Look through the frequently asked questions below to find out the answers to some of the most common queries related to Pick 3 in Texas. Learn about various aspects of the game, including how to claim prizes.
In its simplest form, Pick 3 just requires you to select three numbers from 0 to 9. You can even get a Quick Pick if you’d prefer random numbers rather than choosing your own. You also have choices to make, such as your play style, play amount and Fireball. Find out all the steps on the How to Play page.
There are four play styles to choose from – Exact Order, Any Order, Combo, or Exact/Any. A lot depends on whether you want to try and match the numbers in the same order they are drawn or not. Read more about Pick 3 play styles.
This refers to the combination of numbers you select. A 3-Way play consists of two identical numbers and one that is different (for example 1-1-4), as there are only ‘three ways’ those numbers can be ordered (1-1-4, 1-4-1, 4-1-1). A 6-Way play has three different numbers, for example 1-2-3, which has six different order combinations (1-2-3, 1-3-2, 2-1-3, 2-3-1, 3-1-2, 3-2-1).
There are fixed prizes for different play types. The largest potential payouts are for the Exact Order method, where you can win 500x your play amount if you match all your numbers in the correct positions. Go to the Prizes page to see all the different payouts you can win, in both the base game and with Fireball.
Fireball is an add-on feature which doubles the cost of your play if you wish to select it. A Fireball number between 0 and 9 is randomly selected after the main draw takes place, and you can replace any of the drawn numbers with this Fireball number to create winning combinations. See the Fireball page for more information.
Regardless of which play style you select, you must match all three numbers to win a prize. However, if you play Pick 3 plus Fireball, it is possible to get a prize by matching two of the three main numbers, if the Fireball helps you to create a winning combination.
There are four draws a day from Monday to Saturday, at 10:00 a.m., 12:27 p.m., 6:00 p.m. and 10:12 p.m. No draws are held on Sunday.
Ticket sales close 10 minutes before a particular draw, so the cut-off times are 9:50 a.m., 12:17 a.m., 5:50 p.m. and 10:02 p.m. There is then a sales break before sales resume approximately three minutes after each draw.
The odds of winning depend on your play style. The odds of matching all three of your numbers in the exact order are 1 in 1,000.
No. All the prizes are fixed, so they stay the same in every draw. It also means that you are guaranteed to receive the full advertised amount for your play style and amount if you win. Prizes are not shared.
You can claim Pick 3 prizes from Texas Lottery retailers, or from any of the claim centers across the state. You can also claim by mail by sending your ticket to the Texas Lottery Commission, ATTN: Austin Claim Center, PO Box 16600, Austin, TX 78761-6600.
You have 180 days to claim any prizes won in Pick 3.
Every time you buy a Texas Lottery ticket, around a quarter of the money goes to good causes. Most is donated to the education system via the Foundation School Fund, while a small portion also goes to the Fund for Veterans’ Assistance and other state programs. The majority of the revenue is paid straight back to players in the form of prize money.
