Here's How You Win At Monopoly According To The UK Champion

If you weren't screaming at one of your nearest and dearest over their refusal to offer you a decent price for one of the properties yesterday evening, then what exactly were you doing on Christmas day?

Half-cut families being torn apart by classic board game Monopoly is as much of a festive tradition in the UK as mince pies, mistletoe and carols, with players aiming to bankrupt their opponents by building up property portfolios and charging rent.

Now, one of the top-ranked Monopoly players in the world, Natalie Fitzsimons, 26, from Northern Ireland, has disclosed her top tips for beating your family over the holiday season.

TIP #1 - GET THEM HOUSES BUILT

Having retained the UK and Ireland Monopoly championship title for four years, she told The Mirror that in the early stages of the game players should do everything they can - even if it means stretching yourself financially - to get their hands on as many of streets, so they can build houses on the board and start pulling in rents from other players.

She says, it's better to have houses on one location, picking up big rents, than lots of streets collecting lower amounts.

"This always feels a little like cheating, but I never know why other people don't do it," she said.

"As soon as you get a monopoly yourself, mortgage everything else and spend every penny on houses.

"A monopoly with three houses on each square is far more valuable with lots of low-rent single property squares.

"You can always 'un-mortgage' them later in the game."

TIP #2 - HOTELS? "NAH, I'M ALRIGHT, MATE" BUT CREATE A HOUSING SHORTAGE

She also advised players not to buy hotels - and to stop at three houses as after this time 'the amount the rent increases per house maxes out'.

Natalie also says a good strategy is to buy houses in order to 'create a housing shortage' as there is only a limited number of green houses available in the pot for players to use.

TIP #3 - STICK IN THE SLAMMER

Contrary to real life, she also reckons that in the later stages of the game it's advantageous to stay in jail, even though you might think it's more advantageous to collect money by 'passing Go'.

Natalie explains: "In the early game you want to get out of jail as soon as possible.

"But once all the property squares have been bought sometimes the best thing is to wait patiently in jail.

"At the later stages of the game, it's better to be behind bars so you can still collect but don't land on expensive squares."

TIP #4 - DON'T BUY PARK LANE

Finally, the most controversial bit of advice from Natalie is to avoid buying the most prestigious property on the board, Park Lane, as statistically it's the location everyone is least likely to visit.

As Natalie cautions: "It may be prestigious but Park Lane is actually the square in the game landed on less than any other."

This is because counters often move swiftly round that corner of the board due to the number of Community Chest and Chance Card possibilities to launch you further.

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Good luck. Hopefully these tips will give you a shot at winning this year.

Featured image credit: PA

Topics: Monopoly

James Dawson

James Dawson is a Journalist at LADbible. He has contributed articles to LADbible’s ‘Knowing Me, Knowing EU’ series on the EU referendum, the 'Electoral Dysfunction' series on the 2017 general election, the ‘U OK M8?’ series tackling mental health amongst young men, and for its ‘Climate Change’ initiative in partnership with National Geographic.

@thejaytoday