HOUSTON — Update: The winning Powerball numbers for Dec. 25, 2021 are 27, 29, 45, 55, 58 and the Powerball is 2. No one won the jackpot, so it's going up again for Monday's drawing.
Lucky Rudy's in Rosenberg is considered one of the luckiest places in Houston, and with a now $416 million Powerball jackpot up for grabs on Christmas Day, ticket buyers were hopeful the shop would work its magic.
Some bet on their own lucky numbers like Joe Rosales who is using a couple birthdays. Meanwhile, others like the Ponce family who are playing for the first time, see it as a game of chance.
The store's steady stream of customers on a holiday was no coincidence.
"It's the number one store in Texas," customer Dustin McConnell said. “I’ve been coming here since I was 18 — it’s a great store to play.”
There hasn't been a jackpot-winning ticket in 35 drawings, and the odds of winning are slim. In fact, experts calculate your chances are 1 in 292.2 million.
Lucky Rudy’s reputation is seemingly built into the walls.
Lottery players come every day, sometimes people come from Louisiana and other states, too.
On this Christmas night, there is perhaps no greater gift than the gift of hope.
Powerball drawings are held each Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. EDT. Click here to checkout the latest drawings online.
Even though the Powerball is called three times a week, it's not uncommon to have months go by without a grand prize winner.
This is the third time this year that the jackpot has hit at least $400 million. That's a significant chunk of change, but it still pales in comparison to the record $1.586 billion prize in 2016.
This YouTube video from January of 2021 breaks down your odds of winning Powerball or Mega Millions.