You’re standing in a Wawa or a local bodega, staring at the screen. The Powerball is at some astronomical number that sounds like a phone digit, and the Mega Millions isn't far behind. But then you see it. The Jersey Cash 5 jackpot. It’s sitting there at maybe $150,000 or $600,000—peanuts compared to the billions, right?
Well, that’s where most people mess up.
Honestly, if you actually want to win a life-changing amount of money without needing the luck of a trillionaire, this is the game. Just yesterday, January 16, 2026, a lucky soul in Somerset County grabbed a $634,313 Jersey Cash 5 jackpot. They bought the ticket at Raritan Oil on East Somerset Street. One minute they’re probably buying gas, and the next, they’re looking at a bank account that looks very different.
Why the Jersey Cash 5 Jackpot is Secretly Better
Everyone chases the billion-dollar dreams. I get it. But the odds of hitting a Powerball jackpot are roughly 1 in 292 million. You have a better chance of being struck by lightning while being eaten by a shark.
The Jersey Cash 5 jackpot? Your odds are 1 in 1,221,759.
Still long? Sure. But it’s actually "findable" luck. In 2025 alone, we saw players hitting massive paydays that rivaled the bigger games. On October 7, 2025, the jackpot hit a staggering record high of $3.8 million before two players split it. Later that December, a Monmouth County player took home a solo win of $2.8 million.
These aren't just "nice-to-have" prizes. They are "quit-your-job-and-breathe" prizes.
The game is simple. You pick five numbers from 1 to 45. That’s it. No complicated "power" balls or extra matrixes to navigate in the main draw. If you match all five, you’re the jackpot winner.
The Bullseye and XTRA: Don't Skip Them
A lot of players try to save a buck by skipping the add-ons. Don't be that person.
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The Bullseye feature is now included in the base $2 ticket price. Basically, the fifth number drawn is the Bullseye. If you match the Bullseye along with your other numbers, your prize for the lower tiers (matching 2, 3, or 4 numbers) jumps significantly.
Then there’s the XTRA multiplier. It costs an extra $1. If you don't hit the jackpot but you match, say, four numbers, the XTRA multiplier (2x, 3x, 4x, or 5x) can turn a $500 prize into $2,500.
In that Somerset County win on January 16, three players matched four numbers plus the Bullseye. Because they had the XTRA multiplier (which was 2 for that draw), their $500 prize doubled to **$1,000**. It’s not the jackpot, but it pays for a very nice weekend in Atlantic City.
Real Winning Numbers and Recent Trends
If you're looking for patterns, you're technically chasing ghosts because the balls are random. But looking at the recent January 2026 draws, we've seen some interesting spreads.
The winning numbers for the $634,313 win on Friday, January 16, were:
13, 25, 38, 39, and 41. The Bullseye was 39.
Just a few days earlier, on January 10, a player in Middlesex County (South River Convenience Store) hit a massive $1,997,829 jackpot. The numbers there were 9, 12, 27, 31, and 32.
Notice something?
The January 10 draw was heavy on the "middle" numbers. The January 16 draw skewed much higher. Most people play birthdays, which limits them to numbers 1 through 31. When the winning numbers are all in the 30s and 40s—like the 38, 39, 41 combo we just saw—there are usually fewer winners to split the pot.
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If you want the whole Jersey Cash 5 jackpot to yourself, you might want to stop only picking your kids' birthdays.
The Strategy Nobody Talks About
Stop playing the same numbers as everyone else.
If you play 1-2-3-4-5, and those numbers actually hit, you’ll be sharing that jackpot with hundreds of people. You’ll end up winning enough for a nice dinner instead of a new house.
Expert players often look at "balanced" wheels. You want a mix of odd and even numbers. You want a mix of high and low.
- Avoid Consecutive Numbers: While 38 and 39 showed up together recently, having four or five in a row is statistically rare.
- Check the "Hot" Numbers: Some players swear by the New Jersey Lottery's "Frequency" charts. In recent months, numbers like 20, 28, and 35 have popped up frequently across various games.
- The Quick Pick Reality: About 70-80% of lottery winners are Quick Picks. Why? Because most people use Quick Pick. It doesn't actually change your odds, but it does prevent you from falling into human patterns (like making pretty shapes on the bet slip).
What Happens if You Actually Win?
Let's say you check your ticket tonight and you've matched all five. First, breathe. Second, sign the back of that ticket immediately. In New Jersey, a lottery ticket is a "bearer instrument." If you lose it and haven't signed it, whoever finds it can claim your Jersey Cash 5 jackpot.
You have one year from the date of the drawing to claim your prize.
New Jersey does allow winners to remain anonymous under a law signed in 2020. This is huge. You don't have to have your face on a giant check if you don't want your long-lost cousin "Vinnie" showing up at your door asking for a loan.
The Payout Reality
The jackpot starts at $150,000. Every night it isn't won, it rolls over.
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It grows based on ticket sales. That’s why you see it jump from $400k to $600k in just a couple of days when the fever starts to pick up.
Keep in mind:
- Taxes: Uncle Sam and the State of New Jersey will take their cut. For prizes over $5,000, the lottery is required to withhold 24% for federal taxes and roughly 5-8% for state taxes depending on the amount.
- Lump Sum: Unlike the Mega Millions, the Jersey Cash 5 is paid in a single lump sum. You don't have to worry about an annuity over 30 years.
How to Play Smart This Week
If you're going to jump in, do it with some intention. The jackpot has just reset to $150,000 for the Saturday, January 17 draw after the Somerset win.
Go to a retailer or use a verified app like Jackpocket (which sold a $1.8 million winning ticket in November 2025).
Mix up your numbers. Pick at least two numbers above 31 to get out of the "birthday zone." Make sure you check the "XTRA" box—it really is the difference between winning $15 and winning $75 on a bad night.
Check the results shortly after 10:57 P.M. That's when the drawing happens. You can watch it live on the NJ Lottery website or just wait for the morning news.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Ticket:
- Sign the back of your ticket as soon as it prints.
- Check for the Bullseye—even if you only matched 2 numbers, you might have won $5.
- Keep your old tickets for a few days; sometimes the "Second Chance" drawings allow you to enter non-winning tickets for a separate prize.
- Stay within your budget. It's a game. The odds are better than Powerball, but they aren't "guaranteed" by any means.
The next drawing is tonight. Someone is going to be the next big Jersey winner—might as well be someone who actually knows how the game works.