Expect at least a bit of line-waiting at the lottery counter if you plan to join the Powerball-wagering crowd today.
Tonight's $400-million jackpot in the 43-state game would be the sixth-largest Powerball prize awarded, with a lump sump, pre-tax payout of $227.8 million. The largest pot was a $590.5 million bounty won last May.
The Powerball total has rolled over since Christmas Day, when a Missouri mechanic hit a $71.5-million payout.
As the gap in prizes shows, it's really, really hard to match all five white balls and the red Powerball. Odds of winning -- 1 in 175 million -- don't change as ticket sales rise along with the millions up for grabs, and they change neglibly even if you buy 10 tickets instead of one.
Here's what Elena Vicini, 37, of Warren would do with the windfall, she comments at the Free Press' website:
I would buy my dad a condo in Vegas, my mom a condo in Florida, me a condo on St. Pete Beach, my brother a golf membership and a condo on a real nice course.
I would buy my aunt a new house and car, and the rest of the money I would open a few party stores. I would make sure to share with my family first.
-- Alan Stamm
