It's almost like mission impossible, only instead of beating some diabolical mad scientist with a nuclear death ray, you are battling the odds and a bunch of bounding ping pong balls.
Your chances are 1 in 195 million. But who wouldn't accept that mission with $222 million on the line? You probably still wouldn't be as rich or good looking as Tom Cruise, but we think you could live without those, and Scientology.
The Florida Powerball jackpot has rolled over more than a dozen times since early April, and with each perilous bounce of the ball, Miamians with a ticket inch closer to a heart attack.
People used to feel that way about the Florida Lotto, but the current $18 million payout for Saturday's lottery prize seems more like a government welfare check compared to the new game in town. It's the biggest jackpot in Florida's short Powerball history. The game debuted here about a year and a half ago.
People have already started lining up and supermarkets and gas stations to get their tickets for Wednesday's drawing and their best shot at becoming instant hundred-millionaires. They might be selling Powerball tickets out of barber shops and auto parts stores by now. Undoubtedly, psychics are being pushed to their call volume capacities as people try to get a leg up before the balls drop.
Even people who have never played the intra-state game and loath gambling are dropping a few dollars out of their tight pockets and joining the frenzy.
Local
If there's only one winner, they'll receive $222 million paid out in 30 annual installments or if you don't feel like you have that kind of patience, you can take a lump-sum payment of $119 million.
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