The word biggest – is an understatement can be said when heard that a Louisiana family came incredibly close to Monday night’s staggering $1.1 billion Powerball jackpot but eventually fell a little bit short by a single number. However, it wasn’t comletely in vain, as they still won a six-figure amount, which has been a some sort of blessing. The lucky ticket belonged to John Stokes, who snagged it at Billie’s Wag-A-Bag in Deridder, Louisiana. Stokes told KPLCTV that he and his family checked the numbers later that night and were left stunned by what they saw.
The Stokes family had nailed four of the five white balls and the red Powerball. That meant they were literally one number away from the $1.1 billion jackpot. Thanks to playing it smart and adding the “Power Play” option, their prize shot up to $150,000.
CONGRATS! Louisiana family wins $150K in Powerball, misses $1B jackpot by 1 number: https://t.co/TGBRY3e4z8 pic.twitter.com/rUUobEY9JH
— WAFB (@WAFB) September 3, 2025
“We were shocked and feel so blessed,” Stokes said, grinning as he picked up his check alongside his family. Blessed, sure — but come on. Missing out on a billion-dollar payday by just one number has got to sting. Imagine looking at your ticket and thinking: “That could’ve been a yacht. That could’ve been an island. That could’ve been generational wealth.” Instead? A very respectable chunk of change — but still just a tiny sliver of what could have been.
The Jackpot Nobody Can Catch
The Stokes family’s near miss comes as Powerball fever is hitting record highs. Nobody nailed Monday’s $1.1 billion jackpot, and Wednesday’s $1.44 billion prize rolled over too. That means Saturday’s drawing is now worth a jaw-dropping $1.7 billion. That’s life-changing money for whoever finally cracks the impossible odds — a staggering 1 in 292 million. To put it bluntly, you’re more likely to be struck by lightning twice than to take home that jackpot. But hey, somebody has to win eventually, right?
Meanwhile, other lucky players are cashing in smaller but still enviable prizes. Four people scored $2 million with Match 5 + Power Play tickets, while 11 others each snagged $1 million from Match 5. Not too shabby for a $2 flutter.
The Dream vs. Reality
Whoever does win big this weekend will face the ultimate dilemma: take the lump sum (a cool $770.3 million before Uncle Sam takes his cut), or go with the annuity option — a steady stream of payments for 30 years, growing 5% each year. Either way, it’s billionaire territory. But for John Stokes and his family, that choice will have to wait for another time. Their brush with billionaire glory will forever be the story of “so close, yet so far.”
Still, $150K can change lives too — even if it doesn’t come with a private jet. As one lottery fan quipped: “They may not be billionaires, but they won’t be clipping coupons either.”
