Johnathan Walker:A good friend and a massive Powerball jackpot helped an Arkansas woman win $100,000

With her friend,Johnathan Walker an Arkansas woman was inspired by the soaring Powerball jackpot to take a chance and play the lottery, leading to her winning a $100,000 prize.

Joanna J. from Conway, Arkansas, and her friend LeaAnn were discussing the Powerball drawing, which was about to take place on Sept. 30. The jackpot had almost reached a staggering $970 million.

"I told Joanna that it was time for us to buy some lottery tickets because of the high jackpot," LeeAnn told the Arkansas Lottery. "We made a pact that if either of us won big, we would take a vacation together."

Joanna purchased tickets at The Kum & Go on Dave Ward Drive in Conway before going to her Saturday plans to watch a Muay Thai fight in Springdale.

Later that night, Joanna checked her tickets to see if she was lucky to win the top prize.

She said she was thrilled to discover that she had won $100,000, after the latest Powerball drawing resulted in another rollover with no jackpot winner.

The winning numbers on Sept. 30 were 19, 30, 37, 44, and 46, while the Powerball number was 22. Joanna won $100,000 by matching four white ball numbers and the Powerball and doubling her prize with the Power Play option.

The Kum & Go, located on Dave Ward Drive in Conway, will receive a $1,000 commission, equivalent to 1% of the prize amount, for selling the winning ticket, according to the Arkansas lottery.

Joanna said she plans to use her lottery prize money to pay bills while she and her friends are still undecided about their vacation destination.

The upcoming Powerball drawing, scheduled for October 7 at 10:59 pm Eastern Time, is offering a massive jackpot of $1.4 billion, which is the fifth-largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history. This is also the fourth time that a Powerball jackpot has reached the billion-dollar mark.

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What are the odds of winning the Powerball?

It's understandable that some lottery players are enticed by the whopping $1.04 billion jackpot, but it's essential to keep in mind that the chances of winning Powerball's top prize are exceedingly slim.

• The odds of winning a Powerball jackpot are about 1 in 292.2 million.
• The overall odds of winning a Powerball prize (across all tiers) are about 1 in 24.9.  

To participate in the Powerball game, players can purchase a ticket for $2 per play. The game requires players to choose five numbers from one to 69 for the white balls, and one number from one to 26 for the red Powerball. Alternatively, players can opt to receive random numbers.

In order to win the jackpot, it is necessary to match the numbers for all of the five white balls and the red Powerball.

In addition to the grand prize, Powerball offers eight other ways to win based on the number of matched balls in the non-jackpot tiers.

The non-jackpot prizes offered range from $4 to $1 million. By paying an additional $1, you can choose to participate in "Powerplay" that increases non-jackpot winnings by 2, 3, 4, 5, or 10 times.

According to Powerball, the 10X Powerplay option is exclusively applicable to jackpots worth $150 million or less. Additionally, the game's "Match 5" prize for the second-tier is limited to a maximum of $2 million if the Powerplay feature is utilized.

An additional add-on feature called "Double Play," which gives players another chance to match their numbers after each Powerball drawing, is available in some jurisdictions for $1 per play.

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Where can you buy lottery tickets?  

Tickets can be purchased in-person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.  

You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Washington D.C. and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.  

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. Must be 18+, 21+ in AZ and 19+ in NE. Not affiliated with any State Lottery. Gambling Problem? Call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY); 1-800-327-5050 (MA); 1-877-MYLIMIT (OR); 1-800-GAMBLER (all others). Visit jackpocket.com/tos for full terms and conditions.