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Monopoly? Yes please! I can easily say that Monopoly is my favorite board game (with Clue a close second). The new electronic version you say? No thanks, I like using paper money, and I don't care for the properties selling in the millions. I currently own three different Monopoly versions, The original blue Monopoly board game (with the then new bag-o-money playing piece), the Monopoly Texas edition, and for Christmas a couple years ago my mom bought me the entire Hasbro library vintage game set. These games, which include Monopoly and Clue, come in a box that resemble books, and look amazing when placed in a bookshelf. This is my go to Monopoly board of choice. Anyway...

Yesterday, I played a game of Monopoly with my 8 year old cousin. Now before you all shake your head at me for possibly taking advantage of an eight-year-old, she had my 18 year old brother, Dylan, advising her. My brother knows his way around a Monopoly board, as him and I use to have these day long monopoly tournaments shortly after receiving this game version. I know people who fight over the race car, and my cousins are quick to choose the dog, but I use the top hat....I ALWAYS use the top hat! It's my piece, though the thimble was once my piece of choice.

The game started off very badly, with me going to jail on 4 of my first 7 turns. After what seemed to be a three hour game, I finally bankrupted my young cousin, with the help of more than a couple lucky rolls which allowed me to avoid her three hotels on the orange color group (St. James Place, Tennessee Ave, New York Ave), which cost me $1,000+ both times I was so unfortunate to land there. At some point during the game I only had $8 dollars even after mortgaging some of my properties. I however did have two houses on all green properties (Pacific Ave, North Carolina Ave, Pennsylvania Ave), which cost her $400 each time she landed there, and she did land on North Carolina a couple of times. But it was on the final turn after I had safety passed that dreaded orange corner that she landed on Pacific Ave (with the addition of a new house) that she needed to pay me $900, and with her not receiving any income from her 3 hotels, she found herself bankrupt.

After our game my other cousin, her 10 year old sister, played against my brother, while I acted as banker. My cousin is very careful with her money, and she had us in stitches, laughing because she had her money to buy properties, but she also kept a separate pile she called her savings. Every time she would receive rent, money from chance/community chest, or for passing go, she would place some in her active stack and then say "this goes in savings." Haha I had never heard of anyone having a savings pile while playing Monopoly. Needless to say she was successful in her saving because at some point she had over $1,000 in her savings pile. However, sadly she fell victim to my brothers expensive properties and ultimately went bankrupt.

In true tournament play, my brother and I are set to play a game to settle the undisputed Monopoly champion soon.