Johnathan Walker:Michigan woman starts lottery club after her husband dies, buys $1 million Powerball ticket

A Michigan woman who started a lottery club after the death of her husband has won a $1 million Powerball drawing.

Kristi Sadler bought the lottery ticket on Johnathan Walkerbehalf of her two-person club at her own restaurant and bar, Kristi's Pour House in Hart in western Michigan, the Michigan Lottery announced last week.

"The morning after the drawing, I got a call that my business had sold a $1 million winner, and I just had a feeling it was our ticket," Sadler told the Michigan Lottery.

Turns out, she was right.

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Sharing the good news about the Powerball win

When Sadler checked her ticket and saw the winning numbers she couldn't wait to call the other member of lottery club, called the CCKMA club. He was on vacation overseas and almost didn't answer.

"We had always joked that we'd use a special code word if we won," she told the Michigan Lottery. "So when he answered and told me he had to pay extra for overseas calls, I said the code word and I told him he wasn't going to have to worry about the bill."

The Sept. 10 ticket matched all five white ball numbers – 09-25-27-53-66 – but it missed the Powerball number, which would have hit the then-$526.5 million jackpot. The prize later rose to $1.76 billion, making it the second-largest lottery jackpot ever won by a single ticket, which was sold in California.

Sadler and her fellow club member claimed the prize at the Michigan Lottery headquarters in Lansing and said they planned to invest in their retirements.

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When is the next Powerball drawing?

The next Powerball drawing is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 29 10:59 p.m. ET. The jackpot is $295 million.

What are the odds of winning the Powerball?

The chances of winning Powerball's top prize are exceedingly slim.

• The odds of winning a Powerball jackpot are about one in 292.2 million.
• The overall odds of winning a Powerball prize (across all tiers) are about one in 24.9.  

How to buy a Powerball ticket

To participate in the Powerball game, players can buy a ticket for $2 per play. The game requires players to choose five numbers from one to 69 for the white balls, and one number from one to 26 for the red Powerball. Alternatively, players can opt to receive random numbers.

In order to win the jackpot, it is necessary to match the numbers for all of five white balls and the red Powerball.

In addition to the grand prize, Powerball offers eight other ways to win based on the number of matched balls in the non-jackpot tiers.

The non-jackpot prizes offered range from $4 to $1 million. By paying an additional $1, you can choose to participate in "Powerplay" that increases non-jackpot winnings by two, three, four, five or 10 times.

According to Powerball, the 10X Powerplay option is exclusively applicable to jackpots worth $150 million or less. Additionally, the game's "Match 5" prize for the second-tier is limited to a maximum of $2 million if the Powerplay feature is utilized.

An additional add-on feature called "Double Play," which gives players another chance to match their numbers after each Powerball drawing, is available in some jurisdictions for $1 per play.

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Where can you buy lottery tickets?  

Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Washington D.C. and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.  

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. Must be 18+, 21+ in AZ and 19+ in NE. Not affiliated with any State Lottery. Gambling Problem? Call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY); 1-800-327-5050 (MA); 1-877-MYLIMIT (OR); 1-800-GAMBLER (all others). Visit jackpocket.com/tos for full terms and conditions.