To win a Powerball jackpot , you must match 6 numbers total: all 5 main white balls plus the 1 red Powerball number.

Basic Powerball setup

  • You select 5 white numbers from 1–69 and 1 red Powerball from 1–26 on each ticket.
  • The winning combination drawn is also 5 white numbers plus 1 red Powerball.

So every play is essentially a 6-number combination (5 + the Powerball).

How many numbers to win anything

You do not need all 6 numbers to win a prize.

Common prize thresholds include:

  • Match only the Powerball : minimum cash prize (often about 4 dollars).
  • Match 1 white + Powerball : small prize, usually similar to the “Powerball only” level.
  • Match 3 white numbers (no Powerball): mid-tier cash prize.
  • Match 3 white + Powerball : larger mid-tier prize, often around 100 dollars range.
  • Match 4 white (with or without Powerball): higher mid-tier prizes.
  • Match 5 white only : major prize, typically 1 million dollars in the standard game (before any multipliers).
  • Match 5 white + Powerball : jackpot (can reach hundreds of millions or more).

Exact prize amounts and odds can vary slightly by jurisdiction and over time, but the structure above is the standard Powerball prize ladder.

Quick answer versions

  • To win the jackpot : match all 5 white numbers + the Powerball (6 numbers total).
  • To win any prize at all : match at least the Powerball alone (1 number, if it is the red Powerball).

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.