The Powerball jackpot has quietly crept past nine figures. Tonight's Saturday drawing sits at $102 million, with a cash option of $46.1 million. Numbers drop at 10:59 PM ET.

The Quick Hit

• What happened: Powerball climbed to $102 million after no winner Wednesday
• The damage: Cash option is $46.1 million (roughly $27M after taxes)
• Why you should care: Nine figures on a $2 ticket is always worth attention
• The move: Buy a ticket on the way to the bar to watch Super Bowl Eve festivities

Double Lottery Weekend

Between this Powerball drawing and the Mega Millions rolling past $346 million to Tuesday, lottery degenerates are eating this weekend. Nearly half a billion dollars in combined jackpot money is up for grabs across the two games.

The Powerball jackpot has been steadily building since a winner hit earlier this year. At $102 million, it's not at the "everybody at the office is pitching in $5" level yet, but it's getting there. A couple more rollovers and we'll be back in headline territory.

Wednesday's Drawing Was Close-ish

Wednesday's $80 million drawing produced no jackpot winner, but two players from Louisiana and Texas matched five numbers without the Powerball for $1 million prizes each. That's the most frustrating near-miss in gambling—you hit five out of six numbers and win what amounts to a really nice car instead of generational wealth. Those two people are simultaneously thrilled and devastated, which is honestly the default emotional state for anyone who gambles regularly.

The Super Bowl Lottery Angle

Here's a fun thought: you could buy a $2 Powerball ticket tonight and a $2 Mega Millions ticket on Tuesday for a total investment of $4. Combined, you'd be playing for roughly $472 million in jackpots. That's better odds-per-dollar than whatever same-game parlay you've been staring at for the Super Bowl.

Obviously the expected value is terrible—the Powerball odds are 1 in 292.2 million—but we're not here for expected value. We're here because imagining what you'd do with $102 million is the cheapest entertainment in America, and the two bucks you spend on the ticket is basically a fee to daydream for 24 hours.

The Bottom Line

$102 million tonight. $346 million on Tuesday. This is the kind of weekend where you buy both tickets and spend Saturday night alternating between sweating the Powerball numbers and double-checking your Super Bowl prop sheet. The American dream, distilled into ping pong balls and football.