Worth another GO!
Monopoly is 90 years old this year and to celebrate there’s a brand new spruced up edition of the basic version plus for the first time two expansions. So, many of you may be thinking of buying a new set. I know I might because my current set has lost the rules and 1 of the property cards. But if you are a little rusty or totally new to Monopoly (welcome to our planet, BTW) you might like a few pointers on how to grind your friends and family into the dust!
NB. I’m not going to explain the rules and my words refer to the standard UK edition.
The Property Trading Board Game
Monopoly’s strap line says it all. It’s all about Property, as I’m sure you’re aware, but also Trading which some try to avoid! It’s crucial to success and to speed up what can be a looong game to trade properties to gain early access to complete coloured sets.
Yes, you do start by buying properties you land on, or if you’re lucky someone else has not bought and put up for auction, but after a few trips around the board most will have gone and you will usually need to trade to complete a set. It is vital that you get at least one set. You can be as tough or as flexible as you like and further on I’ll indicate which properties should be most valued – it might not be the one you think!
If you are playing with someone who just won’t ever trade then don’t ever play with them again! Monopoly is a trading game!!
A Cautionary Tale
Some players, myself included, like to buy everything they can as soon as they can and borrowing via mortgaging properties to do this. This has its merits but can be improved on. Borrowing costs money – 10% charge to pay back a mortgage or only getting half your money back on selling houses so it is wise to keep some reserves.
Monopoly has 10 squares to a side making a total of 40 for a complete loop. With the average throw of two dice being 7 this means you’ll probably land on six squares each lap before you get the welcome top up of £200 on GO (a vital injection of funds early doors, less so as the game wears on). Therefore look at how much you could have to pay out at current rent levels and try to keep enough reserve to cover it.
Easier said than done but worth trying for.
Special Properties
All are not created equal. Whilst at a first glance appearing to have a pleasing symmetry some Monopoly Property groups are more equal than others. There are two areas of variance :-
1. The Return of Investment (ROI) of the rent versus the cost of the property and its houses.
2. The likelihood of the square being landed on (Footfall)
To consider the ROI we take the Rent received and divide it by the base cost of the property plus the cost of the houses. Each property is considered individually although remember that sites must be developed evenly. You will have to develop the less profitable parts of a site as well but always develop the best one first.
This will always be the dearest property in the group. Note the Brown group has exceptional disparity as Whitechapel costs the same as Old Kent Road but attracts double the rent!
Thus we see that it is the Light Blue group that gives the greatest return not the much favoured Mayfair and Park Lane. However the Dark Blues along with the Orange group are second and they have other advantages in the second area of variance: Footfall.
Also the increase in ROI rockets up as the first 3 houses are built and then tails off or even declines with the 4th House and Hotel. So don’t go there until you have developed all your sites up to the 3 House level. This will also limit the level of houses available. Health warning: this may have an adverse effect on your popularity!
Footfall
I have seen it written that “There is as much likelihood of landing on one space as another” – This is simply not true! Right from the get-GO.
All players start from GO and there are two cards in the Chance/Community Chest decks that send you to GO. With a throw of 2 dice you can’t move 1 space therefore Old Kent Road is going to be less trodden. On the other hand the Light Blues are 6, 8 and 9 squares away giving the probability of higher footfall.
Similarily both decks have a Go To Jail card. Ex cons will leave prison by either throwing a double or paying a fine and can land on The Orange or Purple groups.
Doubles: 2-2 – Whitehall; 3-3 – Bow Street; 4-4 – Marlborough Street.
Or after paying a fine a 3 or 4 lands on Purple properties and 6, 8 and 9 on Orange with a rare throw of 11 giving the Strand in the Red Zone.
There are 6 other cards that move players about 3 of which also impact this area : Go to Pall Mall; Go to Marylebone Station – right in the middle and a Chance card saying Go back 3 spaces that can take you to Vine Street.
Whilst the go to Trafalgar Square will only have an impact on itself, the Advance to Mayfair and Go back to Old Kent Road will not only increase their footfall but also set the player on a run through the Light Blues, Purple and Orange.
Note the above increased footfall for Old Kent Road is not enough to mitigate for its scandalous ROI with respect to Whitechapel (maybe the Krays have something to do with it!)
Summary
1. Keep a reserve to avoid expensive borrowing.
2. Trade to get a group
3. Only build 3 houses.
4. Develop the dearest in the group first.
5. Aim for the most profitable properties.
Remember the future’s bright the future’s Orange or Light Blue!
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