The odds are against you — like, really, really against you — but that doesn’t mean you can’t be a winner. Is it worth the bother?

There’s more than one way to play, of course. Scratch tickets are cheap and actually kind of fun, whereas choosing six numbers feels like more of a to-do; some go with the same lucky digits every time, while others opt for the quick pick. And though numerous studies have shown that actually winning the jackpot tends to be more of a curse than a blessing, those who’ve won significant but not life-changing sums of money surely don’t regret it. If you do play, good luck — you’ll need it.