CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- As the hours counted down towards Wednesday night's estimated $1-billion Powerball drawing, hopeful winners made their way into Styles Bi-Rite in Chesterfield County to purchase what they hoped would be the winning ticket.
"Busy, busy, busy," said one of the clerks, Octavia, on the crowds in the stores when lottery drawings reach or surpass the billion dollar mark. "Overwhelming. Exciting. Interesting."
Wednesday's drawing is the third largest is Powerball history and the seventh largest in U.S. history (alongside Mega Millions).
"If I win a small amount, I'm happy. If it's big that would be fine, but a small amount -- that's good to me," said Lowry Staylor, who plays weekly.
"I won't even get shocked, darling, if I win. I'll just be so happy," added another weekly player, Janie Richardson. "But you know what? Everybody will be my best friend when I when you know that. That's what happens."
Other purchasers were more of the once-in-a-while variety, needing jackpots to reach record territory before they take a chance.
"My wife plays every week. I only play when it gets really high…I'm probably right at the $750-[million] mark," said Tom Davis.
Several were also buying tickets as part of a work pool, rather than solo.
"Everybody starts pitching in and then we just keep rolling over our winning into more tickets," said Johanna Ruhlin.
The odds of winning the jackpot at 1 in 292.2-million, but even with those stacked against them -- everyone has their own "what if" list.
"Retire. Sorry, sorry, to my boss. Yeah, retire. But I think the whole company would more or less retire," said Davis.
"I'm going to buy me an RV and travel all over the country. So, if my wife listening, she better get ready," said another patron, Marvin.
"My car payment is 790 a month, so I might even pay that off. Yeah, that would save me a lot of money," added Richardson.
"Debt Free. Pretty much that's it. Move away from Chesterfield. Maybe out to another county," said Ruhlin.
"I would help a lot of -- a lot of organizations. I'd really help my family. It would be a lot of good. A lot of good," added Staylor.
Virginia Lottery said it expects Powerball sales in the Commonwealth should amount to $2.6-million and at peak times -- there were 2,600 tickets being sold each minute.
They add during this current run of Powerball, the profits for Virginia's K-12 schools is an estimated $20.8-million.
Meanwhile, as the Powerball breaks the $1-billion mark with Wednesday's drawing, the Mega Millions' jackpot is nearing that as well. The next drawing is an estimated $720-million on Friday. Mega Millions notes that every time its has broken the $700-million mark, a winner was not drawn until it got past $1-billion.
