Quick Pick

A Quick Pick is a fast and easy way to play New York Lottery games. You do not need to think about which numbers you would like to select or spend time filling out a playslip, as your numbers will be randomly picked for you. You can find out exactly how Quick Picks work on this page, including whether or not it’s true that your odds of winning change when you play one.

How Do Quick Picks work?

Quick Picks, sometimes known as Quick Pix or Lucky Dips, are designed to let you play the lottery with the minimum of effort. There is no need to fill out a playslip. All you need to do is ask a New York Lottery retailer for a Quick Pick for the game of your choice. State which draw you would like to enter and how many lines you wish to play and the rest of the work will be done for you.

A Quick Pick entry costs the same as if you were selecting your own numbers, and you receive a ticket with your numbers on it in just the same way. However, the numbers will have been selected by a random number generator in the retailer’s lottery terminal. One downside of buying them this way is that you can’t change your mind if you don’t like the random numbers you’re given. You have to stick with the first set of numbers printed on your ticket.

The odds of winning with a Quick Pick are exactly the same as the odds of winning with your own numbers. Every draw is a unique, random event, so the chances of winning are identical for every possible number combination in a game, whether they have been chosen by a player or a computer.

What Are the Advantages of a Quick Pick?

Quick Picks are popular because they are the easiest way to play. You can just ask a retailer for a ticket and you will be given one in an instant, so you don’t have to fill out a playslip. A Quick Pick is also ideal if you don’t really know which numbers to select or if it doesn’t matter to you which ones you pick.

The advantage of playing random numbers in certain games is that you are less likely to have to share a prize, so you could end up with a larger payout. While the odds are the same for every number combination, there are some combinations that will be picked by players more often than others.

For example, a lot of players select sequences of low numbers such as 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, or significant dates such as family birthdays. If you win a jackpot using a more recognizable pattern or a set of birthday numbers under 31, it is more likely you would have to share the prize with other players who have used similar methods. If you buy a Quick Pick and play random numbers, there could be a lower chance of having to split the money.

What Are the Alternatives to Quick Picks?

The other option is to select your own numbers. It may be that you feel more confident of winning if you choose numbers of personal importance such as birthdays or addresses. It can also be easier to tell if you are a winner if you see the results and instantly know which numbers you are looking out for without having to check your ticket.

If you can’t think of what numbers to choose but still want a degree of flexibility over which ones you play, our random number generators allow you to keep generating lines of lottery numbers until you have some you’re happy with. Unlike a Quick Pick, you would need to fill out a playslip once you have some numbers you want to enter.