Pick 5 Explained: Straight, Box, Odds and Prizes

Pick 5 is the biggest of the daily Pick games. You choose a five-digit number from 00000 to 99999, and if it matches the draw the way your play type requires, you win. Five digits means more possible numbers, longer odds and bigger prizes than its smaller siblings. Here’s how it all fits together, using what the Pennsylvania, Florida and Virginia lotteries publish.

The basics: 100,000 possible numbers

Every Pick game follows the same pattern: Pick N has 10^N possible numbers. For Pick 5 that’s 100,000 combinations, from 00000 all the way to 99999. That makes the straight odds 1 in 100,000. Compare that with 1 in 10,000 for Pick 4 and 1 in 1,000 for Pick 3.

You can pick your own digits, and repeating a digit is allowed. Florida says you may choose the same number in multiple columns. If you’d rather not choose, every lottery offers a computer pick: Quick Pick in Pennsylvania and Florida, Easy Pick in Virginia.

Each draw is random, so every one of those 100,000 numbers has the same chance as any other. For more on that, see how lottery drawings work.

Straight vs box with five digits

The two core play types work just as they do in the other Pick games.

• Straight (Virginia calls it Exact Order): your five digits must match the winning number in the exact order drawn.
• Box (Virginia calls it Any Order): your digits must match in any order.

A box covers every order of your digits. With five digits, the number of orders depends on how many digits repeat. Virginia lists six box types, from 120-way down to 5-way:

Box type	Example	Prize ($1 play)	Odds
120-way	12345	$400	1 in 833.3
60-way	11234	$800	1 in 1,667
30-way	11223	$1,650	1 in 3,333
20-way	11123	$2,500	1 in 5,000
10-way	11122	$5,000	1 in 10,000
5-way	11112	$10,000	1 in 20,000

The pattern is simple. Five different digits can be arranged 120 ways, so a box covers more combinations and pays less. Numbers with more repeats have fewer orders, so the box covers fewer combinations and pays more. The Virginia straight prize is $50,000 at 1 in 100,000.

These figures are for a $1 play in Virginia. A 50¢ play wins half the prize shown. Prizes in other states can differ, so check your own lottery’s prize chart. You can also try combinations in our Pick calculator.

Other ways to play

Beyond straight and box, each lottery adds its own options:

• Florida offers Straight/Box, which wins if you match in exact or any order. All Straight/Box plays cost $1.
• Virginia offers 50/50, which splits a $1 play between Exact Order and Any Order. It also offers Combo, which covers all possible Exact Order combinations of your number.
• Pennsylvania lists Straight, Box, Front Pair, Back Pair, Front Three, Back Three, Front Four and Back Four.

For a closer look at these play types across the Pick games, read ways to play Pick games.

What it costs

Prices depend on the state:

• Pennsylvania: each game costs $1, and you can play up to five panels on a playslip.
• Florida: the base ticket price is $0.50 or $1.
• Virginia: you can play for $1 or 50¢.

Florida and Virginia both list a $50,000 top prize for the Pick 5 base game.

Fireball and Wild Ball add-ons

Florida and Virginia offer an add-on called FIREBALL. A separate Fireball digit is drawn and can replace one of the five winning digits, creating extra winning combinations. In Virginia, the Fireball is a number from 0 through 9 that creates five additional combinations. In both states, adding Fireball doubles the cost of your play. Virginia notes that Fireball prizes are separate from any base Pick 5 prize, and its Fireball prizes are smaller than base prizes (for example, $12,000 for Exact Order on a $1 play).

Pennsylvania offers a Wild Ball option for Pick 5. Check the PA Lottery for details on how it works.

Draw times

All three lotteries draw Pick 5 twice a day:

• Pennsylvania: the day drawing can be viewed online daily after 1:35 p.m., and the evening draw is at 6:59 p.m. Sales end at 1:05 p.m. and 6:57 p.m.
• Florida: midday at 1:30 p.m. ET and evening at 9:45 p.m. ET. Tickets can be bought up to 12 minutes before each draw.
• Virginia: day at 1:59 p.m. ET and night at 11 p.m. ET. Sales stop at 1:53 p.m. and 10:45 p.m. ET.

You can follow results on our Pick 5 page and daily draws, or find your own state’s lottery on our states page.

The bottom line

Pick 5 gives you 100,000 possible numbers and straight odds of 1 in 100,000. A box trades a smaller prize for covering every order of your digits. No number is luckier than another, so pick whatever you like and play for fun. If your number does come up, here’s how to claim a lottery prize.