Powerball has its tenth largest annuity jackpot ever, $330 million, because no one matched all the numbers drawn Wednesday night.
They were 36, 44, 49, 52 and 57, with a Powerball of 1.
The "real" jackpot -- the cash payout almost every winner takes -- rose to $189 million, also among the game's Top 10.
Pennsylvania sold two tickets that missed only the
Powerball, winning $1 million. Also matching the first five were tickets sold in New York, West Virginia, Indiana, Michigan, Florida and California. Unlike the others, California will pay out $723,452, under that state's pari-mutuel system.
Even more frustrated have to be the 42 folks who missed only one of the first five numbers. They defied odds of 1 chance in 649,000, but don't come close to a six-figure payday. Thirty-nine get $10,000 each, while three get $20,000 apiece, for also having the Power Play multiplier option.
Other games frequently offer better odds if you're looking for anything less than the jackpot.
With a single ticket having just 1 chance in 175 million, the jackpot could rise again. Powerball has topped the $400 million mark three times, all since November 2012. [
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