By: Richard L. Smith
The excitement is rising across New Jersey as the national Powerball jackpot swells, giving Garden State players a chance at a life-changing prize. 
Over the weekend, a ticket purchased in New Jersey won a $2 million prize, one of only a handful of big winners nationwide, according to New Jersey Lottery officials.
With no jackpot winner this past drawing, the next Powerball drawing, scheduled for Monday night carries an estimated jackpot of 875 million dollars, with a lump-sum cash option of approximately 403.6 million dollars.
Here’s how Powerball works and what’s fueling the surge in ticket-buying:
A standard Powerball ticket costs 2 dollars; for an extra 1 dollar, players can add the “Power Play” option, which increases non-jackpot prizes and turns the recent five-number match into a 2 million dollar win.
To win the jackpot, a player must match all five “white ball” numbers and the red Powerball, odds that remain steep at about 1 in 292.2 million.
Despite those long odds, the combination of a recent multi-million-dollar win and a soaring jackpot has stirred lottery fever across New Jersey.
Convenience stores and gas-station retailers have reported a surge of players stopping by to try their luck.
For many, even a non-jackpot win feels like a reason to hope.
New Jersey Lottery officials encourage responsible play, but for now, hope is high and the countdown to Monday night’s drawing is on.