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Huge Jackpot Rolls Over In Florida's Powerball Debut

Tribune photo by CHRIS URSO

Tampa resident Danny Harvey picks his Powerball numbers as Metro Gas clerk Waleed Abdel Rahman watches.

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TBO.com

Published: January 8, 2009

Updated: 01/08/2009 10:46 am

Millions of chance-takers buying Powerball tickets in 30 states came up empty Wednesday night, with no winners making claim to the $105.3 million jackpot. But players have another chance to win Saturday night. The top prize: $120 million.

Wednesday night's drawing was the first for Florida lottery players, 7 million of whom bought tickets. They joined fellow gamblers in states across the nation and the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands, hoping their numbers matched five balls and that their chosen Powerball number matches for the big money.

Wednesday night's numbers were 23-31-33-38-52, with 24 as the Powerball. The odds of winning aren't all that encouraging: 1 in 195,249,054. But if you don't buy a ticket, your chances are less than that.

One lucky ticket holder in Tennessee matched all five white balls with a Power Play multiplier ($1 extra) and won $1 million, according to the Powerball Web site this morning. Three tickets sold in Louisiana, Missouri and South Carolina matched all five white balls for a $200,000 prize.

The Web site said that players across the nation bought $34,559,553 in Powerball and Power Play tickets between Sunday and Wednesday night and that 813,663 players across the nation won more than $8.3 million in prizes.

Last year, gamblers spent $2.56 billion in Powerball tickets, turning over more than $743 million to state governments.

Wednesday's Powerball drawing, the first in Florida, was held at Universal Orlando. Normally, drawings are held in Des Moines, Iowa, every week at 10:59 p.m. EST Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Florida Lottery officials today said more than 154,000 Powerball players in Florida won prizes in the game. None matched all five numbers.

Lottery officials also announced that:

•Six players matched four numbers plus the Powerball, winning $10,000.

•262 players matched four numbers, each winning $100.

•432 players matched three numbers plus the Powerball, each winning $100.

•14,725 players matched three numbers, each winning $7.

•6,670 players matched two numbers plus the Powerball, each winning $7.

•43,981 players matched one number plus the Powerball, each winning $4.

•88,727 players matched only the Powerball, each winning $3.

•34,054 players added Power Play and matched one of the nonjackpot winning combinations listed above, multiplying their winnings by up to five times.

Reporter Keith Morelli can be reached at (813) 259-7760 or kmorelli@tampatrib.com.

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