‘Rare’ Powerball Result – Texas Lottery Confirms Big Win Wednesday

(KPEL-FM) When you hear the word "rare" in Texas, most of us hope the speaker saying the word is talking about steak. But there are certainly other applications of the word. For example, in Dallas, "rare" would apply to the Cowboys' playoff victories in recent years. It would also apply to the number of people who drive the speed limit between Houston and Beaumont.

But last night, in the Powerball lottery drawing for June 4, 2025, we can certainly say the results that bounded out of the hopper were very rare indeed. I have been following Powerball and the Texas Lottery very closely for decades, and I can count on one hand the number of times a Powerball drawing has produced this unique result.

What makes last night's Powerball results in Texas so rare?

It has to do with one number. Here, watch the drawing from last night. It will seem obvious to you once you see the number, but unless you really pay attention, it could just bounce right by you.  Here is the drawing from Wednesday night.

The jackpot on Wednesday night for the Powerball multi-state lottery was listed as $30.2 million. That amount figures into the "unique" result. Did you figure it out yet?

READ MORE: Texas Lottery Confirms Huge Scratch-Off Win

READ MORE: 6 Highest Paying Jobs in Texas That Don't Require a Degree

Before we reveal the answer, you should know that no tickets sold across the Powerball footprint matched the numbers needed to claim the $30.2 million. There were two Match 5 Million tickets, where the ticket matched all five of the white balls but not the Powerball, those tickets were sold in Maryland and New York.

The Texas Lottery has revealed that 17,047 winning tickets for last night's game were sold in the state. Here are the numbers so you can see if you are one of the lucky ones who gets to cash a ticket this morning.

What Were Wednesday Night's Powerball Numbers?

05   17   23   35   45   Powerball 24    Power Play x10

The Texas Lottery confirmed that a ticket sold in Texas matched four of the five white ball numbers and the Powerball. The prize for that ticket is $50,000. And while most of us would be quite happy with that kind of windfall, here's where the "rare" result comes into play.

Did you notice what the Power Play multiplier number was for Wednesday's drawing? Yeah, if that $50,000 winner had just spent the extra dollar, their prize would be $500,000 because of the "10x" multiplier.  That "10x" is the Powerball result that we seldom see in the game.

How Rare is a 10x Multiplier in Powerball?

That's because Powerball only allows for a Power Play of 10x when the game's jackpot is below the $150 million threshold. And there is only a 1 in 43 chance that the "10x" multiplier will be chosen. The game allows for 24 "2x" multipliers, 13 "3x" multipliers, 3 "4x" multipliers, and 2 "5x" multipliers when the jackpot threshold is at or below $150 million, that is, when they toss in just one "10x" multiplier.

So, the "10x" Power Play didn't work out for our $50,000 winner in Texas, but some 4,731 Texas Lottery Powerball players who only matched the Powerball will be pleased to know their $4 win just became a $40 win. The same can be said for 2,038 players who matched one of the white balls and the Powerball; their $4 win is also $40.

In Wednesday's other big money draw game with the Texas Lottery, Lotto Texas with Extra, there was no jackpot winner. The game produced 2 tickets that matched enough numbers to claim a $12,500 prize. The jackpot in Lotto Texas with Extra is now estimated to be $26 million for Saturday's drawing.

The estimated jackpot for Powerball on Saturday will be $44 million for the annuity or $19.7 million should you win and take the lump sum payout. Friday's Mega Millions drawing in Texas will be for a jackpot prize of $ 223 million. Again, that is the estimated annuity; the cash payout is estimated to be $99.4 million for Friday's game.

Please remember that lottery games do involve a risk of losing money. If you have a gambling problem, help is available at no cost to you or your family. Just call 1-800-GAMBLER. Good Luck.