# Powerball Double Play Explained: Prizes, Odds and States

> Powerball Double Play enters your numbers in a second drawing for $1 more, with a $10 million top prize. See the prize chart, odds, participating states and the math.

Source: https://www.todaypowerball.com/blog/powerball-double-play-explained · Published: 2026-10-11 · Publisher: TodayPowerball (independent; not affiliated with any lottery)

Double Play is a $1 add-on to a Powerball play that enters your same numbers into a second, separate drawing held right after the main Powerball drawing on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. The Double Play drawing has its own fixed prizes, topped by a $10 million cash prize for matching all five white balls and the Powerball. It's only sold in some jurisdictions, 30 at last count, and it doesn't affect your entry in the main drawing at all.

Think of it as a second chance with the same numbers. Below you'll find exactly how it works, the full prize chart and how it compares with the main game, where it's offered, what larger wins look like after tax withholding, and what the extra dollar returns on average.

## How Double Play works

When you buy a Powerball play in a participating state, you can mark the Double Play box on the play slip or ask the clerk to add it. Your $2 play becomes a $3 play. Here's what happens next:

1. Your numbers are entered in the regular Powerball drawing at 10:59 p.m. ET, exactly as before.
2. After the Powerball drawing, a separate Double Play drawing is held with its own five white balls and red Powerball.
3. Your same numbers are checked against both sets of results.
4. You can win in the main drawing, the Double Play drawing, both or neither.

The two drawings are independent. The Double Play numbers aren't related to the main Powerball numbers, so a ticket that misses completely in the main drawing can still win in Double Play, and vice versa.

The game format is identical: five white balls from 1 to 69 and one red Powerball from 1 to 26. That means the odds of matching each tier are also identical to the main game. If you need a refresher on the basics, see [how to play Powerball](https://www.todaypowerball.com/blog/how-to-play-powerball).

### What Double Play doesn't do

It's easy to read more into the add-on than it offers, so to be clear:

- It doesn't give you a second set of numbers. Both drawings use the numbers on your ticket.
- It doesn't improve your odds in the main drawing in any way.
- It doesn't change the main jackpot or any main-game prize.
- It isn't a "replay" of the main drawing. The Double Play balls are drawn separately and produce their own results.

## The Double Play prize chart

Double Play prizes are fixed amounts. Unlike the main jackpot, the $10 million top prize doesn't grow from drawing to drawing, and powerball.com describes it as a "top cash prize," not a 30-year annuity.

| You match | Double Play prize | Main Powerball prize (base) | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 + Powerball | $10,000,000 | Jackpot | 1 in 292,201,338 |
| 5 | $500,000 | $1,000,000 | 1 in 11,688,053.52 |
| 4 + Powerball | $50,000 | $50,000 | 1 in 913,129.18 |
| 4 | $500 | $100 | 1 in 36,525.17 |
| 3 + Powerball | $500 | $100 | 1 in 14,494.11 |
| 3 | $20 | $7 | 1 in 579.76 |
| 2 + Powerball | $20 | $7 | 1 in 701.33 |
| 1 + Powerball | $10 | $4 | 1 in 91.98 |
| Powerball only | $7 | $4 | 1 in 38.32 |

*Sources: powerball.com Double Play and Powerball prize charts.*

Comparing the two prize columns tier by tier is easier on a chart. Because the prizes range from a few dollars to a million, the vertical axis uses a logarithmic scale, where each step is ten times the one below it. The top prize is left out, since the main jackpot has no fixed amount to compare.

```chart
{
 "title": "Double Play vs. main Powerball prizes by tier (top prize excluded)",
 "labels": ["5","4 + PB","4","3 + PB","3","2 + PB","1 + PB","PB only"],
 "format": "usd",
 "log": true,
 "series": [
  {"label":"Main Powerball (base prize)","kind":"histogram","values":[1000000,50000,100,100,7,7,4,4]},
  {"label":"Double Play","kind":"histogram","values":[500000,50000,500,500,20,20,10,7]}
 ],
 "caption": "Source: powerball.com Powerball and Double Play prize charts (fixed prizes; California pays main-game prizes pari-mutuel). Each pair of bars shows what the same match pays in each drawing."
}
```

The pattern is clear. In six of the eight tiers, Double Play pays more than the main game's base prize: five times as much for 4 or 3 + Powerball ($500 versus $100), nearly three times as much for 3 white balls or 2 + Powerball ($20 versus $7), and two and a half times as much for 1 + Powerball ($10 versus $4). The 4 + Powerball tier pays the same $50,000 in both. Only Match 5 pays less in Double Play: $500,000 versus $1 million. What the chart doesn't show is any difference in how likely each tier is; the odds of every tier are the same in both drawings.

A few more things stand out:

- **The top prize is fixed.** $10 million is far smaller than a typical Powerball jackpot, but it's the same at every drawing.
- **Shared top prizes aren't spelled out on powerball.com.** The official Double Play pages don't explain how the $10 million is handled if more than one ticket matches all six numbers in the same drawing. If that matters to you, check your state lottery's Double Play game rules.
- **Prizes must be claimed where the ticket was sold.** According to powerball.com, all winning Double Play tickets must be redeemed in the state or jurisdiction where they were sold.

The overall odds of winning any Double Play prize are the same as the main game: about 1 in 24.87. For more on where those numbers come from, see [Powerball odds explained](https://www.todaypowerball.com/blog/powerball-odds-explained).

## Double Play and Power Play

You can buy Power Play and Double Play together on the same play, which brings the cost to $4. But they don't interact: according to Powerball, the Power Play multiplier doesn't apply to prizes won in the Double Play drawing. Power Play affects only your main-drawing prizes. Our [Power Play guide](https://www.todaypowerball.com/blog/powerball-power-play-explained) explains that add-on in detail.

| Play type | Cost per play | Main drawing | Double Play drawing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powerball only | $2 | Yes | No |
| + Power Play | $3 | Yes, with multiplier | No |
| + Double Play | $3 | Yes | Yes |
| + Power Play + Double Play | $4 | Yes, with multiplier | Yes, no multiplier |

A quick comparison makes the difference concrete. Suppose you match only the red Powerball in both drawings and the Power Play multiplier is 2x. With both add-ons, you'd collect $8 from the main drawing ($4 × 2) and $7 from Double Play, for $15 on a $4 play. With Double Play only, you'd collect $4 plus $7, or $11 on a $3 play.

## Where Double Play is available

Double Play launched on August 23, 2021, alongside Powerball's new Monday drawing. According to the launch announcement on powerball.com, it started in 13 jurisdictions: Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee and Washington.

More lotteries have joined since. As of this writing, powerball.com lists these participating jurisdictions:

Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Washington.

That's 30 jurisdictions in total, out of the 48 U.S. jurisdictions that sell Powerball (45 states, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands). Large Powerball states that don't appear on the list include California, Texas, Illinois, Ohio and Georgia. If your state sells Powerball but isn't on this list, you can still play the main game, just without the Double Play option. Powerball says additional lotteries may offer Double Play later, so check the official [Double Play page](https://www.powerball.com/double-play) or your state lottery before you buy. For the broader picture of where Powerball itself is sold, see [which states sell Powerball](https://www.todaypowerball.com/blog/which-states-sell-powerball).

## Checking a Double Play ticket, step by step

Because one ticket can win in two drawings, it pays to check it methodically:

1. **Confirm the add-on.** Make sure the printed ticket shows Double Play was purchased. If it isn't on the ticket, the play isn't entered in the Double Play drawing.
2. **Find both result sets.** Powerball.com and participating state lottery sites post the Double Play numbers separately from the main numbers for each drawing date.
3. **Check the main drawing first.** Count matching white balls (in any order) and whether the red Powerball matches, then look up the main prize.
4. **Check the Double Play drawing separately.** Repeat the same count against the Double Play numbers and use the Double Play prize chart, not the main one.
5. **Add the two results.** A ticket can win in one drawing, both or neither.
6. **Scan it anyway.** A retailer's ticket checker or your state lottery's app is a good backstop for mistakes in reading the numbers.

## Worked examples

### Example 1: A win in both drawings

The main drawing is 5 – 12 – 33 – 47 – 60, Powerball 9. The Double Play drawing is 2 – 12 – 18 – 47 – 66, Powerball 9. Your ticket, with Double Play, is 12 – 21 – 33 – 47 – 58, Powerball 9.

- Main drawing: 3 white balls (12, 33, 47) + Powerball = **$100**
- Double Play: 2 white balls (12, 47) + Powerball = **$20**
- Total: **$120** on a $3 play

### Example 2: A miss in the main drawing, a win in Double Play

Your ticket matches nothing in the main drawing but matches four white balls in Double Play. You win **$500** from Double Play and nothing from the main game. Without the add-on, that ticket would have paid nothing.

### Example 3: A large Double Play prize and tax withholding

Prizes over $5,000 have 24% federal income tax withheld for U.S. citizens, and Double Play prizes are no exception. Here's what that withholding looks like on the three largest tiers:

| Double Play prize | 24% federal withholding | Paid before state tax |
|---|---|---|
| $10,000,000 | $2,400,000 | $7,600,000 |
| $500,000 | $120,000 | $380,000 |
| $50,000 | $12,000 | $38,000 |

Withholding isn't the final bill. The top federal bracket is 37%, so a large prize can mean more tax owed when you file, and state income tax depends on where you live. This is general information, not tax advice; talk to a tax professional about a large win.

## What Double Play returns on average

Using the official prizes and odds, we can estimate Double Play's expected value: the average amount each $1 of Double Play returns over a very large number of plays, before taxes.

**Step 1.** Multiply each Double Play prize by its probability:

| Tier | Prize ÷ odds | Average value per play |
|---|---|---|
| 5 + Powerball | $10,000,000 ÷ 292,201,338 | about $0.034 |
| 5 | $500,000 ÷ 11,688,053.52 | about $0.043 |
| 4 + Powerball | $50,000 ÷ 913,129.18 | about $0.055 |
| 4 | $500 ÷ 36,525.17 | about $0.014 |
| 3 + Powerball | $500 ÷ 14,494.11 | about $0.034 |
| 3 | $20 ÷ 579.76 | about $0.034 |
| 2 + Powerball | $20 ÷ 701.33 | about $0.029 |
| 1 + Powerball | $10 ÷ 91.98 | about $0.109 |
| Powerball only | $7 ÷ 38.32 | about $0.183 |

**Step 2.** Add all nine tiers together. The total is about **$0.53**, assuming the $10 million prize is paid in full to a single ticket. About $0.50 of that comes from the eight lower tiers, because the $10 million prize is so unlikely. The $7 Powerball-only prize alone accounts for about a third of the total.

**Step 3.** Compare with the cost. On average, each $1 spent on Double Play returns roughly 53 cents in prizes before taxes. Like any lottery play, that's a net cost on average, not an investment.

For context, the non-jackpot prizes in the main $2 play return only about 32 cents per play on average; most of the main ticket's value sits in the jackpot. Double Play's value is spread more toward small and mid-size prizes. That's a description of how the prize money is distributed, not a reason to spend more.

### Over a year

With about 156 drawings a year, adding Double Play to one play every drawing costs about $156. At roughly 53 cents back per dollar, the long-run average return would be around $83, leaving about $73 as the expected cost. Any one year can look very different, in either direction, because individual results swing widely around that average.

## Is Double Play worth it?

That depends on what you want from your ticket:

- **If you enjoy a second set of results to check,** Double Play gives you exactly that, with prizes that are larger than the main game at most lower tiers.
- **If you're playing only for a huge jackpot,** Double Play's fixed $10 million top prize won't change that goal.
- **If you're on a fixed budget,** adding Double Play raises each play's cost by 50%. Set your total spend first and then decide how to divide it.

Neither choice changes your odds in the main drawing. Every number combination is equally likely in both drawings, and past results don't make any numbers more or less likely in the future.

### Common Double Play mistakes

- **Checking only the main results.** The Double Play numbers are posted separately; a ticket that lost the main drawing may still have won.
- **Expecting Power Play to multiply Double Play wins.** It doesn't.
- **Buying while traveling and claiming at home.** Winning Double Play tickets must be redeemed in the jurisdiction where they were sold.
- **Assuming every state offers it.** Only the 30 listed jurisdictions do.

## Frequently asked questions

### When is the Double Play drawing?

According to Powerball, the Double Play drawing is held after every Powerball drawing on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. The main drawing is at 10:59 p.m. ET. See our [Powerball drawing schedule](https://www.todaypowerball.com/blog/powerball-drawing-schedule) for cutoffs and time zones.

### Are the Double Play numbers the same as the Powerball numbers?

No. Double Play has its own separate drawing and its own winning numbers. Your ticket uses the same numbers you picked, checked against both sets of results.

### Does Power Play multiply Double Play prizes?

No. The Power Play multiplier applies only to main-drawing prizes, not to prizes won in the Double Play drawing.

### Can I buy Double Play in every state?

No. Double Play is offered only in participating jurisdictions. Powerball.com currently lists 30, including Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Washington, D.C.

### Can I claim a Double Play prize in a different state?

No. According to powerball.com, winning Double Play tickets must be redeemed in the state or jurisdiction where they were sold.

### Does the Double Play top prize grow like the jackpot?

No. The Double Play top prize is a fixed $10 million cash prize and doesn't roll over from one drawing to the next.

## The bottom line

Double Play costs $1 per play, enters your numbers into a second drawing held after each Powerball drawing, and pays fixed prizes up to $10 million in participating jurisdictions. The odds are identical to the main game, the lower-tier prizes are mostly larger, and Power Play doesn't apply to it. Check the official [Double Play page](https://www.powerball.com/double-play) and [Double Play prize chart](https://www.powerball.com/double-play-prize-chart) for current details, decide your budget before you buy, and if you or someone you know needs support, call or text the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738), 24/7.