Powerball jackpot $173 million tonight

Tonight's Powerball jackpot is the biggest since last summer, though it's hardly uncharted territory.

Since no one hit all the numbers drawn Saturday, the annuity jackpot now stands at $173 million.

The lump-sum payout for a single winner would be about $85.7 million, before taxes are taken out.

In August, an Ohio man and his two children hit a $330 million jackpot, and elected to take the $146 million cash payout instead.

Just since the beginning of 2006, Powerball's grand prize has topped $200 million a half-dozen times.

None of these jackpots, though, was won by anybody from Pennsylvania or Delaware.

In fact, neither state has hit a jackpot of even $100 million since 2004.

In December of that year, a Butler County, Pa., woman and two children won a jackpot worth $171 milion, and opted to split the cash payout of $93 million.

In October 2004, 33 people who worked at a Seaford, Del., printing plant split a $116.9 million cash payout. That jackpot's annuity prize was up to $214.7 million.

In May 2004, a Pennsylvania ticket also snagged a $110 million jackpot, but the beneficiaries, Steven and Kristine White, were from New Jersey.

Powerball is played in 29 states and the District of Columbia.

Last night, no ticket matched all the numbers drawn in the Mega Millions lottery, which is played in New Jersey and 11 other states.

Ten tickets, though, including one purchased in New Jersey, won $250,000 each for having all the numbers expect for the Mega Ball.

The numbers were 7, 15, 30, 33 and 56 with a Mega Ball of 22.

For more information, go to www.powerball.com or www.megamillions.com.