How Pick 3 Works: Straight, Box, Odds and Payouts

Pick 3 is the simplest lottery game there is: you choose a three-digit number from 000 to 999, the lottery draws one, and you win if yours matches. Most states draw it twice a day, some three or four times, so there’s always a draw coming up. It goes by different names: Numbers in New York, Daily 3 in California and Michigan, Cash 3 in Georgia and Tennessee.

How a draw works

Each draw picks three digits, each from 0 to 9, so there are exactly 1,000 possible numbers. Every digit is drawn fresh, which means numbers like 555 or 007 are just as likely as 382. Draw times and names vary by state: midday and evening are the most common, and some states add morning and night draws. See every state’s draws on our daily draws page.

Straight or box

You choose how your number has to match:

• Straight: your digits must match in the exact order. If you play 123, only 123 wins. Odds: 1 in 1,000.
• Box: your digits can match in any order. How many orders that covers depends on your number:
  • 6-way box: three different digits, like 123, which also wins on 132, 213, 231, 312 and 321. Odds: 1 in 167.
  • 3-way box: one digit repeated, like 112, which also wins on 121 and 211. Odds: 1 in 333.
  • A number like 111 has only one order, so it can only be played straight.

Many states also offer combinations of these, like straight/box and combo. Our guide to every way to play explains them.

What it pays

Each state sets its own prize chart, but most follow the same pattern. In New York, a $1 play pays:

Play	Odds	Prize for $1
Straight	1 in 1,000	$500
3-way box	1 in 333	$160
6-way box	1 in 167	$80

Notice that a straight win pays $500 on odds of 1 in 1,000. Like every lottery game, Pick 3 pays back less than the odds would suggest, which is how lotteries raise money for their states. Play it for the fun of the draw, with money you can spare.

Add-ons

Several states sell an extra ball for a small extra cost, which gives you more ways to match: Fireball in states such as North Carolina, New Jersey, Virginia, Illinois and Florida, and Wild Ball in Pennsylvania, Missouri and Tennessee. Each works a little differently, so check your state’s rules.

Try it

Type any number into the Pick calculator to see which box it is, its exact odds and what it pays.