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Ways To Win
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29pm and 7:29pm, except Saturday evening. Pools close at 12:25 pm and 7:25pm, except Saturday. Saturday evening pools close at 7:45pm with the Saturday evening drawing occurring during the Cash Explosion television show, which airs from 7:30pm to 8:00pm and they are broadcast statewide.
| Wager Type | Odds | .50 Wager | $1 Wager |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight | 1 in 1,000 | Pay $250 | $500 |
| 6-Way Wheel | 6 in 1,000 | Pay $250 | $500 |
| 3-Way Wheel | 3 in 1,000 | Pay $250 | $500 |
| 6-Way Box | 1 in 167 | Pay $41.50 | $83 |
| 3-Way Box | 1 in 333 | Pay $83.50 | $167 |
| Back Pair | 1 in 100 | Pay $25 | $50 |
| Front Pair | 1 in 100 | Pay $25 | $50 |
| Split Pair | 1 in 100 | Pay $25 | $50 |
Pick 3, Straight Winners on a Back-Up Bet
| Amount Bet | Total Cost | 3-Way Back-Up | 6-Way Back-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| .50 | $1 | $333.50 | $291.50 |
| $1 | $2 | $667 | $583 |
How To Play
PICK 3 drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., and broadcast statewide. Saturday evening drawings occur during the Cash Explosion® Double Play television show, which airs from 7:30pm to 8:00pm.
When playing PICK 3, there are a variety of bets which can be placed:
STRAIGHT BET: If the numbers you have chosen are drawn in exact order, you win. Wager amounts are $0.50 and $1.
BOXED BET: If the numbers you have chosen are drawn in any combination, you win.
PICK 3 offers two types of boxed bets:
- A 6-WAY boxed bet consists of 3 different numbers and six possible winning combinations (1, 2, 3)
- A 3-WAY boxed bet has 2 numbers the same, with three possible winning combinations (1, 2, 1)
BACK-UP BET: Back-Up bets combine a Straight bet and a Boxed bet on one ticket, and must be placed in $1 increments.
PAIR BETS: In PICK 3 wagers ONLY, players may select any two of three numbers to be selected in order.
- FRONT PAIR: Specify the 1st and 2nd number in exact order: (1, 2, X)
- BACK PAIR: Specify the 2nd and 3rd number in exact order: (X, 2, 3)
SPLIT PAIR: Specify the 1st and 3rd number in exact order: (1, X, 3)
WHEEL BET: The WHEEL wagering option is available in Pick 3 Wagers ONLY. To WHEEL your PICK 3 number, place an individual straight bet on each combination of your PICK 3 number. For example, the combination 1-2-3 WHEELED would yield the following combinations:
1-2-3 | 1-3-2 | 2-1-3 | 2-3-1 | 3-1-2 | 3-2-1
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I play Pick 3?
Pick 3 can be played at any Ohio Lottery retailer location or self-service terminal.
When can I play Pick 3?
You can play Pick 3 during normal gaming system hours. Pick 3 is drawn twice daily at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except for Saturday evenings when the drawing is held during the Cash Explosion Game Show which begins at 7:30 p.m.
Please explain a straight bet on Pick 3?
Straight bets consist of three (3) numbers. To win, players must match the three numbers they bet, exactly from left to right, to the numbers drawn by the Ohio Lottery in the Pick 3 drawing. There is only one way to win on a straight wager.
Example – if a player selects the numbers 1-2-3 for their wager and the numbers selected by the Ohio Lottery are 1-2-3, the player has a straight match and wins.
What is a back-up bet?
You can play Pick 3 numbers as a “back-up” bet. This simply means that you are backing up your straight bet combination with a box bet. Therefore, if your straight bet wins, you win both the straight amount and the boxed amount. If your numbers do not come up straight, but a combination of your numbers wagered are drawn, you win only the boxed amount.
What are the differences between the box bets such as 3-way box, and the 6-way box?
A boxed bet is a winner if any combination of the numbers you bet is selected during the drawing. The term “3-way” and “6-way” refer to the number of combinations that are possible for a certain bet. If your Pick 3 bet consists of 3 unique digits, such as 1-2-3, there are 6 different winning combinations possible (1-2-3; 1-3-2; 2-1-3; 2-3-1; 3-1-2; and 3-2-1). This is a 6-way box. A Pick 3 number that has 2 like numbers, such as 1-1-2, only has 3 possible winning combinations--1-1-2; 1-2-1; and 2-1-1. This is a 3-way box bet. You win more money for 3-way box bets because there is a lower probability of winning with only three possible combinations.
What is a wheel wager and why does it cost and pay more than a boxed bet?
To “wheel” a bet is to play every combination of a Pick 3 number in a straight bet. The player must then pay for a straight bet on all 6 combinations of the number. If any combination of that number comes up, the player wins the straight amount of $250 for a $.50 bet or $500 for a $1 bet. For example, to play the numbers 1-2-3 in a wheel means that you are placing 6 straight bets on the numbers: 1-2-3; 2-1-3; 3-1-2; 1-3-2; 3-2-1 and 2-3-1. At $.50 per bet, playing 1-2-3 “wheel” costs $3 ($.50 X 6 bets).
On the other hand, in a boxed bet the amount wagered is divided across all combinations of the number, reducing your wager per number and therefore the payout when you win.
Please explain pairs betting?
Pairs betting means you are wagering that the first two numbers or last two number drawn match exactly, left to right, the first two numbers or last two numbers selected by the Lottery in the drawing.
If a player bet 1-2-3 as a front pair and the numbers drawn are 1-2-6, the player wins. If a player wagered 1-2-3 and the numbers selected in the drawing were 5-2-3, the player wins on a Back Pair bet. Players can also wager the first and last number of a combination. If 1-2-3 is bet as a split pair, and the numbers selected are 1-9-3, the player still wins on a split pair wager.
Can I cancel a Pick 3 wager?
Yes. Pick 3 wagers can be cancelled prior to the drawing. For example, if you purchase an EVENING drawing ticket, it must be cancelled prior to the scheduled EVENING drawing for which it was purchased.
How do I claim my prize?
- You need the original winning ticket to claim your prize.
- Powerball tickets purchased in Ohio can only be cashed in Ohio.
- When you win the jackpot, you will be able to select either 30 annual payments or the Cash Option.
- Up to $599 – Present your ticket to any Ohio Lottery Retailer for validation and immediate prize payment.
- $600 to $5,000 – Present your ticket to any Ohio Lottery Retailer for validation and receive a Pay-to-Bearer receipt and a Claim Form for check processing OR present the Pay-to-Bearer receipt and completed claim form to an authorized bank cashing location and receive payment the same day.
- Over $5,000 – Present your ticket to an Ohio Lottery office for validation and check processing.
- You must validate and cash your winning ticket within 180 days of the drawing date.
Pick 3 Rules & Regulations
3770:1-7-20 Ohio Lottery Commission game rule number twenty.(2) Names and definitions of elements of game number twenty used in this rule are to be considered generic terms used solely for the purpose of this rule. In actual operation, game number twenty and these elements may be given names or titles chosen by the commission.
(A) Title and term. Ohio lottery commission game number twenty, “Pick 3,” shall be conducted at such time and for such periods as the commission may determine. For the purpose of this rule, “sales cycle” shall mean any such period beginning on the date when ticket sales are commenced, and continuing through the date on which sales are terminated by the commission.
(B) General design.
(1) Game number twenty will be a number-match lottery game.
(2) Each ticket in game number twenty shall be imprinted with a two or three-digit number which shall be determined by the choice of the ticket purchaser or the auto pick feature of the computer system, and recorded on the ticket at the time of purchase.
(3) Drawings will be conducted on those days and times determined by the director at which three one-digit numbers shall be selected at random from the three sets of all one-digit numbers. Holders of valid winning tickets for a given drawing bearing the numbers drawn in that drawing in specified combinations of positions, as determined by the purchaser, or the auto pick feature and recorded on the ticket at the time of purchase, shall be entitled to a prize award in accordance with this rule.
(4) Purchasers of tickets in game number twenty may purchase, at their option, tickets offering the following winning possibilities for any drawing:
(b) A three-digit number with one- digit repeated, specified by the purchaser, to match in any order the three one-digit numbers selected in the applicable drawing, hereinafter referred to as “three-way box bet.”
(c) A three-digit number, with no digits repeated, specified by the purchaser, to match in any order the three one-digit numbers selected in the applicable drawing, hereinafter referred to as “six-way box bet.”
(d) A two-digit number, specified by the purchaser, to match in exact order the first two one-digit numbers selected in the applicable drawing, hereinafter referred to as “front pair bet.”
(e) A two-digit number, specified by the purchaser, to match in exact order the last two one-digit numbers selected in the applicable drawing, hereinafter referred to as “back pair bet.”
(f) A two-digit number, specified by the purchaser, to match in exact order the first one-digit number selected and the third one-digit number selected in the applicable drawing, hereinafter referred to as “split pair bet.”
(g) A three-digit number, specified by the purchaser, in accordance with paragraphs (B)(4)(a) and (B)(4)(b) of this rule; or paragraphs (B)(4)(a) and (B)(4)(c) of this rule, hereinafter referred to as “backup bet.”
(h) A three-digit number, with one-digit repeated, specified by the purchaser, to match in exact order one of all possible combinations for the three one-digit numbers selected in the applicable drawing, hereinafter referred to as a “three-way wheel bet.”
(i) A three-digit number, with no digits repeated, specified by the purchaser, to match in exact order one of all possible combinations for the three one-digit numbers selected in the applicable drawing, hereinafter referred to as a “six-way wheel bet.”
(5) A drawing of numbers in another commission game may serve as the regular drawing in this game.
(C) Price of tickets. The price paid in game number twenty for each winning possibility for any given drawing by the purchaser shall be fifty cents, or multiples thereof to a maximum of six dollars at the choice of the purchaser. This amount shall constitute the wager. The price paid for a back up bet shall be equal to the wager amount. The total price paid for a wheel bet shall be the wager amount multiplied by the number of possible wheel combinations. The total of all wagers, including back up bet and wheel bet amounts, with respect to each ticket sold shall constitute that ticket’s purchase price; said price to be imprinted on the ticket at the time of purchase.
(D) Structure, nature and value of prize awards.
(1) Based upon the numbers drawn in each regular drawing, prizes of each wager times five hundred, one hundred sixty-seven, eighty-three, or fifty shall be awarded to the holders of valid tickets for that drawing as follows:
(b) A prize of one hundred sixty-seven times the wager if the ticket includes a three-way box combination bet matching the three one-digit numbers in any order.
(c) A prize of eighty-three times the wager if the ticket includes a six-way box combination bet matching the three one-digit numbers in any order.
(d) A prize of fifty times the wager if the ticket includes a front pair bet matching the first two one-digit numbers exactly.
(e) A prize of fifty times the wager if the ticket includes a back pair bet matching the last two one-digit numbers exactly.
(f) A a prize of fifty times the wager if the ticket includes a split-pair bet matching the first one-digit number and the third one-digit number exactly.
(g) Prizes in accordance with paragraphs (D)(1)(a), (D)(1)(b), and (D)(1)(c) of this rule, as applicable, if the ticket includes a winning backup bet.
(h) A prize of five hundred times the wager if the ticket includes a winning wheel bet.
(2) On selected days the prize payout may increase to no more than seven hundred fifty times the wager if the ticket includes a straight bet matching the three one-digit numbers exactly.
(3) On selected days multiple drawings may be conducted. Each drawing shall have prize payouts in accordance with paragraphs (D)(1)(a) to (D)(1)(h) of this rule.
(E) Limitations of prize liability. If the total prize liabilities for any number in combination of all types of bets, exceeds a limit as determined by the commission, then no further wagers on that number shall be accepted for that drawing.
(F) Frequency of prize drawings. Drawings shall be held at times determined by the director.
(G) Manner of prize drawings.
(1) Prize drawings shall be open to the public and may be held at such places in the state that the director shall determine. The director shall inform the public as to the time and place of each prize drawing.
(2) All holders of valid tickets for a given drawing are eligible to win in that drawing. If the holder of a winning ticket does not have the ticket validated within the requisite validation period from the date of the drawing, in accordance with the procedures set fourth in these rules, such unclaimed prize shall be paid into the state lottery fund and distributed in accordance with section 3770.06 of the Revised Code.
(3) All drawings in game number twenty will be conducted in accordance with random procedures approved by the director. For every drawing in game number twenty, the director will approve procedures and mechanisms for the selection of winners and the awarding of prizes in order that random selection will be achieved.
(H) Validity of tickets.
(1) Each purchaser of tickets in game number twenty shall be responsible for verifying that the numbers imprinted on such tickets are those requested, that the purchase price paid is the price recorded on such ticket, and that such ticket has recorded thereon the type of bet or bets, and the drawing dates therefor, that the purchaser desired to make.
(2) Each ticket issued in game number twenty shall have imprinted thereon at the time of purchase, a control number and bar code data supplied by the commission. No prize shall be paid by the commission with respect to any tickets without such control number or bar code data.
(3) All tickets in game number twenty are subject to validation under procedures to be established by the director before the payment of any prize thereon.
(4) In addition to, but not in limitation of, all other power and authority conferred on the director by the commission’s rules, the director may declare a ticket in game number twenty to be void if it is stolen, not sold or deemed not sold in accordance with commission rules; if it is illegible, altered, or counterfeit; or if the ticket fails any of the validation tests or procedures established by the director pursuant hereto. The commission’s liability and responsibility for a ticket declared void, if any, is limited to the refund of the retail sales price of the ticket.
(I) Director’s conduct of game number twenty.
(1) The director shall conduct game number twenty in a manner consistent with the Lottery Act, the rules of the commission, including without limitation this rule 3770:1-7-20 of the Administrative Code, and the regulations of the director. Deemed necessary or advisable, the director shall adopt management regulations, orders of directives to implement and operate this lottery game.
(2) Names and definitions of elements of game number twenty used in this rule are to be considered generic terms used solely for the purpose of this rule. In actual operation, game number twenty and these elements may be given names or titles chosen by the commission.
Effective: 11/14/2008 Prior Effective Dates: 10-5-79, 1-10-86 (Emer.), 12-8-87 (Emer.), 4-11-88, 1-9-89, 4-8-93 (Emer.), 5-27-93, 9-30-04