The Powerball lottery drawing on December 13, 2021 was a highly anticipated one, with the jackpot swelling to over $300 million after multiple weeks without a winner. Lottery players across the country eagerly awaited the drawing to see if anyone would finally hit the elusive jackpot. In this article, we will examine the results of the 12/13/21 Powerball drawing and determine if there was a lucky winner.
The Lead-up to the 12/13/21 Drawing
The Powerball jackpot had continued to rise in the weeks leading up to the December 13, 2021 drawing, as no one had matched all six winning numbers since October 4. This caused the advertised grand prize to reach an estimated $321 million, with a $237.8 million cash option. The pot had grown so large due to the long stretch without a first-prize winner.
Powerball drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET. For the 12/13/21 drawing, ticket sales had been brisk across the country at the more than 45 participating lotteries. Many players were eager to take a chance at winning the huge jackpot prize.
Lottery officials reported strong ticket sales as the drawing approached, indicating substantial interest in the milestone jackpot. The Powerball game is coordinated by the Multi-State Lottery Association.
Powerball Winning Numbers on 12/13/21
On December 13, 2021, the winning numbers selected in the Powerball drawing were:
- 6
- 14
- 25
- 33
- 46
- Powerball: 17
The Power Play multiplier was 2X.
To win the grand prize, players needed to match all five white ball numbers (1-69), as well as the red Powerball number (1-26). The odds of doing so were incredibly steep, at just 1 in 292.2 million.
Nevertheless, lotto enthusiasts across the country had flocked to purchase tickets, dreaming of beating the long odds and taking home the extraordinary $321 million prize.
Powerball Jackpot Winner on 12/13/21?
So, was there a jackpot winner who managed to defy the overwhelming odds and hit the Powerball grand prize on December 13, 2021?
Unfortunately, no. There was no ticket that matched all six numbers in this drawing. So the long jackpot roll continued.
With no jackpot winner, the top prizing from this drawing was at the Match 5 level. There were two tickets – one in California and one in Wisconsin – that managed to match the five white balls to win $1 million apiece. Had either of those tickets also included the Power Play option for an extra $1 per play, the prizes would have doubled to $2 million each.
So while the drawing produced a pair of millionaires, the elusive multimillion dollar jackpot remained up for grabs.
Rollover to Next Drawing
Since there was no grand prize winner on the widely watched 12/13/21 drawing, the monster jackpot rolled over and continued growing for the next drawing. The estimated prize for the Saturday, December 18 drawing was boosted to $353 million, with an estimated $265.4 million cash option.
Lottery officials reported brisk ticket sales once again leading up to the next drawing, with players still eager to vie for what had become the fifth largest Powerball jackpot on record. Millions of number combinations were played, though the odds of winning remained a long shot.
Ultimately, there was again no jackpot winner on 12/18, so the big prize continued snowballing toward even greater heights. The cycle of rollovers would persist for several more drawings until a ticket finally hit the jackpot.
Other Prize Winners on 12/13/21
Though the jackpot eluded players on this date, the 12/13/21 Powerball drawing still produced other winners at various prize levels:
- Two tickets matched the five white balls to win $1 million each (California, Wisconsin)
- One ticket matched four white balls plus the Powerball to win $50,000 (Mississippi)
- 49 tickets matched four white balls to win $100 each
- 24 tickets matched three white balls plus the Powerball to win $100 each
- 1,024 tickets matched three white balls to win $7 each
- 10,797 tickets matched two white balls plus the Powerball to win $7 each
- 71,911 tickets matched one white ball plus the Powerball to win $4 each
- 185,221 tickets matched only the Powerball to win $4 each
In total, there were 269,516 winning tickets at various prize tiers in the 12/13/21 Powerball drawing. The two second-prize tickets accounted for the bulk of the $5.88 million in total prizes paid.
So while the jackpot kept increasing, other players still walked away with assorted smaller prizes as consolation. The number of lower-tier winners underlines that matching even just one or two numbers can sometimes be enough to win something.
Why Was There No Grand Prize Winner?
With the excellent shot at a $321 million payday, many hopeful players purchased tickets and tuned in to see if there would be a winner on 12/13/21. So why did no ticket match all the numbers?
The simple reason is that the odds of hitting the jackpot are extremely prohibitive. At 1 in 292 million, players are dealing with incredibly long odds. To put this in perspective, that means it is nearly 15 times more likely that you will be struck by lightning sometime in your life than that you will hit the Powerball jackpot on a single play.
The lottery is a game of random chance. There are millions of possible number combinations, so lining up the exact winning sequence is exceedingly rare. It involves a great deal of luck. While the huge jackpot is tantalizing, the odds are stacked high against matching all the numbers. The most likely outcome on any given draw is that there will not be a grand prize winner.
Still, lotto enthusiasts know that you can’t win it if you are not in it. So they continue to purchase tickets, hoping to someday beat the long odds. Eventually, someone will match all the numbers and be blessed with a massive payout.
Close Calls on 12/13/21?
With no ticket matching the six winning numbers on this date, some may wonder if there were any near misses. Were any hopeful players agonizingly close to hitting the Powerball jackpot?
Unfortunately for those with losing tickets, the winning number combination of 6, 14, 25, 33, 46 and Powerball 17 did not present any real close calls. There were no tickets that matched five numbers, just missing the Powerball. And none matched five numbers with the Powerball but got the Power Play match wrong.
The two tickets that managed to match the first five numbers came nowhere near the Powerball. So there were no heartbreaking stories of players coming oh-so-close to life-changing millions on this date. The winning sequence produced no major controversies.
Of course, there may have been those who matched four or three numbers and strongly considered using the drawn Powerball or other numbers. But with over 269,000 lesser prize winners, that situation is extremely common. Almost everyone has entertaining fantasies about what they would have done differently after losing.
Biggest Powerball Jackpot Ever
While the 12/13/21 jackpot of $321 million was certainly massive, it actually did not rank among the Top 10 Powerball prizes ever. Here are the biggest Powerball jackpots to date:
- $1.586 Billion – January 13, 2016 – California, Florida, Tennessee
- $768.4 Million – March 27, 2019 – Wisconsin
- $758.7 Million – August 23, 2017 – Massachusetts
- $731.1 Million – January 20, 2021 – Maryland
- $699.8 Million – October 4, 2021 – California
- $687.8 Million – October 27, 2018 – Iowa, New York
- $632.6 Million – January 5, 2022 – California, Wisconsin
- $590.5 Million – May 18, 2013 – Florida
- $587.5 Million – November 28, 2012 – Arizona, Missouri
- $564.1 Million – February 11, 2015 – North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Texas
The current record prize of almost $1.6 billion was set back in 2016 when three tickets split the epic jackpot. There have been a number of huge jackpots in recent years as the game has caught on across the U.S. But the 12/13/21 jackpot did not reach record territory.
Nevertheless, $321 million is certainly an extraordinary prize. Even though there were no winners produced on this date, it marked another chapter in the game’s history of creating enormous jackpots. Sooner or later, another record payout will likely occur and introduce new Powerball billionaires.
Should the Powerball Jackpot Be Capped?
As the jackpots have grown ever larger, some experts question whether there should be a maximum cap implemented. Proposals have suggested capping the prize at $500 million, for example. This would prevent the advertised jackpots from continuing to skyrocket toward billions of dollars.
There are reasonable arguments on both sides of this debate. On the one hand, capping the jackpot would maintain the game’s integrity and prevent an overemphasis on massive swollen prize amounts. It may curb excessive playing fueled solely by a gigantic jackpot. The game could still produce big winners without jackpots spiraling out of control.
However, others contend that the phenomenally large jackpots are what make Powerball exciting. Lottery players enjoy dreaming about life-altering sums of money. Nine and 10-figure jackpots capture attention and drive ticket sales, boosting public interest. Capping the prize might negatively impact revenues used to fund valuable state programs.
This remains an active debate among industry experts and analysts. For now, there is no maximum limit, allowing the game to continue producing epic jackpot amounts. Time will tell whether any reforms are implemented around extremely large prizes in the future.
Notable Jackpot Wins in December
While the 12/13/21 drawing did not produce a grand prize winner, there have been several notable Powerball jackpot wins in the month of December:
- December 2009 – Two tickets split $258 million
- December 2010 – Two tickets split $125.5 million
- December 2013 – Two tickets split $122.9 million
- December 2016 – One ticket won $121.6 million
- December 2018 – One ticket won $298.3 million
- December 2020 – One ticket won $730 million (fifth largest ever)
December is a popular month for lotto players dreaming of a holiday season windfall. While no one could claim a December jackpot on 12/13/21, past results show that there are often massive prizes up for grabs around the end of the year.
So while everyone hopes to win sooner, patients players know that another big December jackpot will likely materialize in a future drawing. All it takes is one lucky ticket to match the right numbers.
Should I Still Play Powerball?
Even though the 12/13/21 drawing did not produce the jackpot winner that everyone hoped for, upcoming Powerball games are still well worth playing. Here are some reasons why you should continue trying your luck:
- The jackpot keeps getting bigger – now over $350 million and rising
- Lesser prizes can still produce big winnings
- Jackpots this large create tremendous excitement
- More numbers combinations are played as the pot grows
- Somebody eventually has to win it
- Playing is fun and easy
- You can’t win if you don’t have a ticket
Powerball is a game of random chance, so there are no guarantees you will win. But every ticket is another chance at a massive payday, even if the odds are stacked against matching all six numbers. As the jackpot continues increasing, it remains sensible to try your luck. A life-changing fortune could be just one Powerball ticket away.
Conclusion
While lottery players across the nation had their sights set on winning the monster $321 million Powerball jackpot on December 13, 2021, ultimately there was no grand prize winner in this drawing. The winning numbers 6, 14, 25, 33, 46 and Powerball 17 did not match any single ticket, so the long jackpot roll continued.
There were nearly 270,000 lesser prize winners who collected payouts totaling $5.88 million for matching some of the numbers. But the highly anticipated huge jackpot eluded everyone for another drawing. With millions of possible number combinations, the odds of hitting the six-number jackpot remain incredibly small, at 1 in 292.2 million. Still, optimistic lotto fans look ahead to the next swollen multimillion dollar prize, knowing a lucky winner will emerge sooner or later.
Though there was no historic payout on 12/13/21, Powerball continues producing epic jackpots that capture attention across the country. Even when the prize rolls over, there are valuable lower-tier winnings paid out. Lottery enthusiasts know that you have to keep playing in order to have any chance at winning. The record $1.6 billion prize came for somebody in 2016. While the 12/13/21 drawing produced no new Powerball millionaires, the next ticket purchased could be the one that changes your life forever.
