# Powerball Prize Chart: What Every Winning Combination Pays

> The full Powerball prize chart: all nine winning combinations, their odds, Power Play payouts from 2X to 10X, and the rules that change what you take home.

Source: https://www.todaypowerball.com/blog/powerball-prize-chart · Published: 2026-10-09 · Publisher: TodayPowerball (independent; not affiliated with any lottery)

Powerball has nine ways to win. Matching just the red Powerball pays $4, matching all five white balls pays $1 million, and matching all five white balls plus the Powerball wins the jackpot. Every prize below the jackpot is a fixed cash amount (except in California, explained below), and the optional Power Play can multiply those fixed prizes by 2, 3, 4, 5 or 10.

This guide puts the whole chart in one place, explains how Power Play changes each prize, and walks through a few real examples so you can check a ticket with confidence. All figures come from the official [Powerball prize chart](https://www.powerball.com/powerball-prize-chart). If you are new to the game, start with our [beginner's guide to playing Powerball](https://www.todaypowerball.com/blog/how-to-play-powerball).

## The Powerball prize chart at a glance

Each play costs $2. You pick five white numbers from 1 to 69 and one red Powerball from 1 to 26. Here is what each winning combination pays at the base level, without Power Play, along with the odds of hitting it.

| What you match | Base prize | Odds (1 in) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 white balls + Powerball | Grand Prize (jackpot) | 292,201,338 |
| 5 white balls | $1,000,000 | 11,688,053.52 |
| 4 white balls + Powerball | $50,000 | 913,129.18 |
| 4 white balls | $100 | 36,525.17 |
| 3 white balls + Powerball | $100 | 14,494.11 |
| 3 white balls | $7 | 579.76 |
| 2 white balls + Powerball | $7 | 701.33 |
| 1 white ball + Powerball | $4 | 91.98 |
| Powerball only | $4 | 38.32 |

The overall odds of winning any prize are about 1 in 24.87. Notice that most of those wins come from the bottom two rows: simply matching the red ball, with or without one white ball, accounts for the majority of winning tickets. For the reasoning behind each of these odds, see our guide to [Powerball odds for every prize tier](https://www.todaypowerball.com/blog/powerball-odds-explained).

### A few things the chart tells you

- **Order doesn't matter.** Your white numbers can match the drawn white balls in any order. The red Powerball must match the red ball drawn.
- **The red ball is valuable.** Two white balls alone win nothing, but two white balls plus the Powerball pays $7. Even zero white balls plus the Powerball pays $4, which is double the cost of a $2 play.
- **There is a big jump in the middle.** The prizes go from $100 for four white balls to $50,000 once you add the Powerball, and to $1 million for all five whites.
- **You only win the highest prize on each play.** A single line of numbers is paid at the one tier it qualifies for. You don't collect "3 white balls" and "3 white balls + Powerball" on the same line.

## How Power Play changes the prizes

Power Play is an add-on that costs $1 more per play. Before the main drawing, a separate multiplier is drawn: 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X or 10X. If you added Power Play and win a non-jackpot prize, that prize is multiplied by the drawn number, with one exception: the Match 5 prize becomes a flat $2 million no matter which multiplier is drawn.

| What you match | 2X | 3X | 4X | 5X | 10X |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 white balls + Powerball | Jackpot | Jackpot | Jackpot | Jackpot | Jackpot |
| 5 white balls | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
| 4 white balls + Powerball | $100,000 | $150,000 | $200,000 | $250,000 | $500,000 |
| 4 white balls | $200 | $300 | $400 | $500 | $1,000 |
| 3 white balls + Powerball | $200 | $300 | $400 | $500 | $1,000 |
| 3 white balls | $14 | $21 | $28 | $35 | $70 |
| 2 white balls + Powerball | $14 | $21 | $28 | $35 | $70 |
| 1 white ball + Powerball | $8 | $12 | $16 | $20 | $40 |
| Powerball only | $8 | $12 | $16 | $20 | $40 |

Power Play never touches the jackpot. A jackpot-winning ticket gets the same Grand Prize whether or not Power Play was added.

### How likely is each multiplier?

The multiplier is not equally likely to be 2X or 10X. According to Powerball, the odds depend on whether the 10X multiplier is in play, and 10X is only available when the advertised jackpot is $150 million or less.

| Multiplier | Odds when 10X is available | Odds when 10X is not available |
|---|---|---|
| 10X | 1 in 43 | Not in play |
| 5X | 2 in 43 | 2 in 42 |
| 4X | 3 in 43 | 3 in 42 |
| 3X | 13 in 43 | 13 in 42 |
| 2X | 24 in 43 | 24 in 42 |

In plain terms, 2X is the most common result by far (more than half the time), and 3X comes up roughly three times in ten. The big multipliers are rare. This is worth knowing before you assume a Power Play ticket will turn a $50,000 prize into $500,000.

## Worked examples: reading a ticket

Here are four example tickets checked against an imaginary set of winning numbers. These are illustrations, not real draws.

**Winning numbers (example):** 08 – 19 – 27 – 41 – 66, Powerball 12. **Power Play (example):** 3X.

| Your play | What matched | Base prize | With Power Play (3X) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08 – 19 – 33 – 50 – 61, PB 12 | 2 white + Powerball | $7 | $21 |
| 03 – 30 – 44 – 52 – 66, PB 12 | 1 white + Powerball | $4 | $12 |
| 08 – 19 – 27 – 41 – 02, PB 25 | 4 white balls | $100 | $300 |
| 08 – 19 – 27 – 41 – 66, PB 03 | 5 white balls | $1,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
| 08 – 19 – 50 – 55 – 60, PB 04 | 2 white balls only | $0 | $0 |

The last row is the one that surprises people: two white balls without the Powerball pays nothing, and Power Play can't multiply a prize that doesn't exist.

Three takeaways from the examples:

1. **The cost of Power Play is per play.** A $2 play becomes $3. If you play five lines with Power Play, you spend $15, not $11.
2. **Match 5 is special.** At 3X you might expect $3 million, but the Power Play Match 5 prize is $2 million at every multiplier.
3. **Check the number ranges.** White balls only run from 1 to 69 and the Powerball from 1 to 26. A "ticket" shown online with numbers outside those ranges isn't a real Powerball ticket.

Our follow-up article on whether Power Play is worth the extra dollar goes deeper into the math, but the short version is that it raises your prizes without changing your odds of winning anything.

## How the jackpot differs from the other prizes

The jackpot works differently from the fixed prizes in the chart.

- **It is shared.** Powerball says the jackpot is awarded on a pari-mutuel basis, meaning it is split among all winning tickets. If two tickets hit the jackpot in the same drawing, each gets half.
- **It is advertised as an annuity.** The headline jackpot is the estimated total of an annuity: one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments, each 5% larger than the last. Winners can instead take a smaller lump-sum cash value.
- **It grows when nobody wins.** If there's no jackpot winner, the top prize rolls over and grows for the next drawing.

The lower prizes don't work this way. Powerball's chart states that all lower-tier prizes are set cash amounts, so a $50,000 winner doesn't share with anyone else who matched four white balls and the Powerball.

## The California exception

There's one important exception to the fixed prizes. On its prize chart, Powerball notes that in California, prize payout amounts are pari-mutuel and determined by sales and the number of winners. That means a California ticket that matches, say, four white balls and the Powerball may pay more or less than $50,000, depending on how many tickets in that tier won and how much was sold. California winners should check the California Lottery's published payouts for each drawing instead of relying on the national chart.

## Where and how prizes are paid

Knowing what you won is only half the job. A few rules apply everywhere:

- **Claim in the state where you bought the ticket.** Powerball says all winning tickets must be redeemed in the state or jurisdiction where they were sold.
- **Deadlines vary.** Depending on the selling jurisdiction, tickets typically expire anywhere from 90 days to one year after the drawing. Check your state lottery's rules as soon as you know you've won.
- **Small prizes are easy.** Most states let you cash small prizes at a lottery retailer. Larger prizes usually require a claim form and a visit to a lottery office or a mailed claim.
- **Taxes apply to larger prizes.** Federal income tax withholding of 24% applies to lottery winnings over $5,000 for U.S. citizens and residents, and the full prize is taxable income. State rules vary.

Sign the back of a winning ticket right away and keep it somewhere safe. A paper ticket is a bearer instrument: whoever holds and signs it can usually claim it.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the smallest Powerball prize?

The smallest prize is $4, for matching only the red Powerball or one white ball plus the Powerball. With Power Play, that $4 becomes $8, $12, $16, $20 or $40 depending on the multiplier.

### Do I win anything for matching two white balls without the Powerball?

No. Two white balls alone don't win a prize. You need at least three white balls, or the red Powerball, to win something.

### Does Power Play multiply the jackpot?

No. Power Play only applies to the eight non-jackpot prizes. The Match 5 prize becomes $2 million with any multiplier, and the jackpot is unaffected.

### Are the prize amounts the same in every state?

The fixed prizes are the same everywhere Powerball is sold except California, where all prizes are pari-mutuel and depend on sales and the number of winners. Tax treatment, claim deadlines and claim procedures do vary by state.

### Is Double Play on this chart?

No. Double Play is a separate add-on, offered only in some states, with its own drawing and its own prize chart. Check powerball.com or your state lottery for its current prizes.

## The bottom line

The Powerball prize chart is simple once you see the pattern: the more white balls you match, the more you win, and adding the red Powerball raises the prize at every level. Lower prizes are fixed amounts (pari-mutuel in California), Power Play multiplies them for an extra $1, and the jackpot is shared among all winning tickets. Keep in mind that most tickets don't win anything, so treat Powerball as entertainment with a set budget. If play stops being fun, help is available at 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738).