All About the Power Play Feature in the US Powerball
We all know and love US Powerball’s record-breaking jackpot prizes, but have you thought about using the lottery’s incredible secondary prize-booster, Power Play? If you haven’t heard about this special Powerball feature or want to learn more, keep reading to find out how you can boost your non-jackpot US Powerball winnings.
What is the Power Play Option in Powerball?
Power Play is a multiplier feature that can be added on to your US Powerball entry whenever you participate in a draw. A lottery multiplier boosts secondary prize winnings a certain amount of times, depending on the lottery’s game rules. Powerball’s Power Play feature double’s the second division prize to US$2 million and multiplies winnings from the 3rd to 9th prize divisions up to five times. For example, if you won the US$50,000 Powerball third division prize, the Power Play option can increase your winnings to US$500,000!
Power Play does not apply to the US Powerball jackpot, but it can increase all the other prize categories in the game. It can double the US$1 million 2nd prize, and it can boost the others to some mouth-watering amounts. In the table below, you can see just how much you stand to win with this amazing multiplier.
How Does Power Play Work in Powerball?
To get your chance at winning a boosted Powerball prize, all you need to is select the Power Play option on your entry for a small additional fee on your Powerball ticket cost and match any of the secondary prize divisions, with or without the additional Powerball number.
Power Play Basics
- The US Powerball Power Play numbers are drawn from a range of 1-5
- If the annuity for the advertised jackpot is under US$150 million, the number 10 is added to the selection.
- The number drawn determines how many times the secondary prize is multiplied. In other words, the higher the number, the bigger your winnings!
- The Match 5 second division prize can only be doubled no matter which Power Play number is drawn
Check out how much exactly your secondary prize will be boosted when you win with the US Powerball Power Play feature:
| Match | No Power Play | Power Play x2 | Power Play x3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 + PB | Jackpot | Jackpot | Jackpot |
| 5 | US$1 million | US$2 million | US$2 million |
| 4 + PB | US$50,000 | US$100,000 | US$150,000 |
| 4 | US$100 | US$200 | US$300 |
| 3 + PB | US$100 | US$200 | US$300 |
| 3 | US$7 | US$14 | US$21 |
| 2 + PB | US$7 | US$14 | US$21 |
| 1 + PB | US$4 | US$8 | US$12 |
| 0 + PB | US$4 | US$8 | US$12 |
| Match | Power Play x4 | Power Play x5 | Power Play x10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 + PB | Jackpot | Jackpot | Jackpot |
| 5 | US$2 million | US$2 million | US$2 million |
| 4 + PB | US$200,000 | US$250,000 | US$500,000 |
| 4 | US$400 | US$500 | US$1,000 |
| 3 + PB | US$400 | US$500 | US$1,000 |
| 3 | US$28 | US$35 | US$70 |
| 2 + PB | US$28 | US$35 | US$70 |
| 1 + PB | US$16 | US$20 | US$40 |
| 0 + PB | US$16 | US$20 | US$40 |
The advertised jackpot is determined by game sales and interest rates, and it is announced prior to each draw.
As you can see, playing with the Power Play option can get you big winnings for a small prize! Powerball is not alone when it comes to prize multipliers! You can increase your secondary winnings with other lotteries, such as Italy’s SuperEnalotto SuperStar, and Mega Millions , which offers players the Megaplier feature that can boost secondary prizes by up to 5 times. One main difference that sets these Mega Millions’ Megaplier and Powerball’s Power Play features apart, is that the second division Mega Million prize can be multiplied by up to 5 times. This means that instead of winning only double the amount, Mega Million second place winners can receive as much as US$5 million.
How is the Power Play Number Drawn?
Unlike the Powerball number, which players can select on their entries, the Power Play number is drawn from a separate barrel of 42 or 43 balls immediately after the main numbers and Powerball number are chosen. Each ball has a number that represents the amount of times the prize will be multiplied. For example, there are 13 balls with the number “3X”. This means that if one of the 13 balls are drawn, anyone who added the Power Play option to their entry will have their secondary prize multiplied three times.
| Power Play Multiplier | Balls | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 2X | 24 | 1:1.75 |
| 3X | 13 | 1:3.23 |
| 4X | 3 | 1:14 |
| 5X | 2 | 1:21 |
| TOTAL=42 |
If the Powerball jackpot is lower than US$150 million, one more ball is introduced to the mix. The 10X Power Play ball that’s added to the barrel multiplies all prizes from the third to ninth prize division by 10 times!
Check out the odds of each Power Play ball being drawn with the added 10X multiplier in the table below.
| Power Play Multiplier | Balls | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 2X | 24 | 1:1.79 |
| 3X | 13 | 1:3.31 |
| 4X | 3 | 1:14.33 |
| 5X | 2 | 1:21.5 |
| 10X | 1 | 1:43 |
| TOTAL=43 |
How to Use US Powerball Power Play Online
Playing US Powerball with the Power Play multiplier at TheLotter is easy. All you have to do is fill up your entry as you regularly would, and check off the Power Play box right under your entry form. Utilizing this rewarding play option means that even if you don’t win the US Powerball jackpot prize, you can still win big! Learn more about playing this rewarding American lottery game, including jackpot odds, game rules, draw times, and more, by heading over to our US Powerball Play Guide.
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