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There have been 244 Powerball drawings since the "Numbers" episode aired (not counting the drawing held the same day, 3/2/05).

A person playing the Numbers is assumed to pick 42 as the Powerball.

42 has been drawn as the Powerball 5 times out of 244 (2%).

Of those five, 3 had the 42 Powerball as the only Number picked. Getting just the Powerball right yields a prize of $3, giving the consistent Numbers player at total of $9.

The other two had the 42 Powerball as well as another Number in the white balls. Getting the Powerball and one white ball yields a prize of $4, giving the consistent Numbers player a total of $8.

Aside from those instances, there were 122 other drawings yielding at least one of the Numbers.

81 of those had exactly one Number, some being 42 as a white ball (which is assumed not to occur for a typical Numbers player), some being a Number other than 42 as the Powerball (also assumed not to occur), and the rest just being single Numbers as white balls. Drawing one white ball without the Powerball does not yield a prize.

37 had exactly two Numbers, either both as white balls, or with one Number other than 42 as the Powerball. Drawing two white balls without the Powerball does not yield a prize; drawing one white ball and the Powerball does yield a prize, but a Numbers player is assumed to need 42 as the Powerball.

4 had exactly three Numbers. Three of those had 42 in the white balls and a Number other than 42 as the Powerball. The remaining one had three Numbers other than 42 in the white balls. Getting three white balls without the Powerball yields a prize of $7.


To recap, out of 244 drawings since the Numbers were introduced as a set on 3/2/05, 6 drawings (2.45%) yielded prizes to someone playing the Numbers in order. Those drawings, assuming ticket prices of $1 with no power-play, would have yielded winnings totaling $24...roughly 10% of the total cost needed to play the Numbers in all the eligible drawings.

My life is so much richer for having figured that out.