How to Play Pick 3
Virginia Pick 3 allows you to play the game in various ways. There are five different play types you can choose from. Each one is explained in detail below.
To start playing you just have to pick three numbers and decide which draw you want to enter – Day, Evening or both.
The Fireball option adds a whole new way of playing. This creates new combinations to the drawn numbers and gives you better odds of winning prizes. Here is a full guide on how to play Pick 3 in Virginia.
Choose Your Numbers
First things first, like any lottery game you will have to decide on the numbers you want to play. In Pick 3 you must choose any three numbers / a three-digit number from 000 to 999. You can either decide these yourself, get an Easy Pick or use our helpful ‘number generator’ which will pick them for you.
Decide Your Play Type
Secondly, decide how you want to play by selecting a specific play type. There are five to choose from:
- Exact Order: You win by matching your three numbers in the same exact order that they are drawn.
- Any Order: For a higher chance of winning, pick any order. All you have to do is match the three drawn numbers in any sequence.
- 50/50: This is for players who love to mix and match. You get one $0.50 play on ‘Exact Order’ and one $0.50 play on ‘Any Order’ so you play both styles at once.
- Combo: Spread multiple plays across the board with ‘combo’. This plays ‘Exact Order’ on every single combination of a three-digit number between 000 and 999.
- Pairs: All you have to do is match two numbers in exact order with Pairs, the third number doesn't matter. You can choose Front Pair (the first two digits), Split Pair (first and last digit) or Back Pair (last two digits).
- For Any Order, 50/50 and Combo plays, you’ll also have to consider the configuration of the numbers you play, as they are classified as either 3-Way or 6-Way. A 6-Way play uses three different numbers, for example 123, while a 3-Way has two identical numbers out of three (e.g. 112). This impacts the odds of winning and also the prize amount you can win.
Purchase Your Ticket
You will have to purchase a ticket from a local store or gas station If you want to play Pick 3 in Virginia. Keep your ticket safe upon purchase for physical proof that you have won a prize. You also have the option to play online which keeps your ticket safe for you. One play is either $1 or $0.50, although Combos will cost between $1.50 and $6.
The Day draw takes place at 1:59 PM ET and the Evening drawing at 11:00 PM ET. Ticket sales close at 1:53.
The Fireball Option
You can select the Fireball option to boost your chances of winning. A Fireball number is drawn randomly alongside the three main numbers. If you have selected Fireball then you can use this to create new combinations with your numbers.
It can replace one of the three numbers that is drawn to get another chance of matching all the numbers. If you only matched two out of three but the Fireball is the same as the number you missed out on, then you still win!.
Adding the Fireball option doubles the price of your original play. Visit our ‘Fireball’
How to Win
There are different ways to win Virginia Pick 3 and they all depend on your play type. You may have to match three numbers in the exact order or you may only have to match two. Different plays all come with different prize payouts and odds of winning. View our ‘Odds and Prizes’ page for a full rundown on this.
