WASHINGTON — Wednesday could make somebody incredibly rich, if luck is on their side.

The Powerball jackpot for Wednesday's drawing has grown to an estimated $1.4 billion, making it the fourth-largest jackpot prize in the game's history.

It was initially estimated to be a $1.3 billion prize, but game leaders increased the jackpot estimate Wednesday morning after reviewing national ticket sales. Monday's drawing was the 40th straight pull without a grand prize winner.

As jackpots rise, so does the hype around them. And as more people see the life-changing number for a win, more people tend to buy tickets. This increase in buying causes a snowball effect until inevitably some player gets lucky and picks the winning numbers.

And they've often come close. Lottery officials noted 12 peop

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