The Powerball jackpot is up to $1.8 billion ahead of Saturday night’s drawing, the second-largest amount in Powerball and American lottery history.

Nobody hit it big for $1.4 billion in Wednesday night’s drawing, when the winning numbers were white balls 3, 16, 29, 61, 69 and red ball 22. The jackpot afterward grew to $1.7 billion Thursday, then reached $1.8 billion Friday.

The jackpot ranks behind only a jackpot of $2.04 billion won with a ticket bought in California and drawn on Nov. 7, 2022.

Saturday’s drawing will be the 42nd conducted since the last time someone won the Powerball jackpot, a $204.5 million prize on a ticket bought in California and drawn on May 31. The 42-drawing streak is a Powerball record.

If a player wins Saturday, he or she will choose between an immediate lump sum of $826.4 million before tax or a smaller immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments, each 5% larger than the last.

Powerball tickets cost $2 each and can be bought in 45 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The tickets are unavailable in Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.