A group of current and former employees at a Chicago Heights bakery are duking it out in court after 12 of them tried to cash in a winning Mega Millions ticket last Wednesday for $118 million, according to ABC's Ben Bradley.

Five employees reportedly quit their jobs after winning, but were excluded from the office pool by the other 12. Now they're fighting for their share, and no one can collect until a judge rules in the case, which could take up to two years to settle. 

"We're just asking the judge and 12 people to do what's right," Mica hel LaMonica, an attorney, told ABC"They were part of the pool. They lost together all these months. Now they won together. They deserve a piece of the pie."

About a month ago, three people split the Mega Millions jackpot worth at least $640 million. We doubt they were pleased, but it sure beats a lawsuit. 

The smartest thing you can do is avoid the office pool altogether, or make copies of the tickets for the group and distribute them to everyone before the drawing. (And if you win, don't blow the jackpot.) 

If you're playing solo, resist the urge to pick whatever numbers occur to you like birthdays and lower numbers below 25 or 30. According to Duke University professor Phillip Cook, you're better off studying regularities in betting patterns and going against the grain with higher numbers. 

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