The Mega Millions Jackpot spiked to $636 million, making it the second-largest prize in the lottery's history, according to the Chicago Tribune.
One lucky winner could walk away with an estimated $341.2 million if they choose the cash option of the prize. The lottery can be played in 43 states, including the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands
However, not many understand the actual odds of winning the lottery. George Loewenstein, a professor of economics and psychology at Carnegie Mellon University, crunched the numbers for the Associated Press.
"People don't really understand probabilities at all," Loewenstein told AP. "Once you have a bunch of zeroes, it doesn't matter how many you have - 1 in 10,000, 1 in a million or 1 in a billion. ... People do understand the meaning of the word 'largest.' They overact to one dimension and underreact to the other."
"I think it's ridiculous, but you have to dream big," Drew Gentsch, an attorney who bought a ticket Monday, told AP. "The odds of winning are so low, there's no real reason to play. But it's fun to do so once in a while."
According to the Chicago Thribune, the largest jackpot in history is $656 million. If no winning ticket is drawn on Tuesday, Dec. 17, the jackpot could possibly reach $1 billion by Christmas.
"If nobody wins Tuesday night, the jackpot for Friday's drawing will begin at $800 million, said Paula Otto with the Virginia Lottery," CNN reports.
Remember, you are more likely to be drawn to face the Hunger Games than win the lottery, but like Effie Trinket said "May the odds be ever in your favor."
Check out the Mega Millions official website here for an interactive map to find where you can purchase your lottery tickets. The drawing will be held at 11 p.m.
