How To Find the Best Pick 4 Strategy for You

Pick 4 is a game with more room for strategy than most lotteries - you can choose between various play types and even choose how much to wager. Explore some of the techniques you could try in the next draw.

Popular Ways To Pick Numbers

The first decision when filling in a Pick 4 playslip is which numbers to select. The easiest method is a Quick Pick, when the lottery computer will generate a random set on your behalf. But if you prefer to choose your own numbers, there are a few popular options.

One is to play a Quad, where you pick four identical digits, such as 7-7-7-7 or 8-8-8-8. Whenever a Quad is drawn, it can create some of the biggest wins in Pick 4 history. This shows that a lot of players go with this approach and aim to match the numbers in exact order.

Another idea is to use a date, whether it is the year you were born, the month and date from your birthday, or another significant point on the calendar. When the numbers 1-9-5-7 were drawn in New Jersey in March 2023, it created a new single-day payout record in the state and was put down to the number of ‘Baby Boomers’ who probably played their birth years.

If you are interested in statistics, you might want to keep up to date with the latest hot and cold numbers in your state, or perhaps which numbers are overdue. It’s always worth noting that previous results cannot have an impact on future draws with a lottery, but going with the data is just as likely to pay off as any other strategy – the odds of any four-digit combination being drawn are exactly the same at 1 in 10,000.

Odds versus Payouts

Odds versus payouts is the key question for any Pick 4 player. A Straight play offers the biggest payout but is harder to win as you have to match all the numbers in exact order, while a Box has much better odds but the returns aren’t so high.

With a Box, you can match the numbers in any order, so you also have to consider the combination you pick. This is where 4-Way, 6-Way, 12-Way and 24-Way plays come in - the higher the ‘number of ways’, the easier it is to win. Rulemakers set all the prize amounts directly in proportion to the odds, so it can be hard to find a balance.

This is when it might be wise to consider some of the play types that can easily be overlooked, such as a Straight/Box or a Combo. With a Straight/Box, half your wager goes on each play type, so you can still win a big payout if you match the numbers exactly, but you effectively have a back-up bet on matching the numbers in any order too.

A Combo offers the same prize as a Straight and the same odds as a Box, which sounds ideal, but you do have to pay for each combination of the numbers you pick.

Some players have been creative with their strategy, such as the Virginia Lottery player who played the same number 200 times in one drawing and won $1 million. It worked perfectly for him, but imagine spending that much on tickets every day and not winning! At least if you played different numbers, you would be boosting your chances of winning.

Deciding on your wager amount is another important decision, as you can win more if you put more down. There are other factors too, such as whether to add the Fireball if it is available in your state.

The trick to finding the best strategy for you is to work out what you want from the game – if you’re happy to chase the top prize then you’ll have to accept that it is tougher to win, or you can hopefully get more regular payouts at a lower level by playing a different way. Regardless of your tactics, you only have a chance to win if you take part, so don’t forget to pick up a ticket for the next draw.