How to Play Powerball in Texas
You can enter the Powerball lottery by visiting your favorite Texas Lottery retailer or via a lottery courier. If you want to play via a lottery courier, please go to our Tickets page.
In order to enter Powerball, you must select five numbers between 1 and 69 and one Powerball number from 1 to 26. If you’re not sure which numbers to pick, you can mark the “QP” box on your ticket and the terminal will randomly select your numbers. Alternatively, you can also ask your lottery retailer for a “Quick Pick”. When playing online, you can use the Powerball number generator for a set of randomly-generated numbers.
The price of a Powerball ticket is $2 per play, while the Power Play option can be added for $1 per play.
Multi-Draw Option
The same set of numbers can be entered in more than one drawing. Simply mark the “Multi-Draw” box to play up to 15 consecutive drawings.
Power Play Option
For a chance to increase your non-jackpot winnings by 2, 3, 4, 5 or 10 times, you may add the Power Play feature to your ticket. The Power Play option costs an extra $1.
The Power Play number is chosen according to this frequency:
| Power Play Number | Number of Balls in Draw | Odds of Multiplier Being Selected |
|---|---|---|
| 10X | 1 | 1 in 43 |
| 5X | 2 | 1 in 21.5 |
| 4X | 3 | 1 in 14.33 |
| 3X | 13 | 1 in 3.31 |
| 2X | 24 | 1 in 1.79 |
The 10X multiplier is available for drawings in which the advertised annuitized jackpot is worth $150 million or less.
The Power Play Match Five (5+0) has a fixed amount of $2 million regardless of the Power Play number selected. The other non-grand prizes are multiplied by the Power Play number selected.
Jackpot Payment Options
The grand prize can be paid out either as annuity or cash. On your Powerball ticket, you can mark “30 ANNUAL PAYMENTS” or the “CASH VALUE OPTION” to indicate how you’d like to receive your winnings.
If you want to get your prize in 30 installments over 29 years, mark “30 ANNUAL PAYMENTS”.
If you want to receive your win as a single payment of the present cash value of the jackpot prize, mark “CASH VALUE OPTION”. You cannot change the payment option at a later date.
The Powerball jackpot is pari-mutuel, meaning that it will be divided equally between the prize winners.
Bear in mind that the advertised Powerball jackpot amount is not always a guaranteed amount as it’s just an estimate. If you win the jackpot, you may receive less than the advertised amount, depending on the game sales and interest rates for long-term investments.
Go to the Odds and Prizes page for more information about Powerball payouts.
When to check the results?
After purchasing your Powerball tickets and the draws take place, make sure to check the winning numbers. Powerball drawings take place every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 PM EST.