Hobbies And Interests
Setting Up
Each player chooses a game token, and a banker is designated. The banker holds the money and the title deeds to the property. The banker gives each player $1,500 to start: $500 (two), $100 (two), $50 (two), $20 (six) and five each of $10, $5 and $1. Each player rolls the die, and the player with the highest roll goes first.
Moving Around the Board
As each player rolls the die, he moves around the board. Several things could happen, depending upon the square you land on. If you land on "Chance" or "Community Chest," you draw a card and do as the card instructs. It could be moving forward or backward, paying money to other players or collecting a financial bonus, among other things. If you land on property, you have the option to purchase the property if it isn't already owned. If the property is owned, you must pay rent to the owner as indicated on the title deed to that property. If the property isn't owned and you choose not to purchase it, the property goes up for auction and the highest bidder gets the property.
If you roll doubles, you get to move your token again, but if you roll doubles three times in a row, you must move your token to "Jail." Each time you pass "Go," you will be given $200.
Paying Rent
When you land on someone's property, you pay rent to them according to the title. If the property has been mortgaged, you don't have to pay rent. If the property owner owns all the colors of a property group, you must double the amount on the deed.
Owners are entitled to build houses on their property, significantly increasing the rental amount. It's a good idea to do your best to block other players from owning entire property groups, or monopolizing the board. Once four houses have been placed on one property, the owner can buy a hotel, increasing the rent even more.
Getting Out of Jail
There are a couple of ways you can get out of "Jail." You can post bail ($50), use a "Get Out of Jail Free" card if you've drawn one from the card decks or purchased one from another player, or you can try to roll doubles. If you roll doubles within three tries, you are released from "Jail," but you don't get to take a turn during that round. If you fail to roll doubles after three tries, you are forced to pay the fine to be set free.
Mortgaging, Trading and Selling Property
If you run short of money and need to pay rent or want to buy property and don't have enough cash, you can mortgage property you own for the value on the deed. If a player lands on your property while it's mortgaged, however, you will not be able to collect rent until you've paid to bring the property back into play.
You are allowed to trade your properties with another player or sell your property at any time during your turn, before or after you roll the dice and move.
Ending the Game
Players are eliminated from the game as they run out of money and declare bankruptcy. When you no longer have property to sell, trade or mortgage for cash, you resign from the game. The last player with money is declared the winner of the game.
Strategy
A lot of the game of Monopoly depends upon the luck of the roll, but there are a few strategies you can employ to raise your chance of winning. If you land on a property you want to buy and you know other players can't afford to beat you in an auction, pass on the property and let it go up for auction. You could purchase the property much cheaper than the title value, depending on how high other players bid.
Buy as much property as you can, even if another player already owns a property in that group. This is a good way to prevent that player from being able to build on those properties, and it gives you leverage for later, if that player gets a property you need.