Monopoly Deal

(1): Thou shalt constantly play draw cards… unless you can win in three actions. This rule is most effective at the beginning of the game but is generally recommended throughout (perhaps without exception). It raises your chances to acquire any two-part properties, better action cards, and properties for sets which may be near completion. In short, the more cards you draw, the more likely you are to win.

(2): Thou shalt not waste actions… there is no exception to this rule. Any turn wherein you can play property, steal property from an opponent, and place money in your bank, is considered a good turn. Any turn where you only achieve one of these, is a bad turn. Any turn where you can complete all of these is considered well played. This means that you must play the cards you’re dealt to their best potential inspite of how good or bad your hand is.

(3): Thou shalt not play ineffective cards – pass when you can’t… there is no exception to this rule. Everything played can help your opponents, from money to property, even some action cards (though this is rare) - especially property. Ineffective cards refer to cards that really have no part in your victory strategy or cards that cannot be used effectively to win. If you’re the first player, in most cases, it’s best to pass. You may notice that those who play first, will usually have nothing in front of them by their next turn. This is even more important when there are many players.

(4): Thou shalt count cards… there is no exception to this. You don’t have to be Rainman. At the very least you need to know that there are 3 Just Say No cards and 2 Deal Breakers. There are also the corresponding amount of solid colors for each set, and usually 2 bi-colors for every 2 sets beginning from brown moving up.

Example: there are 2 solid brown properties, 2 brown and aqua properties, and 2/3 solid aqua properties for brown and aqua respectively. There are 3 solid purple properties, and 2 purple and orange properties.

(5): Thou shalt not complete sets… unless you’re about to win or know that there are no Deal Breakers in play. The obvious reason is that you don’t want to get Deal Broken, even if you have a Just Say No, as that has made for many eventful game turns. Be very aware of the cards in play if you do choose to complete a set.

All in all Monopoly deal is a very light party game suitable for people who rarely ever play boardgames and still highly enjoyable for those who do. It is mainly chance based with a guesstimated chance/skill ratio of 7-3 (I just made that up). But it is highly chancey. As the game progresses it becomes increasingly harder for players who haven't established a strong bank to break into the game with any chance to win. This preserves the concept of Monopoly very well, as those who get ahead in this game generally stay ahead unless Deal Breakers or other effective action cards are played against them. At the same time, although you might have a great hand, how players use their own cards and when still has a substantial effect on your own playstyle. I would recommend this game to nearly anyone and everyone who is willing to sit down for half an hour to an hour and get a bit of table top gaming in.