Cash 3
Cash 3 is Mississippi’s version of the 'pick-3' draw games that have become popular across the United States. The game provides an alternative to big multi-state lotteries like Powerball in that it gives you lots of different ways to play and pays out much more frequently.
Drawings take place every day and the winning numbers are confirmed on the Cash 3 Numbers page at around 9:50pm. You get to decide how much you pay to play and the order in which you want to match the winning numbers.
How to Play Mississippi Cash 3
You can pick up Cash 3 tickets from any lottery retailer in Mississippi. Grab a playslip and follow the steps below to fill it in:
Pick three numbers between 0 and 9
Make sure you mark one number in each of the three columns in the play area – if you mark more than one number in the same column your playslip will be void. You can choose the same number more than once. If you don’t want to pick your own numbers you can mark the Quick Pick box to get three randomly generated numbers. Fill in one play area for each combination of Cash 3 numbers you want to play.
Choose how much to pay
You can pay $1 for any of the five different play types, or you can pay $0.50 for an Exact Order or Any Order play. The amount you pay determines how much it is possible to win. Combination plays cost $3 or $6 depending on whether you go for a three-way or six-way play. The payout is the same for both types but your odds of winning are better with a six-way play.
Confirm your play type
Mark the play type that you want to go for. The available options are Exact Order (Straight), Any Order (Box), Exact / Any Order, Combination, and 1-Off. When playing an Exact Order or Any Order play, there will be two separate boxes - one for a $0.50 play and another for a $1 play. Make sure to mark the right one according to how much you want to pay.
Mark how many drawings to play
If you want to enter your numbers into more than one drawing, mark one of the multi-draw boxes next to the first play area to confirm how many. If you only want to enter the next draw leave these boxes unchecked.
Once that's done all that's left is to pay the cashier for your ticket. If you're buying a multi-draw ticket, all of the numbers you've picked will be entered into all of the drawings you chose to enter. For example, if you fill in all five play areas on a slip and choose to enter four drawings, you'll pay for 20 plays in total. Once you have your ticket, hold on to it as you will need it to claim any prizes you win.
Cash 3 Play Types
It's important to know the differences between all the play types Cash 3 offers, as the cost of playing, prizes, and odds of winning all vary between them. Use the table below to familiarize yourself with all the play types.
| Play Type | Win Conditions | Example Play | Winning Combinations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exact Order | Match the three winning numbers in the exact order they are drawn. You do not win if you match the three numbers in a different order. | 123 | 123 |
| Any Order - Three-Way | Match the three winning numbers in any order. | 122 | 122, 212, 221 |
| Any Order - Six-Way | Match the winning numbers in any order. | 123 | 123, 132, 213, 231, 312, 321 |
| Exact/Any Order - Three-Way | If you match the winning numbers in the exact order they appear, you get paid out for both parts of the bet - the Exact Order play and the Any Order play. If you match the winning numbers but not in the same order, you just win the Any Order part of the play. | 233 | 233 wins both parts of the play. 323 and 332 win the Any Order part of the play. |
| Exact/Any Order - Six-Way | If you match the winning numbers in the exact order they appear, you get paid out for both parts of the bet - the Exact Order play and the Any Order play. If you match the winning numbers but not in the same order, you just win the Any Order part of the play. | 234 | 234 wins both parts of the play. 243, 324, 342, 423, and 432 win the Any Order part of the play. |
| Combination - Three-Way | You play an Exact Order play on all three possible combinations of your chosen numbers. Therefore you win if you match the winning numbers in any order, but you get paid out for an Exact Order play. | 344 | 344, 434, 443 |
| Combination - Six-Way | You play an Exact Order play on all six possible combinations of your chosen numbers. Therefore you win if you match the winning numbers in any order, but you get paid out for an Exact Order play. | 345 | 345, 354, 435, 453, 534, 543 |
| 1-Off | You win if you match the winning numbers in the exact order, or if one of your numbers is one up or one down (one off) from one of the winning numbers. You get paid the same if you hit the numbers exactly or one off. | 456 | 456, 356, 556, 446, 466, 455, 457 |
Prizes and Odds
The biggest selling points of Cash 3 are the wide variety of prizes you can play for and the good odds of winning. When you take into account all the play types, including those that are split into three-way and six-way plays, there are many different prizes on offer. The following table shows the prizes that you can win for each Cash 3 play, as well as the odds of winning each one.
| Play Type | Prize - $0.50 Play | Prize - $1 Play | Odds of winning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exact Order | $250 | $500 | 1 in 1,000 |
| Any Order - Three-Way | $80 | $160 | 1 in 333 |
| Any Order - Six-Way | $40 | $80 | 1 in 167 |
| Exact/Any Order - Three-Way | - | $330 / $80 | 1 in 1,000 / 1 in 333 |
| Exact/Any Order - Six-Way | - | $290 / $40 | 1 in 1,000 / 1 in 167 |
| Combination - Three-Way | - | $500 | 1 in 333 |
| Combination - Six-Way | - | $250 | 1 in 167 |
| 1-Off | - | $36 | 1 in 143 |