Fireball option returns

By Kate Northrop

Today, the Virginia Lottery launched its latest draw game — Pick 5.

Virginia residents can pick up tickets for the Lottery's newest game starting today for a chance to win a prize of up to $50,000.

The popular game, like Pick 3 and Pick 4 in the Lottery's repertoire, also features the Fireball add-on, which gives players another chance to win by creating additional number combinations. This is also the first game the Virginia Lottery has ever released both in-store and online at the same time.

"The launch of Pick 5 with Fireball marks another milestone for the Virginia Lottery as it's the first game we are launching simultaneously at retail and online," Lottery Executive Director Kelly Gee told Lottery Post. "Given the success and product loyalty we've seen in Pick 3 and Pick 4 over many years, we believe our customers will welcome and enjoy this exciting new game, along with the option to play wherever they choose to engage with us."

The main differences between Pick 5 and Cash 5 are the number matrices and prizes. Pick 5 offers fixed prizes for different play types, while Cash 5 has a progressive jackpot that starts at $100,000. Pick 5 draws each digit from a separate tumbler, enabling duplicate numbers to be drawn, while Cash 5 has all five numbers drawn from the same tumbler.

In Pick 5, players select either a $.50 or $1 wager amount, followed by the desired draw (day, night, or both), a play type, and five-digit number from 00000 through 99999. Players can also opt for a Quick Pick (Easy Pick), which allows the computer to randomly generate numbers for you.

The play types are as follows:

• Exact Order: Play straight, match all five digits in the same order as drawn
• Any Order: Match all five digits drawn in any order
• 50/50: Split a $1 wager in half, put $.50 on Exact Order and $.50 on Any Order

Adding the Fireball option by doubling the cost of your plays will give your set of numbers another chance to win a prize. After each day and night Pick 5 drawing, a Fireball number will be drawn from ten numbered balls, 0-9. A play with the add-on can use the drawn Fireball number to replace any of the numbers in the original corresponding drawing to make five possible new combinations for a chance to win a Fireball prize. A Fireball win is separate and in addition to other Pick 5 wins.

Pick 5 drawings are conducted via traditional mechanical ball drawing machines.

The highest possible prize in the game is won by matching all five drawn numbers in Exact Order. The odds of winning $50,000 in Pick 5 are 1 in 100,000.

Multi-draw tickets are available to play 91 or fewer consecutive Pick 5 draws on one ticket. It is also possible to buy a ticket for one future draw date, called a Future Play, by marking the Optional Plays box on the play slip and telling the retailer clerk the desired draw date.

Pick 5 drawings take place twice a day, first at 1:59 pm Eastern Time and then again at 11:00 pm Eastern Time. The cutoff time for the day drawing occurs daily at 1:53 pm and at 10:45 pm for the night drawing.

All Pick 5 winning numbers, prizes, and odds are published on Lottery Post's Virginia Lottery Results page right after each drawing.