Do This One Thing To Win At Monopoly Every Time

Playing Monopoly can be a real pain and if you don't win, all of those marathon hours go to waste. If you play the game according to the rules and apply this one special tip, you'll win every time and it won't take hours to do it. It's called the Elfer Technique.

HOTEL SCHMOTEL - BUY UP ALL OF THE HOUSES

Named after the guy who exploited the rule, this strategy is based on simple supply and demand. The game only has a finite amount of houses and hotels and once they're used, they're used. So the overall goal is to buy up all the houses so that no one else can and therefore they can't improve their properties at all. But how do you accomplish this easily? First, some rule clarification...

AUCTIONING

Growing up, I never played with the bidding war rule but if you land on a property and choose not to buy it, it is supposed to be auctioned of to the highest bidder. Not using this rule is the single reason why Monopoly lasts so long... It's really not supposed to.

RULES THAT AREN'T RULES

If you play with house rules this technique will fail so make sure you play the game properly first. We follow many that aren't really official rules. For instance, you don't have to go all the way around the board once before buying properties, you don't collect $400 for landing directly on 'Go', you don't receive a windfall of cash for landing on free parking and so on. Ditch these misconceptions before trying what's next.

GET THE FIRST MONOPOLY

Most people hold out for the good properties but the game isn't about about having the best most expensive properties, it's about MONOPOLIES pure and simple. Basically, buy just about whatever you land on, ESPECIALLY the cheaper properties and use trades with players (yes, this is legal and encouraged) in order to snag your first three-property monopoly.

HOUSES, HOUSES & MORE HOUSES

As soon as you get your first monopoly, immediately start buying as many houses as you can for it (at least three per property), even if you have to mortgage other incomplete monopolies to fund it. Things will eventually swing back around in your favor in the end.

WASH, RINSE, REPEAT

Once your first Monopoly is built with at least three houses on each space, start focusing on your second and so on... Remember, the goal is to grab all of the houses and you can only have a total of 12 on each monopoly. Get three monopolies and you're golden.

LAND YOURSELF IN JAIL!

As opposed to real life, you actually WANT to land in jail because while there, you're not landing on anyone else's property AND you CAN collect rent and build from there. Also, notice we've said nothing about railroads and utilities, etc. That's on purpose. This game is about houses and nothing more. Don't focus on anything else but getting those houses.

Using this recipe, winning the game and doing so in an hour instead of four will be within reach, although you may lose friends over this!

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