There are many ways to play Pick 3, and all of the various play types offer something a little different. You could play a Straight bet to win the biggest prizes, bet on a Box to improve your odds of winning, or go for one of the other play types. You'll find an explanation for all the different ways to play below.
A Straight is a bet type which requires you to select three numbers from 0 to 9 and match them in the exact order they appear.
You can select any combination of numbers; it does not matter if you choose three different numbers, three identical numbers, or something in between. Here are a few examples of Straight combinations and the numbers that would need to be drawn for you to win:
| Your Numbers | Winning Combination |
|---|---|
| 123 | 123 |
| 122 | 122 |
| 222 | 222 |
You would not win if the numbers appear in any other combination. For example, if you choose 123 and the winning numbers are 321, the bet is lost. You can choose to bet $0.50 or $1 on a Straight. Go to the Prizes page for more information about the amounts you can win.
If you select a Box bet, your numbers can appear in any order. There are two types of Box bets – 3-way and 6-way – and there are different prizes for each. The numbers you pick determine which type you play. It is easier to win a 6-way bet so the payouts are lower than for a 3-way bet as a result.
Note: Box, Straight/Box, and Combo bets are not valid play types if you pick three identical numbers.
A 3-way Box bet requires two of your three numbers to be the same and one to be different. The term ‘3-way’ describes how many possible combinations there are for those numbers to appear together. The following table shows examples of 3-way Box bets and the three different winning combinations.
| Your Numbers | Winning Combinations |
|---|---|
| 112 | 112, 121, 211 |
| 344 | 344, 434, 443 |
| 565 | 565, 556, 655 |
In a 6-way bet, the three numbers you select must all be different. A 6-way bet has six different winning combinations for each set of numbers. The table below shows examples of 6-way bets and the six winning combinations for each.
| Your Numbers | Winning Combinations |
|---|---|
| 123 | 123, 132, 213, 231, 312, 321 |
| 357 | 357, 375, 537, 573, 735, 753 |
| 468 | 468, 486, 648, 684, 846, 864 |
As the name suggests, Straight/Box bets combine the two aforementioned play types. Unlike the other bets, there is one flat cost for this play type – $1 – and that is split between the two halves of the bet: the Straight and the Box.
If you match your chosen numbers in any order, you win the Box part of the bet. If you match the winning numbers in the exact order, you win both the Box and the Straight parts of the bet, so you get paid for both. As with a standard Box bet, you can play a 3-way or a 6-way bet.
Pick two identical numbers and one different number to play a 3-way Straight/Box bet. Half of the $1 bet cost will be used for the Box bet, and the other half for the Straight. The table below shows the possible winning combinations for this type of bet:
| Your Numbers | Winning Combinations - Box Only | Winning Combinations - Straight and Box |
|---|---|---|
| 112 | 121, 211 | 112 |
| 344 | 434, 443 | 344 |
| 565 | 556, 655 | 565 |
Pick three different numbers to play a 6-way Straight/Box bet. As with a standard Box, it’s easier to win with a 6-way Box but the payouts are slightly lower. The following table shows examples of how to win:
| Your Numbers | Winning Combinations - Box Only | Winning Combinations - Straight and Box |
|---|---|---|
| 123 | 132, 213, 231, 312, 321 | 123 |
| 357 | 375, 537, 573, 735, 753 | 357 |
| 468 | 486, 648, 684, 846, 864 | 468 |
With a Combo play, you pick three numbers and then place a Straight bet on every possible three-digit combination of those numbers. It’s similar to a Box bet, in that it allows you to match the winning numbers in any order, but the entry cost and prize money are both bigger.
Combo plays also come in 3-way and 6-way variations, as the numbers you pick determine how many possible three-digit combinations can be created. As you pay for every Straight combination within your Combo, 6-way bets cost twice as much as 3-way Combos but the odds of winning are halved.
Pick two identical numbers to play a 3-way Combo. You’ll pay for three individual Straight bets, using each possible combination of the numbers you pick, so the bet will cost $1.50 (3 x $0.50) or $3 (3 x $1).
| Your Numbers | Winning Combinations |
|---|---|
| 112 | 112, 121, 211 |
| 344 | 344, 434, 443 |
| 565 | 565, 556, 655 |
If you pick three different numbers, you will play a 6-way Combo, as there are six possible combinations of those digits. You’ll therefore pay $3 (6 x $0.50) or $6 (6 x $1) for this type of bet:
| Your Numbers | Winning Combinations |
|---|---|
| 123 | 123, 132, 213, 231, 312, 321 |
| 357 | 357, 375, 537, 573, 735, 753 |
| 468 | 468, 486, 648, 684, 846, 864 |
The final type of play you can choose is a Pair play, and there are two variations: Front Pair or Back Pair. With a Front Pair, the objective is to match the first two winning numbers in the same order they appear, and with a Back Pair you must match the last two digits in the same order. You don’t win if you match the relevant numbers but in the wrong order.
Pick two numbers to try and match the first two winning numbers. Every two-digit combination has the same chance of winning, even if you pick two identical numbers, as each digit between 0 and 9 has an equal chance of being drawn in each position.
| Your Numbers | Winning Combinations |
|---|---|
| 11x | 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119 |
| 12x | 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129 |
| 90x | 900, 901, 902, 903, 904, 905, 906, 907, 908, 909 |
A Back Pair play works in exactly the same way as a Front Pair, except the aim is to match the last two winning numbers in the same order they appear.
| Your Numbers | Winning Combinations |
|---|---|
| x11 | 011, 111, 211, 311, 411, 511, 611, 711, 811, 911 |
| x12 | 012, 112, 212, 312, 412, 512, 612, 712, 812, 912 |
| x90 | 090, 190, 290, 390, 490, 590, 690, 790, 890, 990 |
