Powerball Jackpot is up to Almost $500 Million

I have good news and bad news for you.  The good news is you could be $485 million richer tonight.  The bad news, the odds are one in 175 million that you will have the winning Powerball ticket. 

To put into perspective just how rare that is, here are some things that are more likely to happen to you.  This all comes from Mike Catalano, the head of the math education department at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, S.D.

Instead of winning Powerball tonight you are more likely to:

Die or kill someone while driving 2 miles to buy your Powerball ticket: 1 in 33 million

Be attacked by a shark: 1 in 11.5 million.

Make a half-court shot in one of those halftime competitions: 1in 50.  Even making four straight half-court shots is more likely than winning the lottery.

But this is the best news about the Powerball, overall, you have a one is 31 chance of winning SOMETHING in tonight’s lottery.

The smallest prize is $4.

Go ahead and start making plans to invest that 4 dollars now.  Probably in another lottery ticket right?