A Michigan man won a $200,000 Powerball prize

James Allen of Commerce Township knew he had a Powerball winning ticket in the December 30, 2023, draw. He had checked his numbers before he went to bed. His ticket matched four white balls and the Powerball, giving him, as he thought, a prize of $50,000.

When he woke up the next morning and checked his ticket again, he realized that he had added a Powerplay add-on. This meant that his prize was actually worth $200,000.

In an interview with the Michigan Lottery, James said:

Every time I play Powerball, I pick my kids' birthdays. This time, it really paid off.

James, age 63, visited the lottery headquarters to claim his prize. He plans to use the money to pay his bills. He purchased the ticket at Hoops Food, Sport, and Spirits, located at 2705 Lapeer Road in Auburn Hills. The winning numbers for the December 30 drawing were 10, 11, 19, 26, 27, and Powerball number 7.

Strategies that might help you win

Strategies to help you win big lottery games like Powerball and Mega Millions are widespread on the Internet. Here are some of the most popular. Give them a try; what have you got to lose?

• Buy multiple tickets: It may seem obvious, but buying several tickets for the same game does slightly increase your chances of winning. Just remember to play responsibly.
• Choose frequently drawn numbers: Many hardcore Powerball players believe that numbers that have come up more often than others are more likely to be drawn again. You can use our Powerball Hot and Cold numbers tool to find the most popular numbers.
• Mix high and low numbers: Some lottery experts say that it may work in your favor to pick numbers from each end of the spectrum of 69 white balls rather than grouping your numbers too closely together or picking all high or all low numbers.
• Mix odd and even numbers: A ratio of three odd numbers and two evens, or vice versa, is considered a good ratio for the white ball numbers. Only 3% of past winning lottery numbers have been all odd or all even.
• Let the prize grow: Many experienced lottery players agree that the best time to play big games like Powerball and Mega Millions is when the prize has reached around $613 million. This is the level that gamblers refer to as the "positive expectation." What this means is that the prize payout is more than $1 for every dollar played, so your profit increases if you win.
• Avoid least common numbers: Lottery experts advise players to avoid using the least common numbers. The least common Powerball numbers in the last 100 draws were 29, 52, 56, 7, and 8.

Whichever strategy you decide to play with, have fun, and remember to play responsibly.