I am once again inspired by my Quora reading. I stumbled upon an answer to the question: “What useful skill do you have that turned out to be useful?” One fellow wrote that, since the age of 11, he had won every single Monopoly game he ever played in his life. His rules are as follows, and I’ve got a feeling most of this could be applied to trading!
- Be frugal- When you buy properties, think about how often people really will land on them. The spaces right after “go” never really get any value and are only useful for trades, or ways to keep your account/token afloat.
- Don’t buy all the houses– it’s a much better idea to put one house on each space rather than three on a third of the spaces. (This is the only time I will be supporting socialism, in a game.)
- Trade, and trade often: When I plan, I’ll do just about anything to get two complete sets. Being the first person to build houses is a huge advantage since nobody else is generating enough money to pay off what they’ll owe you.
- Don’t partner- When my friends start floundering, they’ll make teams in an effort to get more money, but they only end up making more debt and having less ways to pay it off.
- Play quietly– if you’re winning, don’t brag about it. It’s rude if you do, and it will only attach vengeance and attention to your winning the game. (Think of the Kenny Rogers song, “The Gambler”.)
- Trade low- When you offer a trade, offer for less than what the other players space is worth, and then act like they won when they “negotiate” to a higher trade.
- IOUs- Never accept these, they’re basically free cards that never get paid back, ask for the money when they cross “go” or a property instead. (Borderline rude, but my friends give vicious dares to the losers of games.)
- Not really a rule, more like a friendly suggestion, but when you win try to act graciously. It’s less fun to lose if the person who beat you rubs it in your face.
