How to Play New Jersey Pick-4
50¢–$5 a play · Every day · 12:59 PM and 10:57 PM ET
- 1Pick 4 digits from 0 to 9, or 2 for a pair bet, or ask for a Quick Pick.
- 2Choose Straight, Box, Straight/Box, Wheel, or a Front or Back Pair.
- 3Choose a bet of 50¢, $1, $2, $3, $4 or $5.
- 4Add FIREBALL (it doubles the cost) or Instant Match ($1 more) if you like.
- 5Choose Midday, Evening or both, for up to 7 days in a row.
Ways to play
- StraightMatch all 4 digits in the exact order drawn.
- BoxMatch all 4 digits in any order.
- Straight/BoxA Straight and a Box on the same number, at twice the bet.
- WheelA Straight on every order of your digits.
- Front PairMatch the first 2 digits drawn, in exact order.
- Back PairMatch the last 2 digits drawn, in exact order.
Add-ons
- FireballDoubles the cost of a playAn extra digit drawn after each drawing that can replace any one winning digit, for more ways to win.
- Instant Match$1 moreInstant Match numbers printed on your ticket: if one matches a digit you played, you win its prize on the spot.
You must be 18 or older to buy a ticket or claim a prize. Sales stop 6 minutes before the Midday drawing and 4 before the Evening. See every prize
More Pick-4 rulesStraight · Box · Straight/Box · Wheel · Front Pair · Back Pair · Prizes · Liability limit · Fireball · Instant Match · Advance Play
- Straight
- Match all 4 digits in the exact order drawn.
- Box
- Match all 4 digits in any order. How many orders your number has sets the prize: 1112 is 4-way, 1122 is 6-way, 1123 is 12-way and 1234 is 24-way. A number like 1111 can only be played Straight.
- Straight/Box
- A Straight and a Box on the same number, each at your bet, so the smallest is $1: a 50¢ Straight and a 50¢ Box. The exact order wins both prizes, and any other order wins the Box prize.
- Wheel
- New Jersey calls this a Wheel: a Straight on every order of your digits, each at your bet, from 4 bets for a 4-way number to 24 for a 24-way. Whichever order is drawn wins one Straight prize.
- Front Pair
- Pick 2 digits. Win if they match the first 2 digits drawn, in exact order.
- Back Pair
- Pick 2 digits. Win if they match the last 2 digits drawn, in exact order.
- Prizes
- Every Pick-4 prize is fixed, set per 50¢ share: a $1 bet pays twice the 50¢ prize, and a $2 to $5 bet four to ten times it. New Jersey publishes the 50¢ and $1 prizes; the larger bets' follow from them.
- Liability limit
- Pick-4 pays fixed prizes, so the lottery sets a limit on what it can owe on any one number in a drawing. Once a number reaches it, no more bets on that number are taken for that drawing.
- Fireball
- One FIREBALL digit from 0 to 9 is drawn right after each Pick-3 and Pick-4 drawing. It replaces each drawn digit in turn to make new winning combinations, while your numbers stay the same. A play matching one wins the FIREBALL prize, on top of any base prize. FIREBALL costs the same as the bet it's added to, works with every bet type, and can't be played alone.
- Instant Match
- The terminal prints Instant Match numbers and their prizes on your ticket when you buy it. If a digit of your Pick-4 number matches one, in any position, you win the prize shown next to it right away, and a wildcard symbol wins its prize outright. One ticket can win more than once, and you still play the drawing. Instant Match is $1 more a play, and isn't available with Quick Pick or on a ticket with several bets for one drawing.
- Advance Play
- Multi-Draw plays the same numbers for up to 7 days in a row, at Midday, Evening or both.
Reviewed by Bishop Woosley, former Director of the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery and NASPL President.
You can't change Pick-4's odds.
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Good to know
- Before You PlayNew Jersey Lottery Draw Times Midday 12:59 PM, Evening 10:57 PM ET, every day. Sales stop 6 minutes before the Midday drawing and 4 before the Evening.
- After You WinHow to Claim a New Jersey Lottery Prize Up to $599 at any lottery retailer. You have one year to claim.
- Keep MoreNew Jersey Lottery Tax Calculator New Jersey taxes winnings at up to 10.75% on prizes over $10,000. 24% federal tax is withheld from prizes over $5,000, plus 5% state tax from prizes over $10,000, rising to 8% state tax from prizes over $500,000.
How other New Jersey games are played
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers about New Jersey Pick-4 rules
How do you play New Jersey Pick-4?
Pick 4 digits from 0 to 9, or 2 for a pair bet, or ask for a Quick Pick. Choose Straight, Box, Straight/Box, Wheel, or a Front or Back Pair. Choose a bet of 50¢, $1, $2, $3, $4 or $5. Add FIREBALL (it doubles the cost) or Instant Match ($1 more) if you like. Choose Midday, Evening or both, for up to 7 days in a row.
What are the ways to play Pick-4?
Straight: Match all 4 digits in the exact order drawn. Box: Match all 4 digits in any order. Straight/Box: A Straight and a Box on the same number, at twice the bet. Wheel: A Straight on every order of your digits. Front Pair: Match the first 2 digits drawn, in exact order. Back Pair: Match the last 2 digits drawn, in exact order.
What is Fireball in New Jersey Pick-4?
An extra digit drawn after each drawing that can replace any one winning digit, for more ways to win.
What is Instant Match in New Jersey Pick-4?
Instant Match numbers printed on your ticket: if one matches a digit you played, you win its prize on the spot.
How much is a Pick-4 ticket in New Jersey?
50¢–$5 a play. Add-ons: Fireball (doubles the cost of a play), Instant Match ($1 more).
How late can you buy New Jersey Pick-4 tickets?
The New Jersey Pick-4 cutoff time is 6 minutes before the Midday drawing and 4 before the Evening: 12:53 PM ET for the 12:59 PM Midday drawing and 10:53 PM ET for the 10:57 PM Evening drawing.
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