Powerball: The What, the How, and the Rest

Do you consider yourself to be a fan of lottery games? If yes, then Powerball is something you’d definitely love. Meanwhile, Australians have always loved the lottery; for instance, a 2018 study reported that over 8.6 million people bought a lottery or scratchie ticket that year. 

Despite its USA origins, Powerball has been a crowd favourite in Australia, thanks to the unique gameplay, a variety of choices, and a whole bunch of other things. So, if you are looking to play Powerball but don’t know where to start, this post is precisely what you need. 

What Is Powerball All About?

It’s time for some facts:

An offering of the renowned Tatts Group, Powerball is a lottery with a pan-Australian presence. As such, while inspired by its American counterpart, the Australian version of the game comes with significant formatting tweaks. For instance, Down Under, you don’t have to pay taxes for the prize money you win. The parimutuel-prize pool is yet another notable difference. 

The current format of the game was introduced back in 2018. And at present, the Division I pool’s prize money is pegged at a whopping $150 million. Also, rest assured when you participate in Powerball, there’s a lot to be won! 

Powerball and the Various Divisions

Nine divisions are available in the game, each with varying odds of winning. The number combinations that you need to win a prize are different across the divisions. So, take a look at the odds: 

• Division 1 – to win, you need to match seven numbers and the overall Powerball number.
• Division 2 – you don’t need to match the Powerball number, but you need to match seven numbers.
• Division 3 – match six numbers and the overall Powerball number, and you’ll win.
• Division 4 – you need to have six matching numbers
• Division 5 – apart from the overall Powerball number, you need to match five numbers.
• Division 6 – match four numbers and the Powerball number to win.

In Division 7, you only need seven numbers to match, and there’s no Powerball number involved. Divisions 8 & 9 are very similar; if you have 2-3 matching numbers in addition to the Powerball number, you’ll strike gold. 

A Quick Guide to Playing Powerball

Now that you’re familiar with the divisions, it’s time to learn the ropes of the game. So, to play Powerball, here’s what you need to do: 

Step-1: Pick the game type you’d like to enter, as you get to choose between the five different entry systems: standard, pick, system, PowerHit, and AutoPlay. Remember, the ticket prices also change across the systems. 

Step-2: It’s number picking time: For starters, you’ll have to pick seven numbers from the first barrel. You have the freedom to select any number between 1 and 35. 

Step-3: The second barrel comes into play here. This is where you pick your Powerball number, and you can choose a number between 1 and 20. 

Step-4: Once you’ve got all your numbers, you have to buy a ticket to be included in the game. 

Step-5: Reserve your spot in the Powerball draw, and let the wait begin! 

Step-6: Make sure to catch the final draw that traditionally happens every Tuesday night. Make a note of the winning numbers, and cross-reference them with the ones you chose. And if you match the prize criteria for your Division, consider yourself to be one fortunate chap! 

You can also participate in Powerball online, should you wish to do so. 

That’s all from this end, folks. Now you know what Powerball is, what the divisions and game types are, and how to play Powerball. But before you get started, it would help to read through the rules carefully and understand the different game types thoroughly so that you can be in with the best possible chance of winning. Sure, Powerball is a game of luck, fate, and chance, but you never know; it’s worth a try!