2 days ago
People are just now learning the little-known Monopoly rule that could make the game end twice as fast
People have been left gobsmacked after discovering a lesser-known Monopoly rule that has the power to change the entire game - and make it end twice as fast.
The host of the Triple M Breakfast radio show, Australian-born Beau Ryan, revealed the nifty trick during an episode that aired earlier this year.
The instigator of hundreds of festive family rows, Monopoly is a popular board-game that's as well-known for its hours'-long play time as it is for sparking squabbles among competitive players.
And while partly due to the impatience of its participants, some of the anguish in Monopoly can be blamed on its elusive rules - with many around the world seemingly playing by different guidelines.
Speaking during the show, broadcast to Sydney locals, Beau said he'd had a huge 'realisation the other day' during a game with his son - in a clip shared on TikTok.
Taking his turn, Beau found his piece landing on Park Lane, one of the more expensive and sought after 'properties' on the board
With a higher value and rent afforded to other players who land on the square, it's often snapped up by strategic players, but not Beau on this occasion.
He was shocked then, when after announcing he wouldn't be buying it, that his son piped up and said he'd like to purchase it instead.
Baffled by the bid to buy the property, Beau said 'Hang on champion, you can't buy that, you didn't land on it.'
Responding and correcting his father on the rules of the game, Beau's son said he could buy via 'auction'.
Refusing to take the bait, the radio host was initially convinced his son was lying and only allowed him to buy the property when upon looking up the rules, realised he was right all along.
'I said that's not the rules but then I got them - and it is in the rules,' he continued.
'If anyone playing lands on a property in Monopoly, and they don't buy it, the other plays can auction it,' he said, astounded by the discovery.
Equally baffled, fellow co-host Cat Lynch said: 'I didn't know that. You've blown my mind.'
Having made the discovery, Beau wasn't convinced that the auction rules was something worth incorporating into gameplay.
'It ruins the game mate,' he countered. 'Because if you're not sure an then they say they're buying it, it turns into sort of an alpha situation.'
A clip from the breakfast show, that aired in April this year, has since been shared on TikTok, where hundreds of exasperated Monopoly fans dashed to the comment section to express their surprise.
'Hold on a minute. Is this an Australian rule?' one viewer asked in disbelief.
A second couldn't believe that it was the first some players were hearing of it, writing, 'how does no one know this, it's designed to make the game 2x quicker.'
Another wrote: '99 per cent of people haven't read the rules of monopoly. Monopoly is an AWFUL game but if you play with the actual rules - all the rules - it's bearable and doesn't last hours.'
'Monopoly has been banned in my parents house since 1978 after one bro flipped the table and the other bro (banker) got into a fist fight,' one chimed.
And it seems Beau's claims were correct.
A clip from the breakfast show, that aired in April this year, has since been shared on TikTok, where hundreds of exasperated Monopoly fans dashed to the comment section to express their surprise
According to the official Monopoly rules: 'Whenever a player lands on an unowned property he may buy that property from the Bank at its printed price [...] If he does not wish to buy the property it is sold at auction by the Banker to the highest bidder.'
Monopoly fans were treated to a number of genius tactics last year, when money saving expert Martin Lewis shared his clever tricks for winning the game.
Sharing the strategies on his ITV show, Martin Lewis: How to Win at Board Games, the money saving expert explained that there are several things you can do to beat other players and improve your odds.
His first tip is to buy as many properties as possible during the early stages of the game.
Martin said that it was also important to calculate the return on investment on each property, meaning how much you purchased it for versus how much you can earn back from rent.
However, not all properties are created equal. Although the most expensive ones start out being the best investment, this changes once houses and hotels are added.
Those wanting to win should aim to purchase the three light blue cards which are The Angel, Islington, Euston Road and Pentonville Road, as these can generate the most money once hotels are added to them.
After that, he recommends swooping up the orange cards comprising of Vine Street, Marlborough Street, and Bow Street.
Martin highlighted that these are the properties that players are most likely to land on after they've just gotten out of jail.
The worst set to buy in his opinion are the pricey greens - including Bond Street, Oxford Street, and Regent Street.
Therefore, Martin shared, it is vital to buy one of each colour, so you can block opponents and have some leverage when it comes to doing deals later down the line.
Martin added that if you have cards that are not part of a set, you should mortgage them to the bank for extra money to buy houses, since they're unlikely to generate much income for you.
