Real-world conditions vary. Not all slots within a casino have the same jackpot hit frequency, most paying a lot less often than once per 10,000 spins. On a game with a big multimillion-dollar jackpot like Megabucks, the jackpot chances are closer to 1 in 50 million.

But actually bringing home the big check in any lottery is next to impossible. The odds are about one in 300 million. Yeah, it's a longshot. But according to Math Professor Tim Chartier, there are some small actions that tip those long odds (slightly) in your favor.