Pick 4 Glossary

We've developed this comprehensive glossary to help you understand the different terminology used in association with USA Pick 4 games. Discover the names each State calls their Pick 4 lottery and find the language used in all aspects of Pick 4 game play.

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Anonymity
The ability for a lottery winner to claim a prize without their name and likeness being made public by the lottery organization. Please be aware laws regarding winner anonymity vary significantly by State.
Annuity
A payout option for large jackpots where the money is distributed in annual payments over time (typically 20-30 years). Pick 4 prizes are fixed, one-off amounts rather than annuities.
Booster Ball
Primarily associated with the UK49s lottery and is not officially used as the name for an add-on feature in US Pick 4 lottery games. However, players in the US might hear or use the term informally, but the official terms are generally Fireball or Wild Ball.
Box (Any Order)
A bet type where the player's four chosen digits can match the four winning digits in any order. Payouts are lower than Straight bets. Types include 24-Way, 12-Way, 6-Way, and 4-Way, based on the digits chosen. A 24-Way has four different digits, so there are 24 possible combinations of those numbers. A 12-Way Box has one identical pair and two unique digits. A 6-Way Box has two sets of identical pairs, while a 4-Way has three identical digits and one that is unique.
Cash 4
Cash 4 is the official name of the daily four-digit lottery game in Georgia and Arkansas. While the core concept of this type of game is widespread, the specific name "Cash 4" may be used informally or might have been used historically in other locations, even if the officially branded game now goes by a different title.
Claim Center
An official lottery regional office or headquarters where winners can validate tickets and claim prizes, particularly those exceeding the payment threshold for retail locations.
Claim Form
An official document required by the lottery, typically for prizes over a certain amount, that the winner must complete with personal details and ticket information to formally claim their winnings.
Claim Period / Expiration Date
The specific timeframe after the official drawing date within which a winning lottery ticket must be presented for claim. This period varies widely by jurisdiction (e.g. often 90 days to 1 year in US states). Failure to claim within this period results in forfeiting the prize.
Claim Threshold
The prize value that determines how and where a winning ticket must be claimed. For example, smaller prizes might be claimable at authorized retailers, while larger prizes require visiting a Claim Center, or submitting a claim by mail/online procedure.
Cold Numbers
Numbers or digits that have appeared less frequently than others in recent Pick 4 drawings over a specified period.
Combo (Combination)
A bet type covering all possible Straight (exact order) combinations of a chosen set of four numbers. The cost is higher, reflecting the number of combinations, but it pays the Straight prize if any order of the chosen numbers is drawn.
Daily 4
A popular four-digit lottery game, earning its name from the daily draw schedule, Daily 4 offers players frequent chances to win. It is officially used in Michigan, Texas, and California, although the specific rules, draw times, play types, and prize structures may have minor variations in each state.
DC4
In Washington D.C., Pick 4 is often referred to as DC4. Like other Pick 4 games, DC4 offers three daily draws, providing multiple chances to win.
Digital Ticket Scan
A digital image or confirmation of a physical lottery ticket, often provided by lottery courier services as proof of purchase made on behalf of the user. The courier service, i.e. Jackpot.com typically holds the physical ticket securely.
Digit
A single numeral from 0 through 9 selected for each of the four positions in the game.
Drawing
The official, random selection process used by the lottery to determine the winning numbers or digits for a specific game and date. Here's a comprehensive list of upcoming Pick 4 draws.
Drawing Integrity
The comprehensive security measures and procedures used by lotteries to ensure that drawings are fair, random, secure, and free from tampering. This includes using audited Random Number Generators (RNGs) or mechanical ball machines, secure facilities, and often independent observation.
Evening Draw
The Pick 4 Evening Draw is one of the two daily opportunities for players of the Pick 4 lottery to win, with a specific set of winning numbers drawn in the evening.
Fireball
Used in states like Florida, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas for their Pick 4 (or equivalent) games. The Pick 4 Fireball acts as a wild card, increasing your chances of having a winning combination by allowing the Fireball number to substitute for any of the originally drawn numbers. Always check the specific rules and prize payouts for the Pick 4 Fireball in your state or jurisdiction, as they can vary.
Hot Numbers
Numbers or digits that have appeared more frequently than others in recent drawings over a specified period.
Jackpot.com
Jackpot.com is an online platform that allows users to bet on the outcomes of lotteries worldwide and play casino games. It provides a convenient way to play the lottery from a phone, tablet, or computer. Jackpot.com is the official lottery courier and provider of lottery results for the Associated Press.
Lottery Courier Service
A third-party company (e.g., Jackpot.com) that purchases official state or national lottery tickets from licensed retailers on behalf of customers through a mobile app or website.
Lottery Pool / Syndicate
A group of people (e.g., colleagues, friends, family) who pool their money to buy lottery tickets collectively and agree beforehand to share any potential winnings according to the contributions made. Formal syndicate agreements are recommended.
Lucky Sum
An optional feature in some states (District of Columbia) which gives you another chance to win. If your numbers add up to the same sum as the total of the drawn numbers, you win a payout.
Match 4
While "Match 4" is not the official title of a distinct DC Pick 4 game, it's a term frequently used by players to describe the primary way to win: by matching all four drawn numbers.
Midday / Evening Draw
Refers to different drawing times offered by lotteries for daily games like Pick 4, often one near midday and one in the evening.
Numbers
Used by Massachusetts for its Pick 4 game ("The Numbers Game"). (Note: New York uses "Numbers" for its Pick 3 game).
Odds
Lottery odds represent the probability of winning a specific prize in a lottery game. They are expressed as a ratio (e.g., 1 in a million) and tell you how likely you are to win that particular prize compared to all the possible outcomes. A higher "1 in X" number means a much lower chance of winning. Understanding the odds helps you grasp the true likelihood of winning different prize levels in a lottery.
Pairs
Bet types focusing on matching only two of the four drawn digits in exact order (e.g., Front Pair, Back Pair, Split Pair).
Pick 4
The most generic term. Used officially by many states including Illinois, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Florida (current official name), North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Ohio, and others. Georgia uses Pick 3/Pick 4/Pick 5 branding.
Pick 4 Ticket
Pick 4 Tickets give you a chance to win cash prizes by correctly predicting a sequence of four numbers drawn daily by the lottery, with various ways to play catering to different risk and reward preferences. The specific rules, prize amounts, and available play types can vary slightly depending on the state lottery offering the game.
Play 4
Used officially in Connecticut ("Play4"). Historically or colloquially associated with Florida.
Play Slip (Bet Slip)
The paper form used by players to manually mark their chosen numbers, bet types, wager amounts, and other play options before purchase.
Prize / Payout
The amount of money won for a specific winning combination, determined by the game's rules, the bet type, and the amount wagered.
Quick Pick (QP) / Easy Pick (EP)
An option where the lottery terminal's or app's random number generator selects the numbers for the player's ticket.
Random Numbers
Random lottery numbers are the result of a carefully controlled process designed to give every possible number combination an equal chance of being drawn. While mechanical methods using ball machines are traditional, electronic systems using true random seeds and sophisticated algorithms are increasingly common, all with stringent security measures in place to ensure fairness.
State Lottery
The official government-authorized or government-operated entity responsible for organizing and managing lottery games within a specific jurisdiction (e.g., individual US states have their own lotteries).
Straight (Exact Order)
A bet type requiring the player's four digits to match the four winning digits in the exact sequence they are drawn. Typically offers the highest payout for this game type.
Straight/Box
A combined bet placing both a Straight and a Box bet on the same numbers for one draw, usually costing double the base wager. Half the money goes on a Straight and half on a Box, so it is possible to win both portions of the prize (if the numbers are drawn in exact order), or just the Box prize if they are drawn in another order.
Sum it up
Also known as Lucky Sum, this is a feature that was widely available and can still be found in certain jurisdictions (Idaho, District of Columbia). If the sum of your selected numbers is the same as the total of the drawn numbers, you win a prize.
Ticket Security Features
Anti-counterfeiting and verification elements incorporated into physical lottery tickets, such as unique barcodes, QR codes, serial numbers, watermarks, holograms, special inks, or paper stock. Digital tickets rely on secure account authentication.
Validation
The official process where the lottery operator verifies if a ticket (physical or digital) is a winner by checking its unique identifiers and security features against the official draw results and records in their secure system.
Wager Amount (Bet Amount / Stake)
The sum of money paid for a specific lottery play, line, or combination.
Wheeling System
A lottery strategy (more common for lotto games with larger number pools than Pick 4) where players choose a larger group of numbers and buy tickets covering specific combinations of those numbers. The goal is often to guarantee a smaller prize if a certain count of the drawn numbers falls within the player's selected group.
Wild Ball
Used in states like Connecticut, Missouri, and Pennsylvania for their Pick 4 (or equivalent) games. The Wild Ball is an optional feature that doubles the cost of your Pick 4 ticket and is a separate draw of a single number after the main Pick 4 draw. The Wild Ball number can replace any one of the official winning numbers to form new combinations and offers more chances to win beyond the base Pick 4 game. The specific rules, prize structures, and odds for Pick 4 with Wild Ball can vary significantly depending on the lottery organization and the state or region offering the game.
Win 4
Win 4 is New York's official daily four-digit lottery game, offering various ways to play and win with twice-daily draws and a range of prize options up to $5,000 for a $1 straight play. It is the equivalent of the "Pick 4" game found in many other states.
Zodiac Lottery Strategy
Some zodiac lottery strategies involve playing numbers believed to be lucky for each sign, using birth or astrological dates, considering planetary positions at draw or birth times, or combining astrology with numerological calculations based on names and dates.