Odds of winning Cash Five: probability of each tier
Exact probabilities for one line, independent of stakes and prizes. They are the same in every draw.
Cash Five prizes by tier
| Tier | Matches | Probability | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 matches | 1 in 324,632 | 0.000308 % |
| 2 | 4 matches | 1 in 2,164 | 0.046206 % |
| 3 | 3 matches | 1 in 75 | 1.339979 % |
| 4 | 2 matches | 1 in 8 | 12.506469 % |
| Chance of winning something | 1 in 7.2 | 13.89 % |
Probability per play under the game rules (5 from 35), calculated exactly. All prizes are fixed: 5 matches $25,000, 4 matches $350, 3 matches $15, 2 matches $2.
Multiple lines
With n different lines, the jackpot chance is multiplied by exactly n (the lines are mutually exclusive).
| Lines | Jackpot chance | Chance of winning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 in 324,632 | 13.9 % |
| 2 | 1 in 162,316 | 25.9 % |
| 5 | 1 in 64,926 | 52.7 % |
| 10 | 1 in 32,463 | 77.6 % |
| 20 | 1 in 16,232 | 95.0 % |
| 50 | 1 in 6,493 | 99.9 % |
| 100 | 1 in 3,246 | 100.0 % |
Average wait
Playing one line per draw, this is the average time you wait for the first win in the tier: (312 draws per year)
| Tier | Draws | years |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 324,632 | 1,040.5 |
| 2 | 2,164 | 6.9 |
| 3 | 75 | 0.2 |
| 4 | 8 | 0.0 |
For comparison
A jackpot chance of 1 in 324,632 is roughly equivalent to getting heads 18 times in a row when tossing a coin.