Powerball is a lottery game that is a combined large jackpot game and a cash game. The drawing is held every Wednesday and Saturday night at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time, where five white balls are drawn out of a drum with 55 balls and one red ball is drawn out of a drum containing 42 red balls.

There are nine ways to match and win. The jackpot, which is won by matching five white balls in any order, is $200,000 paid in cash. Any time a red PowerBall is matched, you win. The overall odds of winning a prize in the game are better than 1 in 37.

A special feature allowing the winner to multiply the original prize amount is the Power Play. This allows players to multiply their Powerball prizes by 2, 3, 4 or 5 times, but does not include the jackpot. Players must choose the Power Play option at the time of purchase of their ticket, and then the ticket must match one of the non-jackpot prizes before the multiplier takes effect.

Powerball is an exciting game that allows you to either choose your own lottery numbers or have the computer generate a random set of numbers known as a Quick pick. Many people have a lucky set of numbers that they have chosen and will use for every drawing. Others choose to have the computer pick their numbers as a way of speeding up the process. Powerball.com says that about 70%-80% of people choose computer picks, and coincidentally 70%-80% of winners were those who used a computer generated set of numbers.

The Connecticut Lottery authorizes retailers in high traffic areas, which includes those along the New York and Massachusetts borders with Connecticut, to initiate “House Rules” when the Powerball jackpot exceeds 100 million dollars. The retailers who choose to initiate House Rules will display the information prominently on a green and white poster in their location.

These House Rules are as follows: Sell Quick Pick tickets only at the retailer’s discretion and Wagers will be capped at 100 tickets per customer. If the customer desires, they may return to the end of the line for additional purchases. The house rules are to allow retailers to cut down on long lines when the jackpot gets large and many people are waiting to get a ticket.

The Connecticut lottery asks you to please play responsibly and never wager more than you can afford. They appreciate your patronage and initiate these rules to be of service to you, the customer.

There are several other things to remember when purchasing a lottery ticket. Be sure to verify, and then sign your ticket at the time of your purchase. Remember that you must be 18 years old to purchase or cash lottery tickets in the state of Connecticut. Winning on-line tickets are valid for and must be claimed one year from the date of the drawing, and Powerball tickets may not be cancelled and all sales are final. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the 24-hour confidential problem gambling HELPLINE through the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling at 1-800-346-6238. The Connecticut lottery encourages you to play responsibly and wagering on credit is prohibited. As a Lottery player, you are entitled to certain rights and privileges when you buy or redeem a lottery ticket.

Remember that the Connecticut House Rules can only be put into effect at the discretion of the retailer if the jackpot exceeds 100 million dollars. Otherwise, you should be able to choose your own numbers if you want to and purchase as many tickets as you can afford.