A game of Monopoly is the ideal way to brighten up Christmas Day. especially if it’s a game you know you’ll win!
Hannah Fry, a mathematician, claims that there is a surefire strategy for winning Monopoly; all you need to know is which properties to buy.
You’re welcome.) We’ve examined Hannah’s research and broken down the specifics so you’ll understand exactly where to place your properties in your upcoming Monopoly game.
In her rather aptly-named book The Indisputable Science of Santa Claus, Hannah shows her findings that are guaranteed to frustrate your family.
She also walked Monopoly competitors through her process while speaking to fellow mathematician Matt Parker.
“The key to winning at Monopoly is realising that not all sets are created equal. There are some squares that are much more likely to be landed on than others,” she explained.
Thankfully, after what honestly sounds like some tedious work, Hannah has already figured out which squares are the most and least-visited on the board.
According to Hannah’s calculations, Jail is the most-visited square on the board.
After that, it’s Trafalgar Square, while Park Lane comes in last place.
Oh, if if it were that easy. But it doesn’t stop there.
Hannah estimated the cost of landing on each property and the expected profit per time your rival rolls the dice after calculating the likelihood of moving from any square on the board to any other square on the board.
These estimates make Park Lane suddenly a valuable asset, but Mayfair is the clear winner.
Sadly, that still isn’t how we triumph. We’re getting there, so don’t worry.
You are not permitted to invest in a single piece of real estate on the Monopoly board, per the game’s regulations. Its complete set will eventually need to be purchased.
For instance, whereas Bond Street, Oxford Street, and Regent Street are all green, Mayfair and Park Lane are navy blue.
Park Lane drags it down, taking far too many rolls to make any money from the property, despite Mayfair appearing to be the finest investment on the board.
Because of this, Hannah advises avoiding the navy blue set at all costs.
Hannah discovered that the number of opponents you have or the number of rolls your opponents make in a game ultimately determines the optimal property set to invest in.
Here are the final results you’ve been waiting for, without further ado:
Choose the light blue or orange sets if you’re playing against just one other player because they have the highest payoff at the beginning.
The orange or red sets are the best options for games with two to three opponents.
Finally, Hannah advises choosing green in all situations where there are more than three opponents.
The navy blue and yellow sets undoubtedly provide the biggest payoff over the long term, but unless you’re playing an extremely long game, they’re not worth your money.
Now, go forth and absolutely crush your friends and relatives. Merry Christmas!
