What is the difference between 4D Big and Small?
The difference between 4D Big and Small is how many winning numbers each bet covers and how much each pays. Every draw has 23 winning numbers: a 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize, 10 Special and 10 Consolation2. A Big bet can win on any of them. A Small bet ignores the 20 Special and Consolation numbers and pays more on the top three instead.
| Prize tier | Winning numbers per draw | Big pays per RM1 | Small pays per RM1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | RM2,500 | RM3,500 |
| 2nd | 1 | RM1,000 | RM2,000 |
| 3rd | 1 | RM500 | RM1,000 |
| Special (Da Ma Cai: Starter) | 10 | RM180 | Nothing |
| Consolation | 10 | RM60 | Nothing |
Prizes per RM1 from Magnum’s Big table1 and Small table1; Da Ma Cai (Big3, Small3) and Sports Toto4 publish the same figures.
Which prize tiers does a 4D Small bet cover?
A 4D Small bet covers only the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes. Magnum’s rules say Small wins only on 1st, 2nd or 3rd2, and its Small table pays nothing for Special or Consolation1. If your Small number appears among the Special or Consolation numbers, the ticket does not win.
How much does a RM1 Big or Small bet win?
A RM1 Big bet wins between RM60 and RM2,500 depending on the tier; a RM1 Small bet wins between RM1,000 and RM3,500, or nothing. Some worked examples with RM1 on the number 1234:
- RM1 Big, 1234 drawn as 2nd prize: you win RM1,000.
- RM1 Big, 1234 drawn as a Consolation prize: you win RM60.
- RM1 Small, 1234 drawn as 3rd prize: you win RM1,000.
- RM1 Small, 1234 drawn as a Special prize: you win nothing, because Small does not cover Special prizes.
Prizes scale with the stake, because every figure is per RM1 per number per bet type2. RM5 Big on a 1st prize number pays five times RM2,500, which is RM12,500. The 4D prize calculator works this out for any stake.
What does 1 Big 1 Small mean in 4D?
1 Big 1 Small means RM1 on Big and RM1 on Small on the same four-digit number, RM2 in total. The two halves pay out separately:
| Your number is drawn as | Big half | Small half | Total win |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st prize | RM2,500 | RM3,500 | RM6,000 |
| 2nd prize | RM1,000 | RM2,000 | RM3,000 |
| 3rd prize | RM500 | RM1,000 | RM1,500 |
| Special | RM180 | Nothing | RM180 |
| Consolation | RM60 | Nothing | RM60 |
Totals are our own sums of the per-RM1 prizes in the operators’ tables4.
Is 4D Big or Small better?
Neither 4D bet is better in every case: Big gives more ways to win, Small gives bigger prizes on fewer numbers. With Big, any of 23 numbers pays something; with Small, only 3 numbers pay, but each pays RM500 to RM1,000 more per RM1 than Big. Both cost the same per RM1, and both are a bet on chance. Decide the amount you are willing to lose first; our responsible gambling page has more.
Do Magnum, Sports Toto and Da Ma Cai use the same Big and Small prizes?
Yes, all three operators publish identical Big and Small prizes per RM1. Sports Toto’s table, read on its own site on 28 October 2026, shows Big 2,500/1,000/500/180/60 and Small 3,500/2,000/1,0004. Only the names change: Da Ma Cai calls Big 1+3D ABC3 and Small 1+3D A3. Draws, claim rules and side games do differ; see Magnum vs Sports Toto vs Da Ma Cai.
Can you play Big or Small with iBox?
An iBox can be played as Big or Small. It covers every ordering of your digits for RM1 and has its own Big and Small tables, with each prize divided down by the number of orderings. For 24 orderings the Big 1st prize is RM105 and the Small 1st prize RM1464. The iBox and permutations guide has the full table. For buying and claiming, see how to play 4D or go back to the 4D lottery guide.