The Powerball has risen to $900 million ahead of tonight’s record-breaking drawing, according to Texas Lottery officials.
Tonight’s jackpot cash value is $558 million, lottery officials said. The winning numbers will be announced at 10:59 p.m. ET.
If there are no jackpot winners tonight, the jackpot will rise to $1.3 billion for Wednesday’s drawing, officials said.
Want to win? If history is any indicator, here are some ideas.
Leave the Number Picking to the Computer
Rather than picking numbers based on birthdays, anniversaries or other meaningful dates, lottery organizers note that the majority of past winners have left the big decisions up to the computer.
About 70 percent of past winners used Quick Picks, the computer system that spits out numbers, according to the official Powerball website.
“Does this mean that you are more likely to win with a computer pick ticket? Maybe,” the site states.
When Does Picking Your Own Numbers Make a Difference?
If you play the lottery regularly, lottery expert Richard Lustig recommends that you pick your own numbers and stick to that same combination every time you play. For players who are only drawn in with extreme jackpots, Lustig has one tip.
“The only advice I can really give people is buy as many tickets as you can afford,” Lustig said.
Are Certain Numbers Luckier Than Others?
If you opt to pick your own numbers, you might want to include 8, 54, 14, 39 and 13. Based on an ABC News analysis of past Powerball winners, these numbers are the most frequently drawn numbers.
Stay Anonymous, If You Can
States have different rules when it comes to publicly announcing the winner’s identity.
If anonymity is possible, Alexa von Tobel, the founder and CEO of financial planning site LearnVest.com, recommends taking that option.
“It creates a ton of problems for lottery winners. We’ve seen everything from robberies to even murders of people who have won lotteries,” von Tobel told ABC News.
“A lot of your social dynamics around you change if people are aware of your status,” she noted.
Even in states where you are not allowed to remain anonymous, there are ways to try to keep your winnings private.
Cohen told ABC News that people can create LLCs or non-profit entities that can protect their identities. The organization then claims the jackpot without revealing the name of the actual winner.
