Pick 3 plus Fireball is an Illinois game with two draws a day and the chance to win prizes up to $500, with lots of choices for how to play. The Midday draw is held seven days a week at 12:40 PM CT and the Evening draw takes place every night at 9:22 PM CT. Playing is as easy as picking your three lucky numbers and favorite play type; there are six to choose from. Add the Fireball option for even more opportunities to win.
The table below shows the prizes and chances of winning for each Pick 3 play type. The amount you can win depends on how much you wager. $1 prizes are twice as high as the $0.50 prizes, and $5 prizes are five times the size of the $1 prizes - it's all balanced and equal, and wagering more doesn't affect the odds of winning at all.
Adding the Fireball option gives you more chances to win, but the prizes for winning with a Fireball number are slightly lower than their main prize counterparts. However, if you get very lucky, it's actually possible to win a Fireball prize and a main prize on the same ticket!
| Play Type | Prize for 50¢ Play | FB Prize (50¢ Play) | Prize for $1 Play | FB Prize ($1 Play) | Odds of Winning | Odds of Winning with FB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight Match in exact order | ||||||
| Straight | $250 | $125 | $500 | $250 | 1 in 1,000 | 1 in 333 |
| Box Match in any order | ||||||
| 3-Way Box | $80 | $40 | $160 | $80 | 1 in 333 | 1 in 111 |
| 6-Way Box | $40 | $20 | $80 | $40 | 1 in 167 | 1 in 56 |
| Straight/Box Match in exact OR any order. Cost: $1 | ||||||
| 3-Way | - | - | $330 (Str), $80 (Box) | $165 (Str), $40 (Box) | 1 in 1,000 & 1 in 333 | 1 in 333 & 1 in 111 |
| 6-Way | - | - | $290 (Str), $40 (Box) | $145 (Str), $20 (Box) | 1 in 1,000 & 167 | 1 in 333 & 1 in 111 |
| Combo All Straight combinations of a 3-digit number | ||||||
| 3-Way | $250 ($1.50 bet) | $125 | $500 ($3 bet) | $250 | 1 in 1,000 | 1 in 111 |
| 6-Way | $250 ($3 bet) | $125 | $500 ($6 bet) | $250 | 1 in 1,000 | 1 in 56 |
| Pairs Match in exact order | ||||||
| Front Pair | $25 | $12 | $50 | $24 | 1 in 100 | 1 in 33 |
| Back Pair | $25 | $12 | $50 | $24 | 1 in 100 | 1 in 33 |
Select your three favorite numbers from 0-9 and mark one per line on the play slip - or let Quick Pick randomly choose them for you. You can select the same numbers multiple times, and depending on your play type, this can affect your odds and prizes.
Choose one of six play styles according to how you want to match your numbers to the numbers that are drawn. See the Play Types section for all your options.
You can wager $0.50, $1, $2, $3, $4, or $5 per game and prizes increase proportionally. The top prize is won with Straight and Combo plays, and is worth $2,500 with a $5 wager (or $500 with a $1 wager, for example).
Mark the Fireball option to give you more chances to win. The Fireball is a fourth number from 0 to 9 drawn along with the main three numbers. If you've added the Fireball to your ticket, you can swap any of the main numbers with the Fireball to create new winning combos - greatly improving your prize odds! Adding it to your ticket doubles the cost of your wager.
If you'd like to play your numbers for more than one day, mark the number of days to play: 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6. Choose the draw time you want to play: Midday, Evening, or Both.
Straight - Match the winning numbers in exact order.
Box - Match the winning numbers in any order. If you chose two identical digits (for example, 112), it's called a 3-Way Box play. For all-unique digits, it's a 6-Way Box. 3-Way has better prizes, and 6-Way has better odds.
Straight/Box - Your bet is split in two, half on Straight and Half on Box. Match in any order to win the Box prize, or match in exact-order to win the Straight AND Box prizes. 3-Way / 6-Way rules still apply here to the Box portion of your play.
Combo - Enter all possible combinations of your numbers as a separate Straight play, and win the Straight prize (the top prize!) if you match in any order. This play type is more expensive - for example, with a $1 wager, Combo plays cost $3 for 3-Way or $6 for 6-Way.
Pairs - Match the first two digits in exact order (for example, 12X) for a Front Pair bet, or the last two digits in exact order (for example, X23) for a Back Pair bet.
Get your tickets before the draw closes at 12:35 PM (Midday) or 9:15 PM CT (Evening).
The minimum age to play Pick 3, or any other Illinois Lottery game, is 18.
You can play up to six days in a row. If you enter both the Midday and Evening draws, that makes 12 consecutive draws.
To win a prize, you have to match all the numbers you select, so there is no payout for getting two out of three. However, if you play a Front Pair or Back Pair and match both numbers in the correct positions, you do win a prize.
There are a few options for how much to wager per play - $0.50, $1, $2, $3, $4, or $5. If you add the Fireball, it'll double the cost of your wager. Making a Combo play will also increase the cost of your ticket.
The prize payouts are based on the odds of winning, and a 6-Way play gives you twice as much chance as a 3-Way. A 6-Way play has three different digits, while a 3-Way has two digits that are the same.
