Powerball jackpot jumps to nearly $360 million

Powerball jackpot may jump to nearly $360 million on Saturday, February 7.

The prize would rank as the seventh-largest Powerball jackpot annuity. The game’s record jackpot is a $590.5 million prize won in Florida in May 2013.

Wednesday night’s Powerball drawing brought luck to someone who stopped in to S&R Market on Second Avenue in Hazelwood and paid $2 for a Powerball ticket and an extra $1 for the Power Play option.

The unknown individual is holding a ticket worth $2 million.

“Usually, people when they hit, they don’t run right to the store,” said Stephen Gombas, owner of S&R Market for 23 years.

“They’ll go to the lottery for instructions on how to handle things.”

Stephen Gombas will receive a $10,000 check for selling that ticket.

The number of jackpots hit each year ranges from 11 to 18, meaning there tends to be a winner every three to four weeks. Drawings are held each Wednesday and Saturday night. But now, the country is in a Powerball dry spell of 10 weeks (19 drawings).

During this stretch, however, Pennsylvania Powerball players have won nearly $11.3 million, including four $1 million prizes from the December 6, December 17 and January 17 drawings and February 4’s mystery winner.

That person correctly matched all five white balls drawn — 24-36-51-52-56 — but not the red Powerball 22.

Luckily, that player chose the Power Play option, and doubled the $1 million prize.