Last Wednesday, like every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday around nine at night, forty-something spheres chose six numbers and a bonus ball — and somewhere in Mexico, someone matched three. It wasn't the 639.5-million-peso jackpot Melate paid out in draw 2677 back in 2013, the biggest in its history: it was a prize from a far more modest tier, the kind handed out in almost every single draw. That's what winning Melate actually looks like most of the time: not the jackpot, but one of the other rungs nobody explains well. This guide answers both halves of the question you brought here: how to play Melate and win, in that order, with no false promises in between.
The rules you need to know before you fill out a ticket
Melate is played by picking six numbers from 1 to 56, plus a separate bonus number — also from 1 to 56 — that only counts toward the jackpot if you've already matched the first six. You can write your numbers by hand on the slip, mark them at an authorized point of sale, or let the machine pick for you. The draw is run by Pronósticos para la Asistencia Pública, the official operator of the Mexican state lotteries, and it airs live Wednesday, Friday and Sunday around 9:00 pm.
You can add Revancha and Revanchita to your ticket: two extra draws that reuse your same six numbers in different combinations, for an added cost on top of the base price. They don't change your odds of winning the main Melate jackpot — they're independent chances to win something that same night, each with its own prize pool.
How to play Melate and win, step by step
- Pick your six numbers from 1 to 56, plus a bonus number, or ask the machine to generate them for you.
- Decide whether to add Revancha and Revanchita; each has its own cost and its own independent prize pool.
- Pay and keep the physical ticket (or the confirmation, if you bought online) — it's the only document that proves your entry.
- Follow the draw live, or check the result afterward; you don't need to be watching at exactly 9:00 pm.
- Compare your numbers against the official result before you toss the ticket — plenty of small prizes get lost simply because nobody checked carefully.
The full walkthrough of how to fill out the ticket, field by field, is in how to play Melate step by step. What matters more here is the second half of the question: what happens after you play, which is where most people stop halfway.
What "winning" actually means in Melate
When someone asks how to win Melate, they're almost always thinking of the jackpot: matching all six numbers plus the bonus ball. That probability is 1 in 32,468,436 — the total number of possible combinations when choosing 6 numbers out of 56. It's by far the least likely of the tiers on offer.
But Melate pays out prizes across several categories, from matching all 6 numbers down to matching just 2 plus the bonus number. Each category has its own probability — far more attainable than the jackpot's — and its own payout, which depends on how much was collected in that particular draw. The full breakdown, category by category, is in Melate prizes by matched numbers. It's worth reading before you play for a simple reason: if you only check whether you hit all six, you'll overlook the prizes you actually won.
Is there a way to play that improves your odds of hitting the jackpot?
No. No combination, pattern, date or system changes the mathematical probability of a draw. Every Melate draw is independent of the one before it: the spheres don't remember which numbers came out last week, so the belief that an "overdue" number is bound to appear is the well-known gambler's fallacy, which we explain in full in why every draw is independent.
The one thing that actually is in your hands — and it doesn't change your odds of winning, only how much you'd win if you did — is how popular your combination is. Low numbers, birthdays and visual patterns on the ticket are picked by lots of people; if that combination comes up, the prize gets split among more winners. We cover this and other ideas, what works and what doesn't, in strategies for playing Melate.
Mistakes that cost you prizes you already won
Most unclaimed prizes aren't lost to bad luck — they're lost to carelessness:
- Not checking the whole ticket. If you only scan the news for the jackpot, you can miss a 3- or 4-number match.
- Skipping Revancha and Revanchita, then finding out later your numbers actually came up in one of those draws.
- Keeping the ticket somewhere careless. Without the physical ticket — or the digital receipt, if you played online — there's no way to claim anything.
- Letting the claim window close. Prizes have a deadline; after that, the money simply goes unclaimed.
We detail the exact deadlines and the documents you'll need in how long you have to claim a Melate prize.
How to check whether you won
Results are published the same night as the draw. You can see them on the live broadcast, on Pronósticos' official site, or check them calmly the next day — the prize doesn't expire that same night. We walk through the full process, including the most reliable way to compare your ticket against the result, in how to check your Melate ticket.
If your combination matches any category at all, that's winning — whether it's the jackpot or the smallest tier on the list. The next step is claiming it within the deadline, with the original ticket in good condition.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play Melate to win?
You pick six numbers from 1 to 56 plus a bonus number, by hand or by machine, and compare them against the draw result. "Winning" isn't just matching all six — any match within the official prize categories counts as winning something, even if it's a smaller amount than the jackpot.
How many numbers do I need to match to win something in Melate?
It depends on the category, but the minimum is usually 2 matches plus the bonus number. The full breakdown of each category and its prize is in the prizes-by-matches guide linked above.
Is there a real strategy for winning the jackpot?
No. No system, pattern or lucky number changes the mathematical probability of a draw, which is identical for every possible combination. The only real lever is choosing unpopular combinations, so you share the prize with fewer people if you do win.
What happens if I don't add Revancha and Revanchita?
You still play the main Melate draw normally, but you give up two extra chances to win that same night with your same numbers, each with its own independent prize pool.
How long do I have to claim a Melate prize?
There's a set deadline after the draw; once it passes, the prize can no longer be claimed. The exact timelines by prize amount are detailed in the guide on when you can claim a prize.
If you're going to play, play informed: generate balanced combinations with MelateBot AI Picks and check updated results whenever you like.
This content is informational and for entertainment purposes. MelateBot is not affiliated with Pronósticos para la Asistencia Pública. Melate is a game of chance: no method predicts, guarantees or increases the odds of obtaining the winning numbers. Please play responsibly.