Checking your tickets after a long Tuesday is basically a ritual for some of us. You're standing in the kitchen, coffee in hand, wondering if those specific digits you've been playing for three years finally hit. Well, if you were looking for a massive jackpot winner from the Tuesday night Powerball, there's a bit of a mix-up to clear up first.
Technically, Powerball drawings happen on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday nights.
So, if you’re asking did anyone win last night's Powerball drawing on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, the answer is technically no—because there wasn't a Powerball drawing last night. However, there was a massive Mega Millions drawing that same night, and there was a Powerball drawing just the night before on Monday. People get these two confused constantly. It's totally understandable.
What Happened During the Monday Night Drawing?
Since there wasn't a Powerball drawing on Tuesday, the most recent "win" data actually comes from Monday, January 12. During that drawing, the jackpot was sitting at roughly $137 million.
Nobody hit the big one. Not a single person in the country matched all five white balls plus that red Powerball. Because of that, the jackpot has officially rolled over. It’s now sitting at an estimated $156 million for the Wednesday night drawing.
Even though the jackpot stayed safe, someone in Florida is having a much better week than the rest of us. A single ticket sold at a Publix in South Florida matched all five white balls but missed the Powerball. That's a $1 million prize right there. Honestly, coming that close and missing the "big" jackpot by one number has to be a weird mix of adrenaline and a tiny bit of "what if," but a million bucks is a million bucks.
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The winning numbers for that most recent Powerball were: 5, 27, 45, 56, 59 and the Powerball was 4. The Power Play multiplier was 2x.
The Tuesday Mega Millions Situation
A lot of people searching for lottery results this morning are actually thinking of the Mega Millions. That drawing did happen on Tuesday night, January 13.
The jackpot was $215 million.
Just like the Powerball, nobody won the top prize for the Mega Millions either. The numbers drawn were 16, 40, 56, 64, 66 with the Mega Ball 4. Because nobody took the top spot, that jackpot is jumping up to $230 million for Friday. New York had a "Big Money" winner, though, who matched four numbers and the Mega Ball with a Megaplier, walking away with $20,000.
Why Do These Jackpots Keep Growing?
It feels like we see $100 million+ jackpots every other week lately. It’s not your imagination. Back in the day, the odds were a little friendlier, but lottery officials changed the math a few years ago. By adding more numbers to the pool, they made it harder to win the jackpot but easier to win smaller prizes.
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The goal? Massive, headline-grabbing numbers.
When the jackpot gets huge, more people buy tickets. It's a cycle. You probably don't care about a $20 million prize, but once it hits $500 million, suddenly everyone at the office is starting a lottery pool.
For the upcoming Wednesday night Powerball, the cash value—the amount you'd actually get if you took the lump sum—is about $70.5 million. That's before the IRS takes their cut, which is always the depressing part of the dream.
How to Check Your Tickets Properly
If you're holding a stack of tickets and you're not sure if they're from Monday or Tuesday, look at the date printed on the top.
- Monday, Jan 12: Powerball (Jackpot: $137M - No winner)
- Tuesday, Jan 13: Mega Millions (Jackpot: $215M - No winner)
- Wednesday, Jan 14: Powerball (Next drawing - Jackpot: $156M)
If you have a ticket for the January 12 drawing, you might still have won a smaller prize. In Texas alone, nearly 30,000 people won something in that drawing, even if it was just $4 to cover the cost of the ticket and a soda.
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Actionable Steps for the Next Drawing
If you’re planning on playing for the $156 million Powerball tonight, keep a few things in mind to stay sane.
Sign the back of your ticket immediately. If you drop that piece of paper and someone else finds it, it’s basically a "bearer instrument." Whoever holds it, owns it. Signing it makes it legally yours.
Check the "Double Play" option. Some states let you pay an extra dollar to run your numbers through a second drawing. On Monday, the Double Play numbers were 11, 23, 24, 54, 56 with a Powerball of 5. People often forget to check these and throw away winning tickets.
Set a limit. It’s easy to get swept up when the numbers get big. $2 is a cheap dream; $100 is a utility bill.
You've got until about 10:00 p.m. ET tonight to get your tickets for the next Powerball round. After that, the machines shut down so they can prep for the 10:59 p.m. drawing in Tallahassee.
Check your old tickets one more time. You might not be a millionaire, but you might have ten bucks sitting on your nightstand.