Replaces the retired Weekly Winnings game
By Todd Northrop
Arizona Lottery players now have a new evening draw game to play featuring a playing card theme is proving to be very popular throughout North America.
The new $2 lotto game called "5 Card Cash" is modeled after the popular poker-themed games found in several state and provincial lotteries throughout the United States and Canada.
While most Arizona Lottery games either have the opportunity to win instantly, or in a daily drawing, 5 Card Cash offers both. Players will be able to win one of several instant prizes at the time the ticket is purchased, and tickets are also eligible to win a prize in the drawing that day.
The new $2 game works like this: When players buy their ticket, five card symbols are printed on it. If the five card symbols include a pair of Jacks or better or a higher winning hand, like three of a kind, a flush or a full house, they win instantly. The top prize on the instant portion is $5,000 for having a royal flush.
For the daily drawing, the lottery will draw five random card symbols from the 52 total cards. A player then wins if they match at least two of the five cards drawn. If they match all five, the player wins the top prize of $100,000.
A ticket that wins an instant prize is still eligible to win a daily drawing prize as well.
"5 Card Cash is the Arizona Lottery's first hybrid game that allows our players to win both instantly and by a nightly drawing, which is in direct response to our players' requests for more ways to win," said Tony Bouie, Executive Director of the Arizona Lottery. "We are excited to launch 5 Card Cash and expect it to be extremely popular with our players."
The new 5 Card Cash game replaces the retired Weekly Winnings game, which had its final drawing on Oct. 2, 2015.
5 Card Cash tickets are Quick Pick only, meaning that no playslips are needed. The drawings will be conducted by the Lottery every evening except Sundays at approximately 7:05 p.m. during daylight saving time and 8:05 p.m. the rest of the year. Winning cards will be published on Lottery Post's Arizona Lottery Results page soon after each drawing.
The overall odds for winning an instant prize on "5 Card Cash" are 1 in 4.8, and the overall odds of winning a draw prize are 1 in 15. The odds of hitting the $5,000 instant top prize are 1 in 649,740. The odds of winning the $100,000 prize are 1 in 2,598,960.
Tickets for 5 Card Cash went on sale Sunday, October 4, with the game's first daily drawing taking place on Monday, October 5.
Like all Arizona Lottery games, winning tickets for 5 Card Cash must be redeemed within 180 calendar days of the drawing date indicated on the ticket.
Weak prizes. The CT version pays better.
They have a game like this in Md. The nightly draw version is an RNG.
Looks like same game we've had here in Kentucky for a while...I call it five card trash.
The prizes are a little small on the lower end but to chances to win on the same ticket is a plus.
Because of the nature of the game, self picks are out of the question so this game is probably closer to scratch-offs. And while it would be very difficult having a live drawing, it's possible and probably why states with these games have lower Report Card ratings.
True about the computerized drawings. However there are some notable exceptions. Canada seems to have the best record here.
Here is a listing of all the state and provincial lotteries that have a 5 Card Cash/Poker game, and the drawing type: