If you’ve got a question about playing Pick 3 in Ohio, cast an eye over this list of common queries. You’ll find out about various aspects of the game, including the finer details of the different wager types.
Pick 3 is Ohio’s three-digit lottery, so there are three winning numbers from 0 to 9 selected in every draw. There is a lot of flexibility in how you can play, with drawings held twice a day.
Pick 3 is drawn every day at 12:29 p.m, and again in the evening. The standard time for the evening draw is 7:29 p.m., although on a Saturday it is later as it held during the broadcast of the Cash Explosion TV show, which usually runs from 7:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
You can buy tickets for the midday drawing until 12:25 p.m. every day. For the evening draw, pools close at 7:25 p.m., apart from Saturday when the closing time is 7:45 p.m.
You can choose to play a Straight, Box, Back-Up bet, Wheel or Pair. Select the relevant option on your playslip or inform the retailer of your choice. Go to the How to Play page for more information.
With a Straight wager, you have to match your three numbers exactly in order to win. If you play a Box, the order doesn’t matter. As long as all three numbers are drawn, you win. If you play a Back-Up bet, you are entering both a Straight and a Box, so you would still win a prize if your numbers were selected in a different order to the one you specified.
A Wheel wager is when you play each separate combination of a three-digit number as a separate Straight. You win the Straight prize if all your numbers are selected, but you have to pay for each individual combination. The amount you pay depends on whether you play a 3-Way or a 6-Way Wheel.
Unless you play a Straight and try to match all the numbers exactly, your selection will be classed as a 3-Way or a 6-Way. If you pick three different numbers, such as 123 or 456, this is known as a 6-Way because there are six possible combinations of those numbers. If two of your three numbers are the same, such as 778 or 909, there are just three ways in which those digits could be ordered.
For many wager types, the cost is up to you. You can play for just $0.50, or spend as much as $6. The wager amounts for a Straight are $0.50 and $1.
To win a prize, you need to match all the numbers you have selected and meet the requirements of your wager type. For example, if you play a Straight and your numbers are drawn in a different order, the wager is lost.
You can only win by matching two numbers if you play a Pair. You must then match the two numbers you have picked in the correct positions. For example, if you select 12 as a Front Pair, the first two winning numbers must be 12 in that same order. There is no prize for matching two numbers if you pick three.
The odds of winning are different for each play type. Your chances of matching all three numbers are 1 in 1,000.
You must be at least 18 years old to play Pick 3 in Ohio.
Yes, you can cancel a Pick 3 wager if the relevant drawing has not yet taken place.
You can play Pick 3 in Ohio without being a resident of the state, for example if you are passing through or on holiday. However, you will not be able to claim any prizes you win on OH Pick 3 in a different state. There are other versions of Pick 3 elsewhere in the U.S., but each one is run by its own state lottery.
You have 180 days from the date of a Pick 3 drawing to come forward and claim any prizes won.
You can claim Pick 3 prizes from participating lottery retailers in Ohio. Another option is to mail in your winning ticket to Ohio Lottery Commission, the Lausche Building – Room 452, 615 West Superior Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44113.
This is a wager where half your money goes on your numbers being drawn exactly, and half on them being selected in any order. You win both parts of the prize if your numbers appear exactly as specified, but you are also ‘backing up’ your Straight bet with a Box so you still get a payout if your numbers are drawn in a different order.
