LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Powerball drawing for Wednesday night shows that the winning numbers are 11-36-61-62-68 with the Powerball number of 4
The Powerball jackpot for Wednesday’s drawing is now topping $454 million, and while the odds are long, where do they stack up compared to other out-of-the-ordinary events happening?
According to the Multi-State Lottery Association, the group that runs the Powerball drawing with 45 state lottery offices, the odds of matching the five white balls, out of 69, and picking the correct red Powerball, out of 26, are 1 in 292,201,338. The group points out that the odds of playing and winning some level of prize are only 1 in 24.9
Yes, those are long odds, but they are also consistent. While it may become more likely that someone will win if more people buy a ticket with a growing prize, the odds for each player are always consistent.
There are not too many things less likely the winning the top Powerball prize, though two things jump to the top of the list. The odds for hitting a Mega Millions jackpot, the other multi-state lotto drawing, are a bit higher at 1 in 302,575,350.

Another thing WAY less likely than hitting the Powerball is picking a perfect bracket for March Madness. According to a report from the NCAA, the chance of nailing the pristine bracket is 1 in 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 – or 9.2 QUINTILLION – if you just flip a coin or only 1 in 120.2 billion if you know a bit about hoops.

Still there are many things that may seem impossible that are way more likely than taking home $454 Million Wednesday night.
In terms of the weather, you are far more likely to get hit by lightning (1 in 500,000) or dying in a tornado (1 in 5.7 million).

Animal attacks are also more likely, with the odds of a deadly shark attack sitting at 1 in 3.75 million and the odds of a bear attack are 1 in 2.1 million.

The scariest odds of all – as of 2021, 1 in 243 taxpayers faced an audit by the Internal Revenue Service.

Let’s talk about some good things. Your odds of bowling a perfect game is 1 in 11,500 while the chances of hitting a hole-in-one are only 1 in 12,500. If you are heading to the ballpark, the odds of grabbing a foul ball from the stands is only 1 in 835.

Looking for more of a sure thing when it comes to gambling? Poker players have a 4 in 2,598,960 chance of getting a Royal Flush (four chances because of the four suits), while the odds of hitting the jackpot on a classic standard slot machine are 1 in 262,144.

For those looking for the luck of the Irish, just search for a four-leaf clover. While some may think they are harder to find than leprechauns, statistics show that this version of the plant happens 1 in 10,000 times.

While there are a lot of numbers surrounding these jackpots, the biggest numbers are how these drawings can help Arkansas students. According to the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery, ticket sales have generated $1.1 billion in funding for Natural State students, with more than 675,000 scholarships being awarded.
Ticket sales go through 8:59 p.m. CDT Wednesday. Good luck!