Powerball odds, tier by tier
Powerball's jackpot odds are 1 in 292,201,338 on a single $2 play, and the overall chance of winning any prize is 1 in 24.87 (of winning any prize, on a $2 play).. Most of that overall figure comes from the $4 tiers at the bottom of the chart, not from anything near the jackpot. Power Play multiplies smaller prizes, not the jackpot, for an extra $1.
Every Powerball prize tier
Nine ways to win, from the jackpot down to $4, each with its own odds.
Powerball is a pick-5-plus-1 game: five numbers from 1-69, plus one red Powerball from 1-26. A $2 play wins a prize if it matches enough of the drawn numbers, and the table below is every way that can happen, with the odds the game itself publishes. Powerball (Multi-State Lottery Association), 2026 confirmed this table on 2026-09-24.
Powerball
$2.00 per play (base game).| Match | Prize | Odds of one play |
|---|---|---|
| 5 white + Powerball | Jackpot (annuity or cash, see CASH_AND_TAXES) | 1 in 292,201,338 |
| 5 white, no Powerball | $1,000,000 | 1 in 11,688,053.52 |
| 4 white + Powerball | $50,000 | 1 in 913,129.18 |
| 4 white, no Powerball | $100 | 1 in 36,525.17 |
| 3 white + Powerball | $100 | 1 in 14,494.11 |
| 3 white, no Powerball | $7 | 1 in 579.76 |
| 2 white + Powerball | $7 | 1 in 701.33 |
| 1 white + Powerball | $4 | 1 in 91.98 |
| 0 white + Powerball | $4 | 1 in 38.32 |
Overall odds of winning any prize: 1 in 24.87 (of winning any prize, on a $2 play).. Figures from the official game site, checked 2026-09-24.
What each match actually means
| Match | In plain words |
|---|---|
| 5 white + Powerball | All five white numbers and the red Powerball. This is the jackpot, and it is the only tier that ends the game — every other tier pays a fixed prize and the drawing keeps going. |
| 5 white, no Powerball | All five white numbers, but the red ball is wrong. A $1,000,000 prize almost everywhere; California pays this tier pari-mutuel instead (see below). |
| 4 white + Powerball | Four of the five white numbers, plus the red ball right. $50,000. |
| 4 white, no Powerball | Four white numbers, red ball wrong. $100. |
| 3 white + Powerball | Three white numbers, red ball right. $100. |
| 3 white, no Powerball | Three white numbers, red ball wrong. $7 — the same as the next two tiers, which is why the low end of the chart looks flat. |
| 2 white + Powerball | Two white numbers, red ball right. $7. |
| 1 white + Powerball | One white number, red ball right. $4 — this tier alone fires roughly once in 92 plays. |
| 0 white + Powerball | None of the white numbers, but the red ball is right. $4. Matching only the Powerball is enough to win something. |
Notice the pattern: the prize amount does not fall in a straight line as the required match gets easier. It drops fast, then flattens out at $4 for the two most common winning tiers. That flattening is why the overall odds figure below is so much friendlier than the jackpot odds.
Why 1 in 24.87 does not mean what it sounds like
Powerball's overall odds of winning any prize are 1 in 24.87. That number gets quoted next to the jackpot's 1 in 292,201,338 so often that the two can blur together, but they describe almost entirely different tiers.
The two bottom rows of the table, matching just the Powerball with zero or one white number right, pay $4 each. Add them up and they are the single biggest reason the overall odds look as good as 1 in 24.87: matching one white ball plus the Powerball alone happens about once in 92 plays, and matching zero white balls plus the Powerball happens about once in 38 plays. Those two tiers do almost all of the work of bringing an average of 1-in-292-million experiences down to a headline of 1-in-24.87.
Put another way: of the roughly 1 play in 24.87 that wins something, the overwhelming majority win $4, which is less than the cost of two plays. The overall odds figure is real and it is published by the game, but it is not a measure of how close anyone is to the jackpot.
Power Play: what it changes and what it does not
Power Play is a $1 add-on per play. It multiplies every non-jackpot prize by a factor drawn separately from the main numbers: 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, or, when it is in the pool, 10x. Maryland Lottery, 2026 confirms these figures.
| Multiplier | Odds it is drawn |
|---|---|
| 2x | 1 in 1.75 |
| 3x | 1 in 3.23 |
| 4x | 1 in 14.0 |
| 5x | 1 in 21.0 |
| 10x | 1 in 43.0 (only when the 10x tier is in the pool) |
What it does not touch
The jackpot itself is never multiplied by Power Play. Buying the add-on has no effect on the odds of winning the jackpot or on the jackpot amount if you do.
The one fixed exception
Match 5 (all five white balls, no Powerball) with Power Play pays a flat "$2,000,000 no matter which multiplier is drawn, not $1,000,000 times the multiplier. Every other tier is multiplied normally.
The 10x multiplier only enters the drawing pool for a given drawing when the advertised (annuity) jackpot is $150 million or less. On bigger jackpots, the top multiplier available is 5x.
Double Play: a second drawing, not a second chance at the jackpot
Double Play is a separate $1 add-on. It buys an entry into a second, independent Powerball-style drawing held right after the main one, using its own numbers. The top prize is a fixed $10,000,000 cash payout, and Double Play numbers are not eligible for Power Play multipliers. Powerball (Multi-State Lottery Association), 2026
The exact current list of states/jurisdictions offering Powerball's Double Play add-on (reported historically as roughly 14 states plus Puerto Rico, but not re-confirmed for 2026 against an official list). That list changes, so this page will not guess at it: check your own state lottery's site to see whether Double Play is offered where you play.
California pays these prizes differently
Every table on this page shows fixed dollar prizes, and that is accurate almost everywhere Powerball is sold — except California. California Lottery pays every non-jackpot Powerball prize on a pari-mutuel basis: the state's share of ticket sales for that tier is divided among the California winners in it, rather than paying the fixed national amount.
That produces real differences. Two verified California match-5 winners (all five white balls, no Powerball) received $4.2 million and $2.2 million on drawings where the fixed prize elsewhere was $1,000,000. A California prize in any given tier can land above or below the amount shown in the table above. KTLA, 2026
Powerball odds FAQ
What are the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot?
1 in 292,201,338 on a single $2 play, unchanged by which numbers you pick or whether you use Quick Pick.
What are the overall odds of winning any Powerball prize?
1 in 24.87. Most of that comes from the $4 tiers for matching only the Powerball, or one white number plus the Powerball.
Does Power Play improve my odds of winning the jackpot?
No. Power Play multiplies non-jackpot prizes by 2x-10x for an extra $1 per play. The jackpot itself is never multiplied, and the odds of winning any tier stay exactly the same.
Is the Match 5 prize really capped under Power Play?
Yes. Match 5 (five white balls, no Powerball) with Power Play pays a fixed $2,000,000 no matter which multiplier is drawn, rather than $1,000,000 times the multiplier.
What is Double Play?
A separate $1 add-on that enters a second Powerball-style drawing with its own numbers and a $10,000,000 top cash prize. It is not available everywhere; the current list of participating states could not be verified, so check your own state lottery.
Why are California's Powerball prizes different amounts?
California pays non-jackpot prizes pari-mutuel, as a share of sales, instead of the fixed national amounts. Real examples show California match-5 prizes of $4.2 million and $2.2 million against a $1,000,000 fixed prize elsewhere.
Why does the overall 1 in 24.87 figure look so much better than the jackpot odds?
Because it counts every prize tier together, and the two cheapest tiers (matching just the Powerball, with zero or one white number) pay $4 and happen far more often than any other tier, which pulls the overall figure way down from the jackpot's 1 in 292,201,338.
Powerball odds: common questions
What are the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot?
1 in 292,201,338 on a single $2 play, unchanged by which numbers you pick or whether you use Quick Pick.
What are the overall odds of winning any Powerball prize?
1 in 24.87. Most of that comes from the $4 tiers for matching only the Powerball, or one white number plus the Powerball.
Does Power Play improve my odds of winning the jackpot?
No. Power Play multiplies non-jackpot prizes by 2x-10x for an extra $1 per play. The jackpot itself is never multiplied, and the odds of winning any tier stay exactly the same.
Is the Match 5 prize really capped under Power Play?
Yes. Match 5 (five white balls, no Powerball) with Power Play pays a fixed $2,000,000 no matter which multiplier is drawn, rather than $1,000,000 times the multiplier.
What is Double Play?
A separate $1 add-on that enters a second Powerball-style drawing with its own numbers and a $10,000,000 top cash prize. It is not available everywhere; the current list of participating states could not be verified, so check your own state lottery.
Why are California's Powerball prizes different amounts?
California pays non-jackpot prizes pari-mutuel, as a share of sales, instead of the fixed national amounts. Real examples show California match-5 prizes of $4.2 million and $2.2 million against a $1,000,000 fixed prize elsewhere.
Why does the overall 1 in 24.87 figure look so much better than the jackpot odds?
Because it counts every prize tier together, and the two cheapest tiers (matching just the Powerball, with zero or one white number) pay $4 and happen far more often than any other tier, which pulls the overall figure way down from the jackpot's 1 in 292,201,338.
Keep reading
Mega Millions odds
The same tier-by-tier breakdown for the other national game, including the April 2025 format change.
Read →How lottery odds are calculated
The combination count behind the 1 in 292,201,338 figure, worked through step by step.
Read →What a ticket is actually worth
The tier table turned into an expected-value calculation, and why it is negative.
Read →The odds do not move, so check them yourself
Powerball is 1 in 292,201,338 and Mega Millions is 1 in 290,472,336 for one play. Every figure on this site is dated, sourced and shown with its arithmetic, and we sell nothing that could change any of it.