Playing Pick 3 in New Hampshire is simple. There are more than 1,400 retail locations where you can go to get tickets. All you need to do is follow the steps below. You can fill in a playslip or tell the retailer your selections.
There are a number of different ways to play - Straight, Box, Straight/Box, Front Pair, Back Pair or Single Digit. Your decision here impacts on how much you can win and your odds.
In Pick 3, the number range to choose from is 0 to 9. You can select your own numbers or get an Easy Pick by marking the ‘EP’ box if you would prefer to let the lottery terminal generate random numbers for you.
You can play for a minimum of $0.50, or in $0.50 increments up to a maximum of $5. If you wager more, you’ll receive a bigger prize if you win.
You can play the same numbers for up to 21 consecutive days, or 42 drawings in a row if you enter both the Day and Evening draws.
The cut-off time for purchasing tickets is 1:00 p.m. for Day draws, or 6:45 p.m. for Evening draws. The New Hampshire Lottery’s advice is to sign tickets immediately to prove ownership. You can then keep it somewhere safe, check the results when they are available, and come forward if you are a winner.
Each bet type offers something different, whether your main consideration is wanting to win the biggest possible prize, or taking advantage of the best odds.
A Straight play is an attempt to match the three winning numbers exactly. You can pick any combination of digits you want, even a triple (three identical numbers such as 333). If all your numbers are drawn but they appear in a different order, your bet is lost.
With a Box bet, you win if your numbers appear in any order. For example, if you play 123 and the numbers drawn are 312, this is still a winning combination.
If you choose three different numbers, this is known as a 6-Way combination because there are six ways those numbers could be ordered (123 could also be drawn as 132, 213, 231, 312 or 321).
The other alternative is a 3-Way Box, which includes two numbers that are alike. For example, 445 cam also be arranged as 454 or 544. A 3-Way Box offers a bigger prize than a 6-Way because there are half as many winning combinations.
Half your money goes on a Straight bet and half on a Box bet. If your numbers appear in the exact order you have played them, you win the full prize. If all your numbers appear, but they are in a different order, you still win the Box part of the prize.
Instead of picking three numbers, you just have to choose two (one from each of the first two columns on your playslip). You have to match both in the correct positions to win a prize.
Leave the first column blank on your playslip and select which numbers you think will be drawn second and third. If both are correct, you win the prize. For example, if you choose X23, you win if the numbers drawn are 123, 223, 323, and so on. If the winning numbers are 132 or 230, for example, the wager is lost because you have not predicted the back two digits correctly.
This type of bet offers the best chance of winning as you only have to match one number correctly. You must pick a single digit and specify which position it will be drawn in (first, second or third). For example, if you pick the number 2 as the second digit, you win if 2 is drawn in the middle, but not if it comes out first or third and there is a different number in second place.
Go to the Prizes and Odds page to see all the payouts that are available in Pick 3. The amount you can win depends on how much you bet and the play type you select. If you play a Straight, for example, you win 500x your bet amount if your numbers are drawn exactly.