Playing Pick 4 isn't as straightforward as some of the other popular lotteries, where all you have to decide is which numbers to play. With Pick 4, you'll need to decide your numbers, your play type, how many "Ways" you're going to play, your wager amount, and whether to play the Wild Ball. Also, which drawings do you want to enter? There are two every day, at 1:35 PM and 6:59 PM.
Whoa! It sounds like quite a lot, but in practice it's all very simple. Here's how it works:
Start by selecting four numbers from 0 to 9 - one from each of the columns in the play area of your playslip. Alternatively, mark the 'QP' box if you want to play a Quick Pick - the lottery computer will give you a random set.
Decide how you want to try to match the winning numbers - Exact Order, Any Order, Exact or Any Order, or Combo. It's a decision which impacts on everything else - from the odds of winning to the prize you can get. See the Ways to Play page.
Decide whether to wager $0.50 or $1. If you choose to spend just $0.50, you can only play an Exact Order wager or an Any Order wager. If you pay $1 per play, you also have the option to go for a combined Exact or Any Order, or a Combo.
Specify which drawings you want to play - Morning, Midday or Evening. You can also choose to enter the next two drawings or the next three drawings, or play for up to seven consecutive days.
Add the Wild Ball option to give yourself even more chances to win. The Wild Ball doubles the cost of your play, so the total amount to pay depends on your wager amount, number of draws and whether you add the Wild Ball.
As part of each draw, a Wild Ball number is also selected. This is a fifth number - also taken from a range of 0 to 9 - that is drawn at random after the first four. If you add the Wild Ball option to your play, you can use the fifth number to replace any of the others. This creates more winning combinations and boosts your chances of getting a prize. For example, if you play an Exact Order and wager 1234, you would not win if the main numbers are drawn as 1239. However, if the Wild Ball is 4, you can swap it in for the 9 to give you a winning combination of 1234.
Each play type in Cash 4 has its own fixed prize value. The amount you wager also determines how much you can win. The maximum payout is $5,000 for a $1 wager, but you would have to match the numbers in exact order and this is the hardest play type to win. Go to the Odds and Prizes page to see all the possible payouts and the probability for each play type.