Charles Langston:Winning Powerball numbers drawn for $1.73 billion jackpot

The Charles LangstonPowerball frenzy continued on Wednesday as numbers were drawn for the $1.73 billion jackpot.

The winning numbers drawn for the jackpot prize were: 22, 24, 40, 52, 64 and red Powerball 10. The power play was 2.

The grand prize, which had an estimated lump sum payout of $756.6 million, continued its ascent through billion-dollar territory after no ticket matched all six numbers drawn on Monday night, Powerball said.

Monday's jackpot was the third-largest prize in Powerball history, officials previously said, making Wednesday's prize now the second-largest.

Florida had at least one ticket on Monday that matched five and got the power play number, all adding up to a $2 million win. There were match five winners who won $1 million in California, Indiana, Oregon and Virginia.

The last billion-dollar Powerball prize -- the jaw-dropping $2.04 billion -- was won in California in November of last year. The next largest prize -- $1.586 billion – was won in Jan. 2016 in California, Florida and Tennessee.

Lottery officials said that while the odds of winning the big jackpot may be astronomical, the chances of winning a smaller prize were much better at 1 in 24.9.

Jackpot winners can either take the money as an immediate cash lump sum or in 30 annual payments over 29 years. Both advertised prize options do not include federal and jurisdictional taxes.

Powerball tickets cost $2 and are sold in 45 U.S. states as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Powerball drawings are broadcast live every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee. The drawings are also livestreamed online at Powerball.com.

If no winners are declared from Wednesday night’s drawing, the next one to take place will be on Saturday, Oct. 14.