Powerball Jackpot Approaches World Record: What You Need To Know Ahead Of Saturday's Historic Drawing

If you forgot to buy a Powerball ticket before Wednesday night's drawing, you'll get another chance to test your luck this weekend as the jackpot swells toward record levels.

What Happened: Wednesday came and went without a grand prize winner in the $1.2-billion Powerball jackpot. The winning numbers for last night's drawing were white balls 2-11-22-35-60, and the red Powerball was 23. 

There have now been 39 consecutive Powerball drawings without a winner as the jackpot continues to climb through billion-dollar territory, quickly approaching world record levels. 

The next drawing is slated for Saturday and the Powerball jackpot is estimated at $1.5 billion.

See Also: Hit The Jackpot With These 2 Casino REITs As Their Yields Soar Past Risk Free Rate

Why It Matters: If someone wins Saturday’s jackpot, it will mark the second-largest jackpot in Powerball history and third-largest jackpot in U.S. lottery history. The world record for the Powerball is $1.586 billion, which was split between three winners in 2016.

Although there wasn't a jackpot winner Wednesday night, you don't have to match all six numbers to win a prize. More than 7.2 million tickets won cash prizes totaling $74.9 million. 

Sixteen tickets matched all five white balls to win $1 million. Three tickets matched all five white balls to win $2 million by including the Power Play option. There were also 189 tickets that paid $50,000 and 49 tickets that paid out $100,000.

The overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 24.9. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million. Here's a look at the complete payout structure:

• 5 numbers + Powerball: Grand Prize
• 5 numbers: $1 million
• 4 numbers + Powerball: $50,000 
• 4 numbers: $100
• 3 numbers + Powerball: $100 
• 3 numbers: $7
• 2 numbers + Powerball: $7 
• 1 number + Powerball: $4 
• Powerball: $4

This weekend's drawing will mark the 40th Powerball drawing since the jackpot was last won on Aug. 3. If no one wins the jackpot in Saturday’s drawing, it will tie the record for consecutive drawings without a grand prize winner.

If a ticket is matched this weekend, the jackpot winner can choose to accept their prize as an annuity paid over 29 years or as a lump sum payment. The immediate cash option is estimated at $745.9 million for Saturday's drawing.

In Case You Missed It: Amy Schneider's Historic 'Jeopardy!' Run Comes To An End: How Much Of The $1.4M Will She Get To Keep? 

Photo by Adam Eckert.