To play Carolina Pick 3, you are required to select numbers from 0 to 9 and choose between various play types. There are a few other steps to take too, before you can get hold of your ticket and be in with a chance of winning up to $500.
The Daytime Pick 3 drawing takes place at approximately 3:00 p.m., with the Evening draw following later on at 11:22 p.m. Here’s what you need to do to take part:
Pick three numbers (or two if you are playing a Pair) between 0 and 9. There are three rows on each play board on your slip – select a digit from each row or go for a Quick Pick.
Start by choosing how you want to play. The options are Exact, Any, 50/50, Combo, Front Pair or Back Pair. The play type you pick establishes how much you can win, and your odds of success.
For most play types, you can decide whether to spend $0.50 or $1. Paying a full dollar allows you to win twice as much as if you play for $0.50. The cost of a 50/50 play is fixed at $1.
You can enter the Day drawing, Evening drawing, or both. It is also possible to play your numbers in up to seven consecutive drawings. Choose a particular day to enter in advance without having to play all the intervening draws.
Select the Fireball option to add this feature to your play. The Fireball is an extra number in the draw which can replace any of the others to create more winning combinations.
Make sure to buy your tickets before 2:45 p.m. for the Day drawing (2.43 p.m. if playing online), or 11 p.m. for the Evening draw (10:58 p.m. online). The total cost depends on the play amount and the number of draws entered.
Another option is Repeat Play, which allows you to hand in an old ticket (it must be from the last 30 days). The barcode will be scanned and a new ticket will be printed which includes all the same selections – numbers, play type, how many draws entered and play amount.
Evening drawings are shown live throughout North Carolina on various TV stations. You’ll see the three main winning numbers being drawn, followed by the Fireball. If you add Fireball to your ticket, it doubles the cost of your play but gives you a far better chance of winning. Go to the Fireball page for more details.
Before picking your play type, make sure you know the differences between them. Some offer bigger prizes, while others have better odds.
The numbers you pick must match the winning numbers in the order they are drawn. If all your numbers are selected, but the order is not exact, you do not win.
All you need to do here is match the three winning numbers – the order does not matter. For example, if you play 123 and the numbers drawn are 231, you still win.
A 50/50 splits the cost of a play between an Exact and an Any Order. You win both parts of the play if you match the numbers exactly, or just the Any Order prize if they appear in a different order.
A separate Exact play will be generated for each combination of the numbers you pick. This gives you the same prize as an Exact play if you win, at the same odds as an Any Order play. However, you have to pay for each combination submitted.
You only need to select numbers from the first two rows on your playslip. If the two-digit combination you pick exactly matches the first two winning numbers, in order, you win.
This is a prediction on the second and third winning numbers, so you can leave the first row blank on your playslip. Match the last two winning numbers exactly in order to win.
Unless you submit an Exact play, the combination of numbers you pick makes a big difference to the prize you can win, your odds and/or the cost of playing.
If you select three different numbers, this is known as a 6-Way play because there are six possible combinations. For example, 123 can also be ordered 132, 213, 231, 312 or 321.
A 3-Way play has two like numbers and one unique, such as 911, which can also be arranged as 191 or 119. With half as many possible combinations, the odds of winning aren’t as good for 3-Way plays, but the potential prizes are bigger.
If you’re playing a Combo, you have to pay for either three or six combinations depending on the make-up of your numbers.
Your chances of winning, and the prize you can win, are different for each play type. The most you can win is $500, for a $1 Exact play, but your chances of winning are 1 in 1,000. Go to the Odds and Payouts page for all the different prize amounts.