The 9 Ways to Win Powerball (Every Prize Tier)
There are nine ways to win a Powerball prize. The smallest is matching just the red Powerball for $4; the biggest is matching all five white balls plus the Powerball for the jackpot. You do not need all five numbers to win something. Here's every tier and what it pays.
| You match | Prize |
|---|
Prizes are the fixed nationwide amounts (before Power Play), except in California, where every tier is pari-mutuel and varies by sales.
The key thing to understand
The red Powerball is separate from the five white balls. Matching the Powerball alone already wins $4 — which is why so many "losing" tickets are actually small winners. That's also the easiest mistake to make when checking by hand.
Power Play multiplies the small prizes
For an extra $1 per play, Power Play multiplies non-jackpot prizes by 2×, 3×, 4×, 5× (or 10× when the jackpot is under a set amount). The $1,000,000 match-5 prize doubles to $2,000,000 with Power Play; the jackpot is never multiplied.
Quick poll
Frequently asked questions
- How many ways are there to win Powerball?
- Nine — from matching just the Powerball ($4) up to all five plus the Powerball (jackpot).
- Do you win for matching just the Powerball?
- Yes, $4.
- What does matching 5 without the Powerball pay?
- $1,000,000.
Prizes shown are standard nationwide amounts and can change; confirm with the official lottery.