Thousands of Nebraskans are hoping to start the New Year millions of dollars richer.

Wednesday’s Powerball jackpot is an estimated $210 million. A record number of people are buying tickets, nearly 16,000 per minute.

Many are already dreaming of what they would do with the money.

“I’d love to travel,” said Gary Flynn. “New cars, new houses, my friends, everybody would be taken care of.”

Some Gas ‘N Shop stores expect to sell more than 500 tickets. Some people are buying more than one ticket.

“Most people come in and buy from $5 to $10 to $20 at a time,” said Gas ‘N Shop manager Otis King.

This is the fifth largest jackpot ever. The winning numbers will be drawn Wednesday night.

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Powerball Fast Facts

How to Play

• Every Wednesday and Saturday night at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time, five white balls are drawn out of a drum with 49 balls and one red ball out of a drum with 42 red balls.

• The jackpot (won by matching all five white balls in any order and the red PowerBall) is either an annuitized prize paid out over 25 years or a lump sum payment.

• The second prize (won by matching five white balls in any order) is $100,000 paid in cash.

• Any time you match the red PowerBall, you win.

• The overall odds of winning a prize in the game is better than 1 in 35.

Powerball Lottery States

• Oregon
  
• Idaho
  
• Montana
  
• Colorado
  
• Arizona
  
• New Mexico
  
• South Dakota
  
• Nebraska
  
• Kansas
  
• Minnesota
  
• Iowa
  
• Missouri
  
• Louisiana
  
• Indiana
  
• Kentucky
  
• West Virginia
  
• Delaware
  
• Connecticut
  
• New Hampshire

Prizes and Odds

• Match the Powerball:
  
  • Win - $3
    
  • Odds - 1:74

• Match one number and the Powerball:
  
  • Win - $4
    
  • Odds - 1:118

• Match two numbers and the Powerball:
  
  • Win - $7
    
  • Odds - 1:605

• Match three numbers:
  
  • Win - $7
    
  • Odds - 1:207

• Match three numbers and the Powerball:
  
  • Win - $100
    
  • Odds - 1:8,466

• Match four numbers:
  
  • Win - $100
    
  • Odds - 1:8,879

• Match four numbers and the Powerball:
  
  • Win - $5,000
    
  • Odds - 1:364,042

• Match five numbers:
  
  • Win - $100,000
    
  • Odds - 1:1,953,393

• Match five numbers and the Powerball
  
  • Win - Jackpot
    
  • Odds - 1:80,089,128

Source: http://www.msul.com/powerball.shtm (The Powerball Web site)