An anonymous North Carolina player won $150,000 on Powerball after buying a ticket at a Country Store in Hurdle Mills, about 50 miles from Raleigh, according to WNCN-TV.
The player matched four numbers plus the Powerball, a combination that usually wins $50,000. But because they paid an extra dollar for the Power Play option, their prize tripled.
The odds of matching four numbers and the Powerball are roughly 1 in 913,000. This winner was just one number away from hitting the jackpot, which now stands at an estimated $89 million after no one won on Wednesday night.
The next Powerball draw, also estimated at $89 million, will take place on February 1. The cash value of the jackpot is about $39.6 million.
North Carolina saw another Powerball winner on the same day, who took home $50,000 without using the Power Play option. That ticket was sold at a Smoker Friendly store in Sanford.
Players in North Carolina have 180 days from the draw date to claim their prizes.
Powerball is one of several lottery games available to Americans, including Mega Millions, which has been around for nearly 30 years.
Mega Millions tickets currently cost $2, but starting in April, the price will rise to $5. The game will also remove break-even prizes and offer larger jackpots. Players can expect to win bigger prizes more often under the new rules.
