A birthday might be sentimental. Your anniversary could be meaningful. Most people have a number they consider lucky. But few have a Powerball résumé quite like 61.
The number appeared more often than any other white ball in an analysis of nearly 11 years of Powerball drawings by PlayCasino.com. That doesn’t make it more likely to win the next drawing − but with hundreds of millions of dollars up for grabs, it makes for an interesting peek at the numbers.
The jackpot for Oct. 5, is an estimated $467 million, with a $192.4 million cash option before taxes, according to Powerball.
PlayCasino counted numbers from 1,412 drawings between Oct. 7, 2015, when Powerball adopted its current pool of 69 white balls and 26 red Powerballs, and Sept. 26, 2026.
Here’s which numbers kept showing up− and why that won’t help you predict future winners.
Which Powerball numbers were drawn most often?
Number 61 led with 126 appearances, narrowly ahead of 21 and 64, which appeared 125 times each, according to the analysis.
The highest-ranking white balls were:
- 61: 126 drawings
- 21 and 64: 125 each
- 28: 120
- 27: 118
- 23, 32, 36 and 63: 117 each
- 33 and 69: 116 each
Ties brought the Top 10 ranking to 11 numbers. If appearances had been evenly distributed, each white ball would have appeared about 102 times.
At the other end, 13 appeared least often, with 76 drawings. Perhaps it would like a word with whoever started the unlucky-number rumor.
Among red Powerballs, 14 led with 67 appearances, while 16 finished last with 40, according to the analysis.
Do the most common Powerball numbers improve your odds?
Unfortunately, the lottery does not award extra credit for studying.
Each drawing is independent. A number’s past appearances don’t make it more or less likely to come up next, and choosing historically frequent numbers doesn’t improve a ticket’s jackpot odds.
Those odds are 1 in 292,201,338 for a $2 play.
"The balls have no memory," PlayCasino.com said in its release.
So 61's impressive attendance record is trivia, rather than a shortcut to retirement.
What were the latest Powerball winning numbers?
The winning numbers for Oct. 3, were 4, 42, 44, 55 and 59, with a Powerball of 14. The Power Play multiplier was 2X.
No ticket won the jackpot. A ticket sold in Arizona matched all five white balls to win $1 million, according to Powerball.
When is the next Powerball drawing?
The next drawing is Oct. 5, at 10:59 p.m. Powerball drawings take place Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, and a standard play costs $2.
The jackpot remains well below the record $2.04 billion won by a ticket sold in California in November 2022.
Still, $467 million leaves plenty of room to daydream. Picking the right numbers remains the hardest part, even if your new lucky number is 61.
Trending reporter Amani Bayo can be reached at abayo@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Should 61 be your new lucky number? See Powerball’s most-drawn numbers
