To play Pick 3 in Kentucky, select a three-digit combination from 000 to 999, choose your wager type and wager amount, and decide which draws to enter. Find out more about how to play in the step-by-step guide below, with detailed explanations about the wager types further down the page.
Pick three numbers between 0 and 9 (or two if you are playing a Pair). Select your own or get a Quick Pick if you want a random selection generated by the computer.
There are various play types to choose from – Straight, Box, Straight/Box, Super Straight, Front Pair, Back Pair or Split Pair.
Select your preferred wager amount from the options on your playslip. The minimum you can wager is $0.50 and the maximum is $5.
Play your numbers in the Midday draw, the Evening draw, or both. You can purchase tickets for up to seven consecutive days.
Make sure to purchase your tickets in time for the draws. The cut-off times are 1:20 p.m. and 10:55 p.m.
Keep your ticket safe until the draw takes place – 1:20 p.m. or 11:00 p.m. – then check the results to find out if you are a winner.
Select the advance play option if you wish to take part on a future day, up to seven days in advance, without entering your numbers into every drawing in the meantime.
Another option is to ‘Play it Again’ if you have a favorite set of numbers. This allows you to just hand in an old ticket and the store clerk will give you another one with all the same selections, starting with the next drawing. There is no need to fill out a new playslip.
When a draw takes place, the winning three-digit combination is produced using a computerised random number generator. Balls and machines have not been used in KY Pick 3 since April 2020.
Find out more about each of the different wager types you can play in Kentucky. The way you play dictates how much you can win.
A Straight play requires you to match the three winning numbers exactly in order. You can choose any combination of numbers, even three identical digits such as 666, because each winning number is drawn from a separate pool of 0 to 9.
With a Box wager, you are just trying to predict which three numbers will be drawn. The order does not matter. For example, if you play the numbers 123 and the winning digits are 213, this would give you a win.
A Straight/Box splits your wager in two. It is always a fixed $1, with $0.50 going on a Straight play and $0.50 on a Box. Match all three winning numbers exactly and you win both parts of the wager. If you get all three numbers in another order, you still get a payout for the Box portion of the wager, but miss out on the Straight prize.
Playing a Super Straight combines the big prize offered by a Straight wager with the better odds of a Box. Match your three numbers in any order and you’ll win the Straight payout, because every combination of your selected digits is entered as a separate Straight. You’ll just have to pay for every combination you enter. If you ever play Pick 3 in another state, this type of wager is commonly referred to as a Combo.
You don’t have to select three numbers in Pick 3. Instead, you can choose to try and match two of the three numbers exactly. It is up to you whether you play a Front Pair (match the first two numbers), a Back Pair (match the last two numbers) or a Split Pair (match the first and last numbers). Specify which type you are playing on your playslip, and leave the relevant line blank when picking your numbers. For example, if you are playing a Front Pair, mark numbers on the first two lines and leave the third blank.
If you play a Box, Straight/Box or Super Straight, the combination of numbers you pick plays a part in your odds of winning and the prize that is on offer. If two of the three numbers you choose are the same and the third is different, such as 778, this can be arranged three ways (778, 787 or 877). A 6-Way wager, containing three unique numbers, such as 123, has twice as much chance of winning (123 can also be arranged 132, 213, 231, 312 or 321).
To win a prize, you must match all the numbers you have picked, and it must be according to the criteria set out by the particular play type you have selected. For example, if you play a Straight and your numbers are drawn in another order, you do not receive the Box prize. All the payouts are fixed, based on the play type and your wager amount. Find out more on the Prizes and Chances page.