Monopoly is a wonderful game, BUT... Most people don't play it properly. Due to this, Monopoly takes too long and tends to cause tantrums even among full grown adults. If played properly the game is 20 minutes to 90 minutes. The faster speed helps a lot in mitigating the pain of having a bad luck game.

If you ever want to attempt Monopoly again, I recommend reading the rules first and playing by the rules as they are written. Majorly improves the game.

No House Rules. The worst house rules that have ruined Monopoly are:
1) Putting money for any reason on Free Parking
2) Landing on an unowned property and not Autioning it if no one wants to buy it. (Auctioning should be taught even to the youngest child, it is a valuable skill that most adults think is too hard for kids.)
3) Not charging the 10% fee when unmortgaging properties.

When played properly, Monopoly teaches a lot of valuable skills. Skills like Auctioning, percentages, and budgetting.

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I have played Monopoly in tournaments. Although I have only come in 5th place 5 times out of groups of 83+ people each time, I am confident in saying that I am an expert at the game.

I have seen people try to introduce various house rules in the tournament, each time they made the game worse (as well as the judge forcing those tournament games to be redone from scratch).

My childhood experience is that Monopoly is best played with house rules when you are camping and it is raining and you are stuck in a tent all day ;-)

I'm sure your way is better but gosh it was fun to land on free parking and get that fist full of money !

Whoops I should have clarified. It is monopoly Town and Monopoly junior but believe it or not we do create our own rules because after a while you can win very easily. But her meltdowns came more with not being able to buy her favorite lots... (she figured out which ones were the money makers) and usually it all went downhill from there But when she does get those spots it is really fun.

Hahahaha Angela it really does feel great. You almost forget for a second it is not real LOL

By far in regular Monopoly the best Monopoly are the Oranges (St. James, Tennessee, and New York). If you get that monopoly and then use your cash to get at least 3 houses on that monopoly before anyone else has more than 2 houses on ANY property, then you have a 75% chance of winning the game.

The reasons: 1) There are two double numbers from Jail that would force you to land on St. James & Tennesse. 2) 6,8, and 9 are all common numbers on a die 12 and those are the positions from Jail for the Oranges. 3) From Start, those properties are position 16, 18, and 19. Although not as common, not the worst positions from Start.

Park Place is one of the most worthless properties, because it is impossible to land on it by rolling a 7. Due to this always develop the higher uneven housing development of Boardwalk and Park Place on Boardwalk. The advance to Boardwalk card is the only reason the Dark Blues end up being worth developing in the long run if you can survive long enough for them to pay out.

The light blues are always worth developing fast as you can. It won't win you the game buy itself, but it can cripple your opponents so that they never have enough cash to develop their Monopolies. If you need to trade to get your Monopoly, it is better to wind up with the Light Blues and/or Oranges and ask for cash to cover the difference of the property you are giving up for it. Then the next thing you do is put as many houses as you can afford immediately on the Monopoly. If you have the Light Blues you need 4+ houses on each to cripple your opponents ($600). If you have the Oranges you need 3+ houses on each to cripple your opponents ($900).