Man plays Powerball for second time ever — and wins huge prize. ‘Hard to believe’
A Michigan man won a huge prize after playing the Powerball for the second time ever.
Michael Werner, 40, matched four white balls and the Powerball in the Sept. 1 Powerball drawing, according to a Sept. 22 news release from the Michigan Lottery.
“This was only my second time ever playing Powerball,” the Buchanan man told lottery officials. “My first time was the drawing before this one, so I used my winnings from that to purchase this ticket. I played my own set of numbers, so when I was looking at the results the next day, I recognized them right away.”
Werner purchased the Power Play, which turned his $50,000 prize into $150,000.
“It was hard to believe, so I had my brother double check what I was seeing and then I logged into my lottery account and saw my $150,000 balance,” he said.
He said he plans to use the money to travel and pay bills.
Buchanan is about 70 miles southwest of Kalamazoo.
What to know about Powerball
To score the jackpot in the Powerball, a player must match all five white balls and the red Powerball.
The odds of scoring the jackpot prize are 1 in 292,201,338.
Tickets can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times and price vary by state.
Drawings are broadcast Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:59 p.m. ET and can be streamed online.
Powerball is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
This story was originally published September 22, 2025 at 5:11 PM with the headline "Man plays Powerball for second time ever — and wins huge prize. ‘Hard to believe’."
