Monopoly world champion has crucial piece of advice for players to win the game

If you want to know the secrets behind winning Monopoly, then listen up as the game’s world champion is sharing his advice.

Nicolò Falcone, a lawyer from Venice, Italy, holds the current title.

He first took part in the world championships which are held in Macau, China, in 2015, and won the prize of $20,580, which is the face value of all the money in the bank in the game.

While he says that professional players know all the tips and tricks there are to the game, so there is an element of luck to winning, for those who only get the board game out occasionally at Christmas, he has some good advice to share.

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Speaking to the Guardian, he said: “People ask for tips and I tell them to buy three houses on each property when you own a complete set. Also, jail is your enemy at the beginning of the game, but your best friend towards the end.

“By then, if you go to jail, stay there for as long as possible because you can collect money off your properties but you don’t go around the board paying other players. There are also Monopoly “heat maps”, which show the places that are landed on the most.”

He also says it’s important to really read the rules.

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“Knowing them properly will help you win,” he said. “For example, you can buy and build houses any time between other people’s turns, not only when it’s your turn.”

For those that have played the game with family and friends, it can be laborious and take hours to finish.

But the game which won Nicolò his title only took 47 minutes.

“That is not because I am the Maradona of Monopoly,” he said. "But because I know the rules. It shouldn’t be a five-hour game.”

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Since becoming the Monopoly world champion, a lot of doors have opened up for Nicolò.

He started exploring his passion for stand-up comedy and created a routine based on his experience of competitive Monopoly.

He’s also started working with Comedy Central.

The competition is held every four to six years but the 2021 event was cancelled due to covid. Competitors are now waiting for the next date to be confirmed, but Nicolò said: “When it comes, I hope to win again. Nobody has won the title twice.”