ARE YOU A WINNER?: POWERBALL'S LUCKY TICKET HOLDERS WILL BE KNOWN TODAY

"Spend it."

That was the top intention of most Powerball ticket buyers joining in the lottery frenzy Wednesday afternoon.

The winning numbers drawn Wednesday night were: 8-39-43-45-49 and Powerball 13. Officials didn't expect to know if there was a winning ticket or tickets until early today.

With 80.1 million possible combinations, a player's chance of winning was remote. Still, lottery officials said there is about a 90 percent chance that at least one of the 150 million tickets expected to be sold by the drawing will hit the jackpot.

Local lottery players had selfish and benevolent goals for the record $292 million jackpot, but most said they knew their chances of winning were slim to none.

There were 80.1 million possible number combinations in the multistate lottery, so a player's chances of winning were remote. However, lottery officials said there was about a 90 percent chance that at least one of the 150 million tickets expected to be sold by Wednesday night's drawing would hit the jackpot.

The jackpot had not been hit since May 23 when a group of Missouri utility workers shared a $10 million prize. That drawing came three days after Frank and Shirley Capaci of Streamwood, Ill., won a $195 million Powerball jackpot, the previous record.

Players select five numbers from a pool of 49 and the Powerball from a pool of 42. A single winner would win before taxes a lump-sum payment of $137 million or $10 million annually for the next 25 years.

Lisa Hicks of Jonesboro, Ill., is a regular lottery player in Illinois, but she made a special trip to Cape Girardeau Wednesday to "invest" $20 in Powerball.

"I'm going to pay off my bills, give a lot to family and just enjoy it," she said as she purchased her tickets at a convenience store near the Cape Girardeau bridge. "I'm just doing it over here because the jackpot is so high."

Scott Kennedy of Scott City said he would invest a portion of his winnings in his favorite charities. "I'd have a big facility made for homeless kids," he said.

Mike and Brenda Carter of Scott City said they intended to travel if they were lucky enough to hit the jackpot. The couple tried to increase their chances of winning by purchasing $20 worth of tickets, as well as investing in three different office pools.

Business was hectic for supermarket and convenience store employees selling Powerball tickets. Most employees said lottery sales had at least doubled in recent weeks, and extra cashiers were often on duty to meet the demand for tickets.

"We're seeing hundreds more customers," said Brandi Emmons of the Rhodes 101 Stop at 1008 N. Kingshighway. "We brought in an extra person to help out."

Cape Girardeau and other towns near non-Powerball states saw an especially high volume of traffic as people tried their luck at the large jackpot. Sherry Robertson, business manager for Reeves Boomland in Charleston, said she had received calls from as far away as Arkansas and Mississippi from people wanting to purchase tickets.

"We had one person buy $1,000 worth of tickets," she said Wednesday. "Our business is running about 75 percent above average right now."

Robin Twiggs, an employee at Bi-State Seven, said she had several customers looking specifically to purchase Powerball "mistakes," tickets which customers decided not to buy.

"I don't know if it's a superstition or what -- some people are just buying them because they think they can win," she said.

Local retailers said people were doing everything they could to beat the odds, including joining office pools and purchasing tickets in volume. Most customers were patient because they knew lines were long everywhere, they said.

"Every other person has been buying Powerball," said Troy Jones, who works at the Kwik Pantry at 1401 Independence. "Everybody's just trying their luck."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

POWERBALL AT A GLANCE

Some quick facts about the Powerball lottery:

WEDNESDAY'S JACKPOT: $250 million.

ODDS OF WINNING: 1-in-80.1 million.

TICKETS EXPECTED TO BE SOLD: 150 million.

HOW PLAYED: Players choose five white numbered balls from a pool of 49 and a red Powerball from a pool of 42 numbers. Players have a choice when they purchase their ticket of receiving their winnings in a lump-sum payment or annual payments over 25 years.

WHERE PLAYED: Tickets for the game are sold in Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.

WHO RUNS IT: The game is overseen by the West Des Moines-based Multi-State Lottery Association.

PREVIOUS HIGH JACKPOT WON: $195 million on May 20 by Frank and Shirley Capaci of Streamwood, Ill.