How to Win at Monopoly
This is how you win in monopoly
Ok, so you are going to Grandpa's this weekend and as usual he
is going to take out the Monopoly game, and as usual he is
probably going to win. This page will show you how you can
win at Monopoly.
First realize that there is an element of luck in Monopoly, because
you cannot control what the dice will show or what the next
Monopoly Chance Card
or Monopoly Community Chest Card
will read. However, read and
understand the items below and you will learn how to take out most
of the luck element and greatly increase your chance of winning
at Monopoly.
Buy Everything - at market price
As a general rule, buy everything you land on because of three
reasons: 1) It generates revenue, 2) It prevents someone else
from getting it, 3) You can use it to trade for the properties you
really want. However, if it is an auction, do not spend much more
than market value on a property. Also note that the utilities and the
Baltic/Mediterranean group have little return on investment and
should be bought purely to trade. See Monopoly Property Prices
Railroads - your cash cow
Railroad are cash cows and can help you win the game. Not only is
every 10th square a railroad, but a Chance card also tells the player
to go to one and pay double the rent. If you get all four railroads,
you are almost guaranteed to win, especially if you get them early
in the game. Cost vs. Revenue makes this a no-brainer. You should be
willing to trade good properties in return for railroads.
Jail - to bail or not to bail
Early in the game, you are acquiring properties and building up your
portfolio. You don't want to miss out on buying properties, so always
pay to get out of jail at the beginning of the game. Later in the game, when
all the properties are bought, you want to stay in jail as often
and as long as possible. You still get paid while in jail, but you
don't risk landing on other people's properties. Jail does not charge rent
:)
Build, Build, Build
As you know, your properties make a lot more money when you have houses
on them. You should invest in houses. Building one, two, or three houses
raises your rent a lot. However, the incremental rent increase for four houses or
a hotel may not be worth it. Only buy more than 3 houses if you can afford
it.
If you can afford it, build as much as possible as it not only increases
your rent, but also limits the number of houses available for others to
buy. (There are only 32 houses and 12 hotels)
Know Your Opponents
If you play a few times, you will see that the other players pretty much
play the same way every time. They become predictable. For example, if your
grandpa never buys the cheap properties, bid on them when he puts them up
for auction. You may get it for less than market value. Some players also
have a special attachment to certain Monopoly properties, like they are from that
state, or it gave them good luck in past games, etc. Make sure to negotiate
an arm and a leg for those properties. They usually trade
with emotion instead of reason, and you should take advantage of that.
On the flip side, NEVER show what you are interested in. Monopoly is
like poker; don't show them your hand!
Choose End of Each Side
There are four sides to the Monopoly game board and each side has two
sets of properties. The last set on each of the four sets is better, because
houses cost the same as the first set, but rent is much higher.
Do NOT Mortgage Your Properties
Do not mortgage your properties. It limits you from building, limits you
from
collecting rent, and is expensive. If you can't pay your rent, try to
negotiate
a sale. Remember, you don't only have to deal with the person you owe rent
to.
See if you can make a good deal with one of the other players to pay your
rent that is due.
Wheel and Deal
Negotiating, trading and making deals is a huge part of Monopoly. If you
are a good negotiator, you will do very well in Monopoly. Keep making
deals that make sense to you. Make offers when people need money,
make offers when people need certain properties. Wheeling and dealing
is the key to taking the luck element out of the equation in Monopoly.
Also, when trading, never agree to give immunity, but always ask to get
immunity. When people owe you money, try to get them to sell you
properties cheap instead. Remember, someone else's distress and desperation
may be your gain.
Orange is King
Because of its location to Jail and its cost to build houses, the orange
property group is the best group in Monopoly. Your return is the greatest,
and it is the most "popular" property group to land on. Make it your
priority
to get this group. Over and over, we see that people with all three orange
properties will win the game.
Get Top Properties
In addition to orange described above, statistically, Illinois and B&O
Railroad
are the properties most often landed on. Make sure to get these properties
too, even
if it means trading.
Congratulations. You now know how to win at Monopoly. In summary, to win at
Monopoly, make sure you get the railroads, the orange property group, and as
many as possible of the last property groups on each side of the board. Stay
away from the Utilities and the Baltic/Mediterranean property group and show
no mercy in wheeling and dealing.
Good luck. Actually, now you don't need luck, because you know how to
win at Monopoly without luck!
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