Regrets? Past lottery winners have had a few.

The Powerball jackpot has swelled to $1.8 billion, or an estimated $826.4 million in cash, a sum so vast that if no one wins on Saturday, and it climbs higher still, it could cross into record-setting territory.

It is the kind of prize, the second-largest in U.S. history, that sends people to corner stores and gas stations to buy tickets, which are then folded into a wallet or tucked into a glove compartment.

While there have been plenty of stories of lottery winners being murdered or wishing they had torn up the ticket, some have fared better.

Ahead of the drawing on Saturday night, some past lottery winners share their hard lessons learned and advice for those who might hold a lucky ticket.

In Iowa, in 1999, Timothy Schultz was at home when his father woke him with the news: The winning ticket came from the gas station where Mr. Schultz worked as a clerk.

In an interview, Mr. Schultz recalled waking up in a panic and not being able to find the ticket.

He said he rummaged through his desk and shuffled through old papers in his room. Finally, he discovered the ticket crumpled in a pocket of his jeans.