The multitude of ways Christmas can go South is astonishing, but I think the quickest way to devolve into chaos is to bust out the Monopoly board. Any sort of board game tests allegiances and character, really. But, especially, in some families, when the holidays are tense already, Monopoly can be the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Luckily, Hasbro has your back this Christmas:
Source – “Board games can bring out the worst in families. When you think about it, if you don’t throw the top hat token at your cousin before storming off in a huff, are you really even playing Monopoly?
A festive helpline has been established following a survey which found that 51 per cent of Monopoly games end in rows.
The most common arguments were caused by people “making up the rules as they go along.”
It was followed by smug contestants gloating about their fortune, according to a survey of 2,000 adults.
The hotline will be open between December 24 and 26 and will provide mediation between quarreling family members.
Craig Wilkins, Marketing Director of Hasbro UK & Ireland said: ‘We’ll have experts on hand with the official rulebooks to instantly settle any disputes, and advice on how to resolve common complaints, with each person also having the opportunity to make a donation to Childline when they call.’
The top 10 Monopoly arguments are:
1. People making up rules.
2. People being too cocky when winning.
3. Someone buying a property you want, even when they don’t need it.
4. People taking too long to take their turn.
5. Someone stealing from the bank.
6. Someone deliberately mis-counting their move.
7. Who gets to be the banker.
8. The property auction process.
9. Choice over tokens.
10. What the rules of “Free Parking” are.”
Brilliant move on Monopoly’s part. Not only are they giving back to the community, but they’re also collecting donations for charity. Great way to get your name out there, and hold on BRB I’m going to go buy a Monopoly board.
Holy shit! I fell victim to their covert ad campaign already! It works!
Monopoly is one of my favorite games. I love the strategy involved (Side note: I’m the type of guy who believes there’s strategy in Uno (play the numbers, feel the game, know when to drop a reverse and know when to drop that draw four on Aunt Peggy). Much like poker, you sit down for a game and you know you’re in it for the long haul. I love battles like that – battles that really test your mettle and let you know exactly what you’re made of.
Here’s the problem: everyone I know hates playing Monopoly with me. Why? Because I’m like the Larry Bird of Monopoly. Not that I’m any more skilled than others, but I’m the fly in the ointment type of guy. I’m incredibly frustrating. Like Bird talked trash, my aggressive play talks trash for me. I have a very defensive strategy when it comes to Monopoly: you simply keep people from building hotels, and ride it out until people want to quit. Last man standing. My primary objective is to buy one avenue from each color property. If I’m in a position financially and by the roll of the dice, I’ll be the one to start building hotels. If not, no big deal, as long as no one else can.
“3. Someone buying a property you want, even when they don’t need it.”
Childline would make a shit ton of money off of people playing with me. But, once you corner that, winning is easy. You just sit and wait as people start to get frustrated. They keep passing go, they keep earning money, but they aren’t spending it! So, the result is that you get these amazing four-five hour games, and people get pissed because you’ve ruined it.
Like a lot of life’s problems, I think this can all be boiled down to communication, though. It’s very important for everyone to sit and discuss the rules BEFORE you play. That gives everyone an opportunity to say, “well, when I play, it’s ______.”
I’ll be the first to say it – stealing from the bank is low. My strategy, as aggravating as it may be, at least is an honest strategy. Stealing is flat-out cheating. And, in a game as respected as Monopoly, that’s an outright disgrace. If you get caught doing this, you should be thrown out of the game immediately.
Go sit in the living room by yourself while the rest of the family enjoys Christmas.
By the way, the most overrated aspect of Monopoly is the choice of token. Why do people care? Give me a damn pinto bean to play with and I’m good. It’s about winning. It’s not about the little piece of metal you’re plodding around the board. I can’t believe people actually argue over this.
But, these are the type of people who play games “for fun.” Nope – not me. I play to win in everything I do. Random games of chance? Sure, I’ll have fun. But, if there’s any sort of strategy involved, I want to win.
Lucky for Big Natural, I come from a family that gets along, and for the most part, they can just laugh it off when I’m a total asshole – whether it’s repeated draw fours in Uno, buying up all the different property in Monopoly, or holding my cards in rummy.
Stoney Keeley is the editor of the SoBros Network, Tennessee Titans Featured Analyst for Pro Football Spot, Contributor to FanSided’s Bama Hammer, and covers the WWE for WrestlingNews.co. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley, @PFSpot, @WrestlingNewsCo, @Bama_Hammer
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