Almost Everyone Has Been Playing Monopoly Completely Wrong
WARNING: This article is likely to cause more arguements than your original game of monopoly did.
Youtube’s Today I Found Out has just carried out the most intensive dig into Monopoly’s rules. In summary: we’ve been playing it totally wrong.
1. Free Parking does absolutely nothing
Yup – the most coveted spot on the board does absolutely nothing. Later editions included the whole ‘put all tax payments into the middle to be collected by one lucky asshole’ under ‘house rules’ since so many people were doing it, but officially – nope.
2. You don’t have to do a whole round to buy property
That’s just a needless delay in an already lengthy game. There is no rule that states you have to pass GO to start taking over the board.
3. If you choose to not buy the property you’re on, anyone can buy it
Another popular house rule/misconception is that you can only buy properties you land on. But the rules state that if you land on the property and choose not to buy it, the bank begins auctioning it off to the highest bidder around the table (including you if you’re struck by sudden fomo).
4. You cannot loan to, or borrow from, other players
So the next time you refuse to loan a family member money, you’re not a dick, just a rule-abiding player.
5. There’s only 32 houses and 12 hotels – that’s it
So stop frantically looking through your house for buttons or checkers, once those run out there’s no more to be purchased. If two people both want some of the last remaining houses, the bank auctions them off to the highest bidder.
6. You can buy and sell property in jail
No more longing looks from behind your cell’s bars – you’re just as entitled as everyone else to buy and sell properties as you wish.
7. And you can also collect rent from jail
The cruelest one of all. How many trillions of mono-money have gone unpaid, all because you believed you weren’t entitled to your rent while in jail. What sort of cruel society would do that to you!
Bonus: If someone doesn’t ask you for rent, and the person who’s next up rolls, you’re free
That’s right, if they’re too busy counting their colourful cash to keep an eye on their property then it’s not your problem, and you don’t have to cough up!