The thing about Pick 4 s that there are a few different ways to play and win, unlike most other lotteries. There are four main play types, which you can check out below. Remember, you can only use one of these play types per ticket. For some of them, the numbers you choose will actually have an effect on the odds of winning & prizes too!
To win a Straight bet (and the $6,000 top prize!), your numbers need to match the winning numbers in the order they're drawn. Being out by one number, or getting all the numbers in the wrong order won't win you anything.
You can win a Box play by matching the winning numbers, but unlike Straight bets, the order isn't important. You could play the numbers 8109 and win if the drawn numbers were 9801!
This play type splits your $1 ticket cost in half, and puts $0.50 on each play type. You can win half the usual Box prize if your numbers match in any order, and if you match in exact order, you get the Box prize and the Straight prize!
To win a Pair play, you only need to match two of the winning numbers in drawn-order, but you need to specify which two you'll be matching. This can be the Front Pair, the Mid Pair, or the Back Pair. This play type has the best odds of winning.
For Box plays (including Straight/Box), the prizes on offer, plus your odds of winning, depend on how many duplicate digits there are in your selection. This is because you can win Box plays with any combination of your chosen digits, but not all combinations are equal! You can rearrange 1234 in 24 different orders, but 0001 could only be arranged four different ways.
This is known as the number of Ways you play. For Box tickets only, playing more Ways gives you better odds of winning a prize, while playing fewer Ways gives you bigger prizes if you do win. You can play 24-Ways (1234), 12-Ways (1123), 6-Ways (1122), or 4-Ways (1112). There isn't a 1-way, since that would just be a Straight!
Use the tool below to find out how many Ways apply to your favourite combination. To find the exact hances of winning and the prizes on offer for each of the Ways to play, head to the Pick 4 Odds and Prizes page.
If you're planning to make a Box play, input your numbers here and we'll show you all the different drawn-numbers you could win with!
| Number of Ways | Description | Winning Combinations | Odds of Winning |
| 4-Way | Three identical digits and one unique digit - e.g. 1112 | 1112, 1121, 1211, 2111 | 1 in 2,500 |
| 6-Way | Two sets of pairs - e.g. 3344 | 3344, 3434, 3443, 4334, 4343, 4433 | 1 in 1,667 |
| 12-Way | One pair and two unique digits - e.g. 5677 | 5677, 5767, 5766, 6577, 6757, 6775, 7567, 7576, 7657, 7675, 7756, 7765 | 1 in 833 |
| 24-Way | Four different numbers - e.g. 1234 | 1234, 1243, 1324, 1342, 1423, 1432, 2134, 2143, 2314, 2341, 2413, 2431, 3124, 3142, 3214, 3241, 3412, 3421, 4123, 4132, 4213, 4231, 4312, 4321 | 1 in 416 |