How to Play Pick 3
On this page, you'll find a step-by-step guide to playing Pick 3. No matter which state you're in and what rules your local game follows, the basic principles are always the same. If you'd like something more specific to your game, check out our About Pick 3 page as a starting point.
1. Pick Your Numbers
First thing's first, decide which numbers you're going to play. You can use a Quick Pick (AKA Easy Pick) to get some random digits, or enter them yourself. Be aware - for some play types, which we'll cover in the next step, picking duplicate digits will affect the odds of winning and the prizes on offer.
2. Choose Your Play Type
Next, pick a play type. You can only choose one per ticket, and it determines how your numbers need to match the winning numbers in order to be eligible for a prize. The basic play types are Straight, Box, and Straight/Box - although these names can vary quite a bit from state to state. You may know them as Exact Order, Any Order, and Exact/Any, and these names are a bit more explanatory. Many states also offer play types where you only need to match two numbers in drawn-order. Picking duplicate numbers will lower the odds of winning an Any Order prize, but if you do win, the prize will be greater than had you picked three unique numbers.
3. Choose a Wager Amount
In almost all Pick 3 lotteries, the player is given a choice of how much to pay for their ticket. Usually this is $0.50 or $1, but can be as high as $5. This decision doesn't affect any of the odds, and the prizes scale equally alongside the ticket-cost; for example, all $1 prizes will be 2X the value of their $0.50 counterparts.
4. Optional Extras
Many states offer optional add-ons that players can use for more chances to win. The most common by far is the Fireball, AKA the Wild Ball. This is a fourth digit drawn alongside the main three winning numbers. Players can swap any one of the three main numbers with the Fireball to create new winning combinations. Sum It Up is also offered in a couple of states: win a prize if your numbers add up to the same value as the winning numbers! Finally, EZ Match (or Instant Match) generates an additional three random digits on your ticket at the point of sale, each assigned a semi-random prize value. If one of your numbers matches one of the EZ Match numbers in any position, you win that prize right there at the checkout!
5. Complete Your Purchase
Once you've decided on all those options, you're ready to complete your purchase, or purchases, if you plan on making multiple plays. Pick 3 playslips usually have multiple fields in case you'd like to play a few different tickets for the same draw, and they also allow you to enter your numbers in multiple consecutive draws. If you're playing in a state with multiple Pick 3 draws per day (as most states do), you'll also be offered a choice of which draw time you'd like to play.