Pick 4 has lots of different ways to play - that's one of the reasons it's so popular! Below, you'll find a quick guide to the five main bet types, and how the individual numbers you pick affect the odds and prizes for your plays.
Match the winning numbers in the exact order they're drawn. The slimmest odds, but the biggest prize!
Match the winning numbers in any order. Some Pick 4 numbers have more possible combinations than others, so the odds and prizes for Box plays vary.
Bet on both! Half of your bet goes on the Straight, the other half goes on a Box win. If you end up winning the Straight, you can cash in both prizes.
This play type is the same as making a Straight bet on every possible combination of your chosen numbers. This improves your odds and winnings, but also your ticket price!
There are two types of Pair Play - Front & Back. For Front, you're betting that you'll match the first two numbers in drawn-order. For Back, it's the last two numbers.
For Box, Straight/Box, and Combination plays, it makes a big difference whether you select duplicate numbers, or four unique numbers. How come? These play types let you win with any combination of your chosen numbers, but not all number combinations are equal - for example, you can make 24 different combinations with the numbers 1234, but only 4 combinations with 1112!
Since with these plays you're betting on all possible combinations, the odds of winning with 1112 are much lower than 1234 - but the rules compensate for this! For Box plays, playing a number with more Ways will reduce the prize if you win. For Combination plays, the prize stays the same regardless of how many Ways you play, but the ticket costs increases. The table below should help if you're still unsure.
Use our generator to see what combinations could make you a winner. Simply enter your numbers here and see how many ways you could win
| Number of Ways | Description | Winning Combinations | Odds of Winning | Box Prizes | Combo Play Cost |
| 4-Way | Three identical digits and one unique digit - e.g. 1112 | 1112, 1121, 1211, 2111 | 1 in 2,500 | $600 or $1,200 | $2 or $4 |
| 6-Way | Two sets of pairs - e.g. 3344 | 3344, 3434, 3443, 4334, 4343, 4433 | 1 in 1,667 | $400 or $800 | $3 or $6 |
| 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 | $200 or $400 | $6 or $12 |
| 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 | $100 or $200 | $12 or $24 |