million. The drawing  takes place at 10:59pm and will be streamed live on the Powerball website.  Could MoCo be home to the next big winner? In the past week a $100,000 winning ticket was sold at Steve’s Beer, Wine & Deli (12132 Darnestown Road, Gaithersburg) and a $50,000 winning ticket was sold at 3 Star Beer & Wine (18524 Woodfield Road, Gaithersburg).  Below are seven things to know to get you prepared:

1. How to play Powerball:

• Pick five numbers from 1 to 69 and one Powerball number from 1 to 26.
• Choose Quick Pick to have the terminal randomly pick numbers for you.
• Each Powerball ticket is $2 (add Power Play for $1).
• Up to five sets of numbers can be played per play slip.
• Select Multidraw to enter up to 30 consecutive drawings

2. How to win:

• The Powerball jackpot is won by matching five white balls, in any order, plus the one red Powerball number.
• The second-level prize of $1 million is won by matching all five white balls
• You can win seven additional ways by matching fewer numbers. Prize and odds chart below courtesy www.powerball.com:
  

3. Saturday’s $1.6B jackpot is now the largest jackpot in U.S. lottery history. Below are the top ten Powerball jackpots:
1. $1.586 Billion – Jan. 13, 2016 – CA, FL, TN
2. $1.2 Billion (est.) – Nov. 2, 2022
3. $768.4 Million – March 27, 2019 – WI
4. $758.7 Million – Aug. 23, 2017 – MA
5. $731.1 Million – Jan. 20, 2021 – MD
6. $699.8 Million – Oct. 4, 2021 – CA
7. $687.8 Million – Oct. 27, 2018 – IA, NY
8. $632.6 Million – Jan. 5, 2022 – CA, WI
9. $590.5 Million – May 18, 2013 – FL
10. $587.5 Million – Nov. 28, 2012 – AZ, MO

4. Saturday’s drawing will be the 40th Powerball drawing since the jackpot was last won on August 3 in Pennsylvania. If no one wins the jackpot in Saturday’s drawing, it will tie the game record for the number of consecutive drawings without a grand prize winner.

5. Maryland is home to three Powerball jackpot wins: $731.1 million in January 2021 (Lonaconing, Allegany County); $128.8 million in December 2011 (Elkton, Cecil County) and $108.8 million in September 2011 (Abingdon, Harford County).

6. Jackpot winners may choose to receive their prize as an annuity, paid in 30 graduated payments over 29 years, or a lump sum payment. Both advertised prize options are prior to federal and jurisdictional taxes.

7. The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million. The odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9.  According to medium.com, you are more likely to be struck by lightening, drown in a bathtub, and become the President of the U.S. than win the lottery.  See: 40 Things That Are More Likely to Happen Than Winning the Lottery