How does Poker Lotto work?
One ticket plays two games. When you ask for Poker Lotto, the lottery terminal deals five cards at random and prints them, rank and suit, on the ticket. You can't choose them.
The first game is settled right there. If the five cards form a paying poker hand, the ticket is an instant winner and you can cash it straight away.
The second game happens later. Every night at 7:29 p.m. Eastern, the Michigan Lottery draws five cards from a full deck. Your ticket's five cards are compared with them, and you win if at least two of yours appear among the five drawn. Poker hands play no part in the drawing; it is a straight match of exact cards, so the queen of hearts only matches the queen of hearts.
So an instant winner is not finished with. The same cards are still live for the evening drawing, which is worth remembering before you hand a ticket over to be cashed.
What does the instant hand pay?
The minimum paying hand is a pair of jacks, queens, kings or aces. The odds below are the standard five-card poker probabilities, which match the odds published for the game.
| Hand | Instant prize | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Royal flush | $5,000 | 1 in 649,740 |
| Straight flush | $500 | 1 in 72,194 |
| Four of a kind | $150 | 1 in 4,165 |
| Full house | $75 | 1 in 694 |
| Flush | $50 | 1 in 509 |
| Straight | $20 | 1 in 255 |
| Three of a kind | $5 | 1 in 47 |
| Two pair | $3 | 1 in 21 |
| Pair of jacks or better | $2 | 1 in 8 |
About one ticket in five wins something on the instant side. Most of those wins are the $2 pair, which only gives you your stake back.
What does the nightly drawing pay?
| Cards matched | Prize | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 5 of 5 | $100,000 | 1 in 2,598,960 |
| 4 of 5 | $500 | 1 in 11,059 |
| 3 of 5 | $25 | 1 in 240 |
| 2 of 5 | $3 | 1 in 16 |
The prize amounts are the tiers reported with each Poker Lotto result in the data feed we publish. The odds are the plain combinatorics of matching cards from a 52-card deck: there are 2,598,960 possible five-card hands, and exactly one of them matches the drawing. Prizes are fixed amounts, not shared pools, and there is no rolling jackpot.
When is the drawing, and when do sales close?
The drawing is held every day of the week at 7:29 p.m. Eastern. Sales for that night's draw stop a little before then, so check the draw date printed on your ticket if you buy in the early evening. Our drawing times guide lists other states' schedules.
Where can you play Poker Lotto?
Only in Michigan. It is the Michigan Lottery's own game, not a multi-state one, so you won't find it in Ohio, Indiana or Wisconsin. The Michigan Lottery lists it among its in-store draw games, sold at lottery retailers. You must be 18 or older to buy Michigan Lottery tickets.
The game launched in October 2013. In its first year, according to the Michigan Lottery, 33 players were dealt a $5,000 royal flush and 11 won the $100,000 drawing prize.
Poker Lotto questions
How do you play Poker Lotto?
Buy a $2 Poker Lotto ticket from a Michigan Lottery retailer. The terminal deals five random cards: a pair of jacks or better wins an instant prize, and the same cards are entered in that night's 7:29 p.m. drawing.
What time is the Poker Lotto drawing?
7:29 p.m. Eastern, every night of the week. Sales for that night's drawing close shortly before.
What is the top prize in Poker Lotto?
$100,000, for matching all five cards in the nightly drawing. The top instant prize is $5,000 for being dealt a royal flush.
What is the lowest winning hand?
A pair of jacks or better pays $2 instantly. A lower pair, such as a pair of tens, wins nothing on the instant side, though the cards are still in the drawing.
Can you choose your own cards?
No. Every Poker Lotto hand is dealt at random by the terminal.
Which states have Poker Lotto?
Only Michigan. Poker Lotto is a Michigan Lottery game and is not offered in any other state.
Check the latest cards drawn on the Poker Lotto results page, or see every Michigan lottery game. If gambling has stopped being fun, the national helpline is 1-800-MY-RESET.
Sources: Michigan Lottery game listings; Michigan Lottery Connect, October 2014; Poker Lotto prize tiers from our results feed.
