Pick 6 is one of the most popular lottery games in the world. Your chances of winning are much better than the big Powerball type games. But if you want to maximise your chances there's more to it than just buying a quick pick.
So let's get started.
How Does Pick 6 Lottery Work?
Pick 6 is a lottery game where 6 main balls are drawn out. Most commonly they are drawn from a pool of the numbers 1-49, also called a '6/49' game or '6 from 49'.
It doesn't have to be 1-49 though. There are versions with more and less balls than this.
How To Play Pick 6
To play Pick 6 you choose 6 numbers from the pool of numbers available (typically 1-49 but can be more or less depending on the specific game). Each number must be different - you cannot choose the same number more than once for each combination you pick.
You choose each number by marking it off in a block of the available numbers. Playslips have more than one block of numbers so you can play multiple combinations at the same time. You can complete as many playslips as you like to cover all the combinations you want to play.
If Pick 5 is more your game however then read how to win on the pick 5 lottery
Pick 6 Jackpot Odds
The jackpot odds for Pick 6 depend on how many balls the 6 main balls are being drawn from. For a '6 from 49' game the jackpot odds are 1 in 13,983,816 (or just under 14 million). The odds for a big game like the US Powerball are 20 times worse than this (more on How To Win Powerball Lottery Games).
The larger the pool of numbers drawn from the harder the jackpot will be to win.
These are some common game formats with the jackpot odds:-
| Pick 6 Format | Jackpot Odds |
|---|---|
| 6 from 40 | 1 in 3,838,380 |
| 6 from 44 | 1 in 7,059,052 |
| 6 from 45 | 1 in 8,145,060 |
| 6 from 47 | 1 in 10,737,573 |
| 6 from 48 | 1 in 12,271,512 |
| 6 from 49 | 1 in 13,983,816 |
| 6 from 59 | 1 in 45,057,474 |
How many possible combinations are there in a lottery draw of 6 numbers from 49?
There are 13,983,816 possible combinations of 6 numbers from 49. Therefore the odds of winning Pick 6 are 1 in 13,983,816 if you buy one combination.
Winning Pick 6
How many numbers do you need to win on pick 6?
To win the jackpot on Pick 6 you must match all 6 of the main numbers drawn. The order the balls are drawn does not matter.
Note: many Pick 6 games also have a 'bonus ball' drawn after the main numbers. This does NOT count towards winning the jackpot. It only counts towards smaller tier prizes.
Pick 6 Lottery Strategies
Let's get into some more specific strategies you can apply to improve your chances of winning Pick 6.
Focus Your Efforts
If you decide Pick 6 is your game, then don't play anything else. If you focus all of your playing budget on one game you will have a better overall chance of winning.
Don't Play Every Draw
You don't need to play every single draw. Instead you can save up your playing budget for specific draws and play more combinations in that draw. This improves your odds of winning.
Choose The Less Popular Draw
Most Pick 6 games have two draws per week - usually one on Saturday and one in the middle of the week. More people play the weekend draw. So if you play the midweek draw and win, you are more likely to get the full jackpot and not have to share it with other winners.
Keep Your Tickets Safe
Always store your tickets safely and check them soon after the draw (or ideally while watching the live draw). Lots of tickets get lost (or destroyed in washing machines!), which is why a lot of prizes go unclaimed - sometimes even jackpots.
How To Pick 6 Winning Lottery Numbers
There are various strategies you can apply to improve your chances, but there are no magical systems that can guarantee winning numbers. You can avoid picking popular numbers which could greatly increase the size of the jackpot if you do win the lottery (some 'lucky' combinations are played by thousands of people who will be very disappointed at their share of the prize if they win). You can also try to identify numbers that are more likely to appear.
Don't however be fooled by systems that claim things like all odd or all even combinations are less likely - the balls are not aware of the numbers printed on them so can't be affected by things like this.
Questions
What are the odds of winning pick 6?
The odds of winning Pick 6 are 1 in 13,983,816. This is for a 6 from 49 game. You can also find the odds for other Pick 6 games here.
Do you win anything with 2 numbers on Pick 6?
No, you don't win anything for 2 numbers on Pick 6. At least not for most Pick 6 games - there may be exceptions though so always check the game rules for your specific game to be sure.
Does 3 numbers win in pick 6?
Yes, 3 numbers does win on Pick 6. There may be exceptions but matching 3 numbers is normally the lowest level prize.