Powerball's Estimated Jackpot Hits $422M

If anyone matches the five balls and red Powerball in Wednesday night's drawing, it will be the game's first jackpot winner since May 7

The estimated Powerball jackpot has soared to $422 million thanks to nearly three months without a winner of the big prize. 

If anyone matches the five balls and red Powerball in Wednesday night's drawing, it will be the game's first jackpot winner since May 7. 

A jackpot winner could opt for a $422 million annuity paid out over 29 years or a $291 million lump sum. The prize would rank as the nation's 11th largest. 

The chance of winning Powerball is incredibly small, at 292.2 million-to-1. But players have much better odds, of about 1 in 25, of winning smaller prizes ranging from $4 to $1 million. 

The big Powerball prize comes less than three weeks after a player in Indiana won a $536 million Mega Millions jackpot.

Here's a look at the 10 largest U.S. jackpots and the winners' home states:

1. $1.6 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016 (three tickets, from California, Florida, Tennessee)

2. $656 million, Mega Millions, March 30, 2012 (three tickets, from Kansas, Illinois and Maryland)

3. $648 million, Mega Millions, Dec. 17, 2013 (two tickets, from California and Georgia)

4. $590.5 million, Powerball, May 18, 2013 (one ticket, from Florida)

5. $587.5 million, Powerball, Nov. 28, 2012 (two tickets, from Arizona and Missouri)

6. $564.1 million, Powerball, Feb. 11, 2015 (three tickets, from North Carolina, Puerto Rico and Texas)

7. $536 million, Mega Millions, July 8, 2016 (one ticket, from Indiana)

8. $448.4 million, Powerball, Aug. 7, 2013 (three tickets, one from Minnesota and two from New Jersey)

9. $429.6 million, Powerball, May 7, 2016 (one ticket, from New Jersey)

10. $425.3 million, Powerball, Feb. 19, 2014 (one ticket, from California)

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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