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:
When you pick your Play Type, you're essentially setting the conditions for how your ticket can win. These options are: Straight, Box, and Straight/Box. To keep things simple for now, we've explained what these terms mean on our Ways to Play page.
Next, you'll need to specify whether you want to buy your ticket for $0.50 or $1. The odds stay the same, but the prizes increase proportionally to the amount you bet.
You'll need to pick four numbers from 0 to 9 - duplicates are allowed! If you'd prefer some random numbers, you can mark the Quick Pick section of your playslip instead of selecting any. The lottery terminal will generate a random set for you.
You can enter your numbers in the Day drawing at 1:35 PM, the Evening drawing at 6:59 PM, or Both. You can also enter into the next 2-7 applicable draws using the Number of Draws section on the playslip. Of course, entering multiple draws means paying for additional tickets!
PA Pick 4 has an optional add-on known as the Wild Ball. This is a fifth number (0 to 9), drawn along with the main four. Players can replace any of the drawn numbers with the Wild Ball number to create more winning combos. Adding it will double the cost of each play, but more than doubles your chances of winning!
The Prizes in Pick 4 are fixed, so you can check in advance what you stand to win for any kind of play you make. The top prize is $5,000, which can be won by betting $1 on a Straight Play, and successfully matching all four numbers in drawn-order. Head over to Odds and Prizes page to check all the other prize tiers.