In this story:

• An 80 million-to-1 shot
• Hoping for good luck

CHICAGO (CNN) -- Millions of lottery players lined up in convenience stores and gas stations across the nation Saturday for a another long shot at winning a Powerball jackpot of about $195 million.

Ticket sales were strong for Saturday's drawing, but some sellers said the lottery wasn't creating the same frenzy as a May 20 drawing, which also had a $195 million jackpot, the largest ever in the United States.

The couple who won it took home $104.3 million, because they chose a lump-sum payment rather than having the winnings paid out over 25 years.

Brisk ticket sales could push Saturday's jackpot even higher.

"You take a chance and hope you have the right numbers, and you hope you wake up the next morning and something happens. And if it doesn't, you go back to the same old grind," said Ronald Brown, an employee at a Delta, Louisiana, gas station.

The service station was drawing plenty of business, because it is just across the Mississippi River from Vicksburg, Mississippi, a non-Powerball state.

Someone is 1,000 times more likely to get hit by lightning than win the Powerball jackpot

That chance is a big one. The odds are one in 80 million.

"You're a hundred times more likely to get dealt a royal flush on the opening deal in a game of poker, you're a thousand times more likely to get hit by lightning and you're a million times more likely to get murdered than win the Powerball," said Les Krantz, the author of "What the Odds Are."

Despite that, Krantz is playing.

"I lay that buck on the counter and cross my fingers and say a little prayer. So far it hasn't happened," he said.

And while waiting in line, would-be millionaires have something to ponder. When buying a ticket, you can pick how you want to receive your winnings: a one-time lump sum payment of $100 million or 25 yearly payments of $7.2 million.

"It depends on your situation," said Steve Roberts, who was buying three tickets at Tait's Foods in Des Moines, Iowa. "Perhaps you think you can do a better job with the money than the lottery, then you take the cash. It's probably six of one, half-dozen of the other."

Roberts went for the cash payoff.

Hoping for some previous luck to rub off on them, some superstitious players, including one from Florida, traveled to Pell Lake, Wisconsin, where May's winning ticket was sold to Shirley and Frank Capaci of Illinois.

"Lines haven't been any longer than 15 people deep," said Mark Garapolo, whose father owns the store. "Sales have been brisk, but we're not seeing the kind of lines that other stores are seeing."

Powerball players choose five white numbered balls from a pool of 49 and a red ball from a pool of 42 numbers. The game is played in 20 states and Washington, D.C.

Chicago Bureau Chief Jeff Flock and The Associated Press contributed to this report.