Simulators
Pick-3 Simulator: Straight vs Box
Compare straight and box Pick-3 bets over many simulated draws: how often each wins, how the balance moves, and how close it gets to the exact long-run return.
247 is three different digits. Played every draw for about 2.7 years at $1 a play, each bet below met the same 1,000 draws.
| Bet | This run | Expected | Chance to end ahead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight (exact order)won 1 times | −$500.00 | −$500.00return 50.0% | 8.0% |
| Box, 6 orderswon 5 times | −$600.00 | −$520.00return 48.0% | 0.86% |
| Straight/box, 6 orderswon 5 times | −$550.00 | −$510.00return 49.0% | 6.6% |
The straight bet swings hardest: long dry spells, then one big prize. The box bet wins more often and smaller. Over many draws every bet drifts toward its expected line.
Source: WCLC – PICK 3 Game Conditions and Prize Structure Statement, WCLC – PICK games page, WCLC – PICK 2 Game Conditions and Prize Structure Statement · checked 2026-10-29
A simulation with numbers only: there is no money on this site and nothing to buy. Each run uses a seeded generator, so the same link replays the same draws.
Straight vs box over time
Straight
- Wins only when all three digits match in exact order
- Odds: 1 in 1,000
- Pays a larger prize per win
- Long-run return under WCLC fixed prizes: 50.0% of the stake
- Balance falls for long stretches, then jumps
Box
- Wins when the three digits match in any order
- Odds: 1 in 166.7 (six-way) or 1 in 333.3 (three-way)
- Pays a smaller prize per win
- Long-run return under WCLC fixed prizes: 48.0% of the stake
- Balance moves in smaller, more frequent steps
Odds and long-run return by bet
| Bet | Wins when | Odds | Long-run return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight | Digits match in exact order | 1 in 1,000 | 50.0% |
| Box – six-way | Three different digits, any order | 1 in 166.7 | 48.0% |
| Box – three-way | Two digits the same and one different, any order | 1 in 333.3 | 48.0% |
| Straight/box – six-way | Exact order (straight part) or any order (box part) | 1 in 166.7 for the box part | 49.0% |
| Straight/box – three-way | Exact order (straight part) or any order (box part) | 1 in 333.3 for the box part | 49.0% |
Returns use the fixed prizes in the WCLC game conditions. In OLG's game, prizes come from a pool shared by winners, so amounts change from draw to draw.
Balance lines
| Bet | Exact expected line | Simulated line |
|---|---|---|
| Straight | Returns 50.0% of every stake | Long drops, rare large jumps up |
| Box – six-way | Returns 48.0% of every stake | Smaller jumps, more often than straight |
| Box – three-way | Returns 48.0% of every stake | Jumps less often than six-way box |
| Straight/box – six-way | Returns 49.0% of every stake | Mix of small and large jumps |
| Straight/box – three-way | Returns 49.0% of every stake | Mix of small and large jumps |
WCLC fixed prizes. Over more draws, the average per draw gets close to the expected return, but the gap between the totals usually grows. Both lines slope down.
Expected amount back
Expected amount back = total staked × long-run return
Example: For example, with WCLC straight bets the expected amount back is 50.0% of everything staked; the rest is the expected loss.
Terms on this page
- Straight
- A bet that wins only if the drawn digits match yours in the exact order.
- Box
- A bet that wins if the drawn digits match yours in any order.
- Six-way box
- A box on a number with three different digits; it can match in six orders.
- Three-way box
- A box on a number with two digits the same and one different; it can match in three orders.
- Straight/box
- One wager with a straight part and a box part, offered in the WCLC game.
- Long-run return
- The share of all money staked that comes back as prizes over a very large number of draws.
Related pages
Sources
- OLG – PICK-3 Game Conditions · checked Oct 29, 2026
- WCLC – PICK 3 Game Conditions and Prize Structure Statement · checked Oct 29, 2026
- OLG – About PICK-3 · checked Oct 29, 2026
- OLG – PICK-3 past results and odds · checked Oct 29, 2026
- WCLC – PICK games page · checked Oct 29, 2026
- WCLC – PICK 2 Game Conditions and Prize Structure Statement · checked Oct 29, 2026
- WCLC – PICK 4 Game Conditions and Prize Structure Statement · checked Oct 29, 2026
Questions
Is box or straight better in Pick-3?
Under WCLC fixed prizes straight returns 50.0% and box 48.0% of the stake; both lose money on average. Box wins more often but pays less. In OLG's game, prizes come from a shared pool and vary by draw.
How often does a Pick-3 box win?
A six-way box (three different digits) wins with odds of 1 in 166.7. A three-way box (two digits the same and one different) wins with odds of 1 in 333.3. A straight wins with odds of 1 in 1,000.
Does a box bet return more than straight?
No. Under the WCLC fixed prizes, a box returns 48.0% and a straight 50.0% of the stake over the long run. A box pays smaller prizes more often.
Can I play a box on a number with the same digit three times?
No. Both the OLG and WCLC game conditions say a number using the same digit three times is valid for a straight play only.