Poker Nights
Image Credit: California Lottery
34
VALUESCORE
Below Avg
Poker Nights is one of the California Lottery's $5 scratch-off games. About 1 ticket in every 4 wins something, per the published overall odds of 1 in 3.62. The expected value is $0.70 per $1 spent, which is an average return compared to other scratch-offs. The top prize is $75,000. 21% of the total prize pool is still unclaimed, so most prizes have already been claimed. It scores 34/100 (Below Avg) on ScratchCheck's ValueScore, which weighs expected value, prize quality, win frequency, and inventory health. Today it stands at 42nd out of 52 California scratch-offs; among $5 tickets it is 7th of the 11 active $5 games in California.
Overall Odds
1 in 3.62
Exp. Value
$0.70
per $1 spent
Top Prize
$75,000
Top Prizes Left
7
Prizes Remaining
21%
ValueScore™
34 / 100
Below Avg
Should I Buy This Ticket?
Expected value per $1 spent:
$0.70↓
BELOW AVERAGE
It is 7th of the 11 active $5 games in California, so most $5 alternatives will serve you better.
Why
↓Prize quality is thin, with the bigger winners mostly gone.
- Most of this game's prizes are gone.
- You get back about $0.70 per $1 on average, which is normal for this price.
Current Prize Odds
ScratchCheck estimate$75,000
7 of 40 left
launch odds 1 in 1.2M
now ~1 in 1.4M
$5,000
94 of 406 left
launch odds 1 in 118K
now ~1 in 107K
$1,000
504 of 2,399 left
launch odds 1 in 20K
now ~1 in 20K
ScratchCheck estimate. Current odds are derived from the prizes still unclaimed and our estimate of tickets remaining, shown next to the lottery’s printed launch odds. Actual odds vary as tickets are sold and prizes claimed.
Prize Breakdown
| Prize | Odds | Total | Left | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $75,000 | 1 in 1,202,560 | 40 | 7 | 18% |
| $5,000 | 1 in 118,479 | 406 | 94 | 23% |
| $1,000 | 1 in 20,051 | 2,399 | 504 | 21% |
| $500 | 1 in 2,999 | 16,040 | 3,006 | 19% |
| $100 | 1 in 334 | 144,228 | 27,585 | 19% |
| $50 | 1 in 100 | 481,008 | 94,321 | 20% |
| $20 | 1 in 40 | 1,202,618 | 239,247 | 20% |
| $15 | 1 in 27 | 1,803,722 | 363,964 | 20% |
| $10 | 1 in 20 | 2,405,181 | 490,200 | 20% |
| $6 | 1 in 16 | 3,006,400 | 643,029 | 21% |
| $5 | 1 in 11 | 4,208,960 | 918,063 | 22% |
Prize Pool Analysis
Total Payout at Launch
$168,165,400
Current Prize Pool
$34,071,439
Payout Percentage
20.3%
Total Prizes Remaining
2,780,020
Ticket Statistics
Total Tickets Printed
48,041,027
Estimated Remaining
10,063,672
% Remaining
20.9%
Prize pool figures use advertised prize values. Tickets printed is estimated from overall odds. Tickets remaining is estimated from the share of prizes still unclaimed.
ValueScore™ Breakdown
34
VALUESCORE
Below Avg
34
out of 100
Expected Value
16/40
Prize Quality
5/25
Win Frequency
9/20
Inventory Health
4/15
Updated: 8/27/2026
Game Details
- State
- California
- Game Number
- 1694
- Ticket Price
- $5
- Start Date
- 9/22/2025
- Payout %
- 70.1%
- Data Source
- Official
- Last Updated
- 8/27/2026
Compare
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Run a virtual scratch-off using this game's real odds.
Image Credit: California Lottery
$5.00 per ticket · 1 in 3.62 overall odds
✓ Accounts for prizes already claimed
Entertainment only. Outcomes are random and won't match a real session. Current-odds mode scales each tier by remaining prizes and tickets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Poker Nights scratch-off a good buy?
Poker Nights scores 34/100 on ValueScore, which is below average. The expected value, prize pool, or inventory health is weaker than most other tickets at this price. There are likely better options in California at the $5 price point.
How much does Poker Nights cost?
Poker Nights costs $5 per ticket in California. All ScratchCheck figures for this game (expected value, ValueScore, and top prize analysis) are calculated against this $5 ticket price.
What are the odds of winning the Poker Nights scratch-off?
The overall odds of winning any prize with Poker Nights are 1 in 3.62. This means roughly 1 in every 4 tickets wins a prize of any amount.
What is the top prize for Poker Nights?
The top prize for Poker Nights is $75,000. As of our latest update, 7 top prizes remain unclaimed.
What are the prizes for Poker Nights?
Poker Nights offers 11 distinct prize levels: $75,000 (40 total), $5,000 (406 total), $1,000 (2,399 total), $500 (16,040 total), $100 (144,228 total), $50 (481,008 total), $20 (1,202,618 total), $15 (1,803,722 total), $10 (2,405,181 total), $6 (3,006,400 total), and $5 (4,208,960 total). The full prize breakdown with odds and remaining counts is listed in the prize table on this page.
How many prizes are left in Poker Nights?
Based on our latest data, 21% of all prize tickets remain (approximately 2,780,020 out of 13,271,002 total). The game is winding down. A significant portion of prizes have already been claimed.
How is Poker Nights rated by ScratchCheck?
ScratchCheck rates Poker Nights at 34 out of 100 using ValueScore™, a composite rating built from four factors: Expected Value, Prize Quality, Win Frequency, and Inventory Health. Scores of 80 or above are Excellent, 60 to 79 Good, 40 to 59 Fair, 20 to 39 Below Average, and below 20 is Poor. The score updates automatically as prizes are claimed and data refreshes.
When was Poker Nights released?
Poker Nights was released by the California Lottery on September 22, 2025. It has been on sale for roughly 11 months, so a meaningful portion of prizes has likely been claimed.
How often is Poker Nights data updated on ScratchCheck?
Poker Nights data comes directly from the official California Lottery and is refreshed daily, so the odds and remaining prize counts you see match the lottery's latest published figures.