Play Types

Cash 3 offers various ways to play, depending on whether you want to go for the biggest prizes, the best odds, or something in-between. Find an explanation of each play type below, along with examples of winning combinations. Go to the Prizes page to see how much you can win for each play type.

Straight

A Straight play is one which requires you to predict the winning numbers in exact order. You can pick any combination of three numbers, even three identical digits (known as a triple). You only win if all three numbers are drawn in those same positions, otherwise you lose.

Box

With a Box, you predict three numbers and win if they are drawn in any order. You can’t choose three identical numbers, but you can pick two that are the same and one that is different, which is known as a 3-Way Box. Alternatively, you can play a 6-Way box, which has three different numbers. The table below illustrates how there are twice as many chances to win with a 6-Way.

Straight/Box

This is the only play type with a fixed cost - $1. Half this amount goes on a Straight, where you are trying to match the winning numbers exactly, and half goes on a Box where you can match them in any order. You win both parts of the prize if you get the numbers in the correct positions, but only the Box portion if they appear in another order. You can select a 3-Way or a 6-Way play for a Straight/Box.

Combo

For a Combo, you can select a 3-Way or a 6-Way play and you’ll win if all three numbers are drawn in any order. The key feature of a Combo, as opposed to a Box, is that you are playing each separate number combination as its own Straight. This means that you have to pay more to play than you do with a Box, but you also receive a bigger payout if your numbers are selected.

1-Off (Exact Order)

This type of play is a bit like a Straight as you are trying to match the numbers in exact order, but you still win a prize if one, two or three of your numbers are out by just one digit. For example, if you pick the numbers 258 and the numbers drawn are 358, the first digit is one off but the other two are correct so you do receive a payout. Here are some more examples:

Pairs

You can select Front Pair or Back Pair in Cash 3. If you are playing Front Pair, you must predict the first two winning numbers correctly. For a Back Pair, you must get the last two winning numbers right. They must be in the exact order for you to win a prize. When you play a Pair, it means you only have to select two numbers on your playslip. You can leave the third column blank if you are playing Front Pair, or the first column blank if you are playing Back Pair.