What's your monopoly strategy?

[Che]

For example I pick the boot (old version) or the moneybag (new version) and try to go for owning the red/orange corner of the board and quickly try to build hotels without going too broke. Although, usually I end up owning all 4 rail roads almost every game I play.

What's yours?

[Bleachfangirl]

There are strategies? I just go around buying everything I land on until I have like one hundred dollars and wait to see what the other people do. I negotiate after I end up owning everything to get any railroads I don't yet own. I then try to make giant monopolies on some side of the board so that no one can miss it. >.> Then, when people try to negotiate after not cooperating with me before, I'm really harsh.

That's it.

[Che]

There are strategies?

Of course there are! It's a game that revolves around paying rent, getting an allowance (passing go) and investing your money.

The whole reason behind my idea of owning the red/orange corner is it's a corner and there's a good chance you're gonna land on something in that area when you're going around the board. They're also cheaper than the higher up colors (like yellow,green,blue) to build on (which means more rent) and when you land on them you have to pay more than the lower colors (purple, cyan, etc). It's a good mix and a good place IMO.

[Govinda]

Cheat, cheat, cheat, cheat, and cheat some more.

It's like being a real businesswoman, only in Monopoly, they can't do you for any of it.

[Polk]

1. ALWAYS be the thimble.
2. Put all of your money into Baltic Avenue. No other spaces.
3. When you're broke, and I mean desperately broke, tell the other players that you are offering to turn tricks for $50 a pop. If they accept, tell them that you're a cop, and their asses are going to jail. Permanently.
4. If that doesn't work, flip the damn board over in a fit of rage, screaming "****ING COMMUNISTS!! WHERE'S JOE McCARTHY WHEN YOU NEED HIM??"

Game over. I've never lost at Monopoly using this method.

[Lunasa]

For me:

1. I'm the boot. (gotta kick ass, ya?)
2. I usually go for the light blues, for certain. Cheapest to build, easiest to buy. Even nicer when combined with railroads, and then with the two advance to the nearest railroad spaces. Cha-Ching! $400!
3. If I can't get my hands on the railroads, I go for a spot with an "Advance" card in the chance deck, such as the dark blues, light purples, or reds.
4. I build whenever people come around to land my goodies. This way I'm not in a load of trouble paying other rent.

And the rest depends on them dice. Tricky buggers. I once got wiped out with three consecutive rolls, landing on Pennysylvania Ave, which had four houses on it. Then I hit park Place with a hotel(now I had to mortgage. Alot.). And then- SNAKE EYES! Bordwalk knocked me to -$67. And I was ahead for some time in the game too. And then- wham. Three rolls of death.

[Walter Sobchak]

There are a lot of mathematical advantages to certain spaces over others. 6 or 7 spaces after Jail or Go are good spots, while 6 or 7 spots after Go To Jail don't have nearly the same probability. There are a lot more examples.

I try to collect the railroads and the utilities because he who controls electricity controls the game.

Like most, I don't really have much of a strategy. I do encourage drinking when I play, as most cannot take what I can, and this helps me win. I play as the cowboy. Always have since I was young.

[Ultima Warrior]

1.win
2. if broke, rob the bank

[Tiger Lily]

Win in 12 Simple Steps

1. Get the boot. The boot is the Monopoly God.
2. Pass Go. This generally helps.
3. Get the stations. GET ALL OF THEM AND SHOOT ANYONE WHO TAKES A STATION.
4. Get the navies and the reds.
5. Get the oranges and anything else that looks nice at the time.
6. Go around and around, gettin' rich off rent.
7. Avoid jail. Pay the 50 quid to get out if sent.
8. Put houses/hotels on reds.
9. Put houses/hotels on oranges and navies.
10. Go around and around, gettin' rich off rent.
11. Put houses/hotels on other properties that looked nice and were bought.
12. Win.

[Lazarus]

I always go for the pairing of the two most expensive right before you pass go, then load them up as I make money. I keep an eye on everyone else and if someone is close to owning all of one colour I will buy one if possible so that I can do some bargaining with them. You can`t start adding houses or your hotels without all of one colour!

[Dr_Flea]

My strategy: beat the other players.

Cheating works best when you have the Electronic Monopoly add a coule of mill here and there and your on the way to sucess.

However if cheating isn't an option i vote: Don't Play

~Dr_Flea~

[Clint]

I cheat. That's the best strategy, because otherwise, the game takes too freakin' long. I gradually rob the bank when nobody is looking. If you do something gradually, nobody notices. If you take all the money in the bank at one time, they're going to know. Then I buy as many properties that I can, and I refuse to sell them, all the while, continuing gradually robbing the bank so that I have money left over from my purchases.

[Chez Daja]

I find monopoly a little boring these days. But I buy whatever I land on, always making sure to have at least £100 left over just in case.

I usually have pretty much all of the money in the game when I'm done.

[loaf]

Get Top Hat.

Play the game. Worry about that all later.

[Taco-Calamitous]

I send Godzilla or the like in to crush the competition.

Or I go around the board and buy every spot I land on, hoping to make a monopoly so that I can build some hotels and crush the competition. *nod*

Wuv, Yer Mom

[Furore]

Or I go around the board and buy every spot I land on, hoping to make a monopoly so that I can build some hotels and crush the competition. *nod*

Pretty much my usual strategy. It also gives you properties others may want which you can use as leverage for what you want. If they want it REAL bad you can get multiple properties off them for it. Handy.

And I tend to choose the little battleship token. That or the top hat.

[Totakeke777]

Monopoly is a game of luck, strategy, and screaming.

You need to:

1) Be the car. The car is the besssst.

2) Pass GO like there is no tomorrow.

3) Buy whenever you can.

4) Save up money when you are not buying.

5) Try to barter your way into the blue property.

6) Take your anger out on your opponent(s). Never on yourself.

7) When all else fails, roll on the floor, laughing hysterically. If your opponent(s) look at you like you are a freak, laugh more. After 3 minutes of this, barf on the carpet. If no carpet is available, barf on your opponent(s)

e.g.

Bob: Ha! You are in jail again!

You: WHEEEEHEEEEHEEEHEEEE!!!!!!

Bob: ...

You: WHEEEHEEE(DO A BARREL ROLL)HEEEHAAAAA!!!!!

Bob: O_o

You: WHEEHAAAA *BARRRRRFFFF* HAHAHHAHAAA!!!!!

8) Have fun.

[Joe]

Dude, it's not that difficult.

Always get the Boat. That'll ensure you sail your way to victory (crappy pun intended)

Always try and buy New York, and one other orange, and at least one of the red ones. those always seem to be the places other people land on. Buy railroads and lesser properties like Mediterranean, Oriental, and Virginia, to make your opponents feel less cheated when you con them out of that North Carolina avenue or that Park Place.

Laugh at your oppenents at the oddest moments.

Opponent: "Alright the electric comapany!"
You: "ahahahaha what a loser!"
Opponent: O_O

it Totally throws them off their game and lets you con them out of awesome properties, especially if you have two of the colors. the best trades are trading one monopoly for two monopolies. trading two of one color for two of different colors.

Yes, I know I've spent Far far far too much time thinking of various strategies for this stupid ass board game. Bite Me, at least I win.