We all know the basic rules of Monopoly. We even know the unwritten rules, like table flipping is 100% allowed when things get intense, and if you can stash away money with no one noticing then it's fair game.
But some "house rules" are a lot more common than others, and have become commonplace in Monopoly. Here's the thing, though: they're not accurate. These are some of the most common house rules that are in effect today, but that actually aren't real.
1. Take A Lap
Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to take a full lap around the board before buying property. The official rules state you can start buying property right away. No one really knows where the "full lap" rule came from, but it was probably someone who was losing at the time or who wanted the game to last an extra 14 hours.
2. Free Parking
The most common way to play Monopoly is to put all the taxes in the middle, and then whoever lands on Free Parking gets the cash. The reality is, this doesn't exist at all. Free Parking is just a square on the board, and it doesn't do anything at all. Only bring up this rule if you're not the one who landed on Free Parking.
3. Auctioning Property
Get this: if no one wants to buy a property when it's landed on, it gets auctioned off, meaning you can buy the property for less than it's worth! It's a decent strategy to hold onto, because you can find a bargain, but not a lot of people know about the rule. In theory, it would also make the game speed up a little bit, but then again, it will also probably cause more arguments.
4. Jail Bound
Being sent to jail in Monoply is pretty terrible, but it's actually not that bad according to the rules. You can't go around the board or buy anything, but you can absolutely collect rent on the properties you own, despite what your older brother told you all those years ago.
5. Do Not Pass Go
Passing Go is a guaranteed $200, but landing on Go is often seen as the lottery, because you get to collect $400 instead of $200. Unfortunately, this isn't an official rule. In the grand scheme of things, it's something that everyone benefits from so it isn't a huge deal. But if you're looking to play an authentic game of Monopoly, don't double the cash.
6. Bankruptcy
When you run out of money in the game, most people assume the properties go back to the bank and are officially up for sale once again. This isn't the case. The properties you own go to the person who bankrupted you in the first place. This will make the game go by a lot quicker, and make your friends a lot more smug when they steal everything from you.
7. Snake Eyes
If you roll snake eyes, you automatically get $500 and to roll again. Neither of these things are true. All you get if you roll snake eyes is the opportunity to yell "SNAKE EYES!" and move two spaces.
8. Loans
While it is a lesser used house rule, loaning someone money in order to buy a property they landed on is still fairly common. It may do wonders to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit and friendships, it's actually not a rule and it's a bad game strategy if you're the one loaning money.
9. Building Houses
This house rule is a weird one: you can start building houses even without owning all the properties in the category. That's a big old nope. You have to own every property in the group...that's why it's called monopoly.
10. Chance on Chance
Another common house rule is that you don't have to pick up a chance card when you land on the Chance space. This, obviously, is false. If you land on the space, you have to take the CHANCE. That's why it's called CHANCE. You can't decide to not go to jail when you land on the Jail space. It's just the way the world works.
