If you want to win the lottery, it’s essential that you understand its odds. According to USC mathematics professor Kenneth Alexander, playing the lottery only makes financial sense if your finances are in order. Many still play just for fun or excitement of potentially winning big; when investing $2 on lottery tickets it makes sense to ensure the highest odds possible of success!

If you’re new to gambling and don’t know where to begin, start with your state’s pick-3 or pick-4 games – “Place a boxed bet in these games for an excellent chance at a small prize,” according to Alexander. If jackpot hunting is your thing then try Powerball or Mega Millions; these typically draw more entries and offer larger jackpots.

Though no lottery numbers can guarantee success, you can learn to increase your odds by studying past drawings and picking winning combinations. Romanian-born mathematician Stefan Mandel once won 14 times by recruiting 2,500 investors to purchase tickets that covered all combinations; though he only kept $97,000 after paying back investors, this lesson should drive home how purchasing more tickets increases chances of success.

Don’t forget to double check your tickets, using the Lottery’s Lucky Numbers Lookup, to see if any of your numbers were winners in previous drawings. And sign up for Players Club today, for daily emails with winning numbers, game information, giveaway alerts and winner announcements!