Sydney Monopoly Boardgame Group

Members of the Sydney Monopoly Boardgame Group can enjoy regular hosted games of the famed 1935 Parker Bros board game - and it's themed variations including Monopoly Deal.

We generally play traditional boards (no electronic credit cards, unofficial sets etc) with speed (3) dice or standard (2) dice depending on time requirements. Some non-core aspects of the game have been spruced up. Paper money is replaced with casino-grade chips which are more durable. They also look, feel, 'clink' and play better.

The official Parker Bros / Hasbro rules are adhered to closely with a few notable exceptions [as some of the official rules have been found a little 'lax' in practice]. These discrepancies are noted in the FAQ section.

A timer between turns is imposed to keep the game flowing, minimise deadlocks and ensure that we finish by around 3PM.  
To keep within the spirit of the game, and in good manners and decency, players may not prematurely forfeit their position in place of inevitable bankruptcy to the bank; or other players (at firesale prices) solely as a means to leave early. Players must also respect the timer and the time limits set aside for deals and all other established rules. Any player conducting themselves in a contrary manner will jeopardise their membership with the club. (If this seems overly legalistic, it's only because it has been proven necessary in practice)

Games take place every 3 to 4 weeks at Albion Place Hotel (near Town Hall). First half hour is set aside for lunch before the game is launched. Please check TransportNSW website to see if there will be any train delays before you come, as we won't be able to wait for anyone much past 12:30. Albion has let us play without interference (a mutually beneficial arrangement) so it'd be appreciated if you can support the venue by buying food/drink where possible. The food is actually pretty good!

Depending on numbers, 1-2 different games will be played simultaneously, with a maximum number set to 12 people. Games may be randomly assigned if we get a large turnout.

All skill levels are welcome, though it's asked that you have at least a very minimal basic understanding of the mechanics of the game prior to joining. Any other queries on gameplay will be more than happy to assist when playing.

Occasionally we will take Monopoly further afield on special outings. This will be posted to the Meetup group from time to time. In the past we have visited different cities in NSW, and have even been on a cruise ship visiting an island in QLD. Anyone is welcome to join these outings after playing a few games at the venue first. 
This group is all about having fun. Being friendly, respectful to others and enjoying the game is what we're about!

If you can't make it to an event, please signal your change in status as soon as possible so others can take your place.  If you change your RSVP 2 hours before the game it will be considered a 'no-show' as it doesn't give enough time for others on the waitlist to join.

Any member who has 2 or more no-shows may forfeit their place to other members who are on the waitlist who are in good standing. Just be considerate and update your RSVP - very simple and polite!

COVID UPDATE:
It is now necessary to take extra precautions when participating in the group. Please observe the following:
* Do not attend if you feel sick in any way shape or form
* Do not attend if you have been overseas or interstate less than 2 weeks prior to a game being scheduled
* The optimum number of players will be 4 to a board where numbers permit this to occur
* It is advisable to wear a mask to/from the venue when using public transport
* Members acknowledge that they play at the venue at their own risk. The club does not offer any warranties of any sort.

WAITLIST POLICY:
There are a fixed number of spots available for each game. This is a first come first served basis. You will be guaranteed a spot.
If there is a waitlist - Generally first in first served, but priority will be given to long term members; spots may also be given to balance the turnout (gender balance etc) ahead of a member who has waited longer.

If you are on the waitlist you cannot just rock up, you have to wait for a place in order to attend.

GAMEPLAY UPDATE 2024:

Owing money to another player / Becoming bankrupt:

debtor: The player who owes money/assets
debtee: The player who will receive the money/assets

When a player owes money to another player or is in the process of being bankrupt, they must pay in cash or convert any assets to cash in the first instance (i.e. selling houses or mortgaging properties etc.). The player is not able to "barter" or exchange properties (mortgaged or not) with any player in order to meet their obligation. If the debtor cannot meet their debt in full they must hand over all cash + mortgaged properties (as per usual Monopoly rules) and leave the game.

Note: When paying off debts you must mortgage your properties before giving them over. You want to make it a bit harder for the person who receives your property.

The debtee is able to waive the remaining debt (at their discretion) if a player is very close to paying back their obligations (say within 5% of requested amount).

Why? Allowing a player to barter properties slows the game down. In the past a player may try to get work out deals with multiple players - this ends up wasting a lot of time. It also prevents the player in debt from selling properties (even if it appears arm's length) to spite or disadvantage the player they are in debt to.

Transfer fee:
When a player receives a mortgage property from another player (for any reason), the receiver is only permitted to pay the 10% fee - known as "transfer fee" and keep the property mortgaged. By their next turn, the player is able to then unmortgage whatever properties they choose, however they must pay the 10% fee again.

Example: Player B receives mortgaged Old Kent Rd from a Player A. Player B must pay $6 "transfer fee". If they want to unmortgage on their next turn, they pay $66. So in total $72 has been paid out.

Although it may seem unfair to pay the 10% twice, in reality it is a very very small overhead (e.g. $100 per $1000 of mortgaged property). In many cases a player who receives mortgaged property is generally not in a position where paying such a fee would be detrimental (i.e. if received through another player's bankruptcy etc.)

Why? In the past there's been to much mucking around with working out what properties to keep mortgaged and what properties to turn over. It also requires explaining the partial mortgage / unmortgage concept every time - which is annoying and takes time, so we removed this option! In order to keep the game flowing, on receipt of mortgage properties, a player must pay the 10% fee and on next turn (or some future turn) they can properly unmortgage their choice of properties again.

Others:
We use speed dice by general consensus. We also do not try to stray too far away from the traditional Monopoly rules. As such, there is no "Free Parking", "Double on Go", "not able to buy property on the first time around the board" rules etc.

Disputes
If a scenario occurs that has not been clearly answered by the official Monopoly rules or SMBG rules, then a general consensus among all players will be made on the day, and that will apply to all players from that point forward.
It will then be added to this FAQ.
In the instance where there is a discrepancy between the official rules and the SMBG rules, then the SMBG rules shall prevail as they have usually overruled some known aspect of the game.

FAQ:

Note this isn't to supplant the official Monopoly rules, but rather to provide clarification to situations that have arisen where the rules aren't clear or to provide explanation and clarity to the very few 'house rules'. House rules are used very sparingly and only to address some perceived deficiencies in the game.

Q: How many dice do I roll when I land on a utility?
A: You must roll all 3 dice. If the speed dice rolls as a picture face, then this is counted as zero. Only exception to rolling all 3 dice is if a player has not 'graduated' to using a speed dice -- though this should be a very rare occurrence.

Q: Do I need to pay rent if another player has not asked for it?
A: No you do not need to pay rent to the owner (within reason).
You must however provide reasonable time for the owner to notice, informally around 5 seconds will do. If the owner of the property is distracted by another player (for which they didn't initiate the conversation) then this rule may not apply.
If the owner simply doesn't notice, is scrolling through their phone, looking away etc. then rent need not be paid. A player can choose to pay anyway if they wish.
After the first half hour of the game or so, players should not necessarily remind a player to pick up their rent.
A player who also acts as a banker, should be given more time and adjustments due to the extra role they've taken on. This does not apply to other minor roles such as title card person, house stock person.
A new player may also be given extra provisions of time and reminders for a while.
I cannot codify all situations, it really is really just comes down to common sense, being reasonable, and also incentivizing players to pay attention at all times!

Q: Can I receive rent in jail? A: Yes you can. You can do anything that is normally provided to a player. This includes receiving rent, building properties and dealing with other players among other things.

Q: If I own railways but one is mortgaged but the player lands on an active one, do I still count the rent of all owned railway stations?
A: yes, as long as they didn't land on the mortgaged station (in which case they'd pay nothing) you are entitled to the rent of all owned stations. See this answer from https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/monopoly-how-much-rent-do-i-collect-411910

However, this does not affect the rent if a player lands on the other railroads you own. If you own all four railroads, when they land on any of them that isn't mortgaged, they owe $200. The rent is not discounted because any other of your railroads is mortgaged. The fact that one railroad (or one property in a color group) is mortgaged does not affect the rent owed when players land on other railroads (or other properties in that same color group).

Q: Does the same apply for colour property sets? If I own all properties in a set and one of them is mortgaged, but a player lands on a normal unmortgaged property, can I still ask for double the rent.
A: Yes you can. A player will pay double rent as long as the property you land on is unmortgaged and you own all others in the set (some can be mortgaged)
https://www.monopolyland.com/monopoly-rent-rules/

Q: Do I pay the $50 fee before the 3rd roll or after the 3rd roll when in jail?
A: Up to you. If you pay before a a 3rd roll, then it's a standard turn afterward. i.e. If you happen to roll a double, then you will get to have another turn as you are already free.

If you roll a 3rd time (without paying) and don't roll a double, you will have to pay $50 and move the set amount of spaces.
If you roll a double at any time you will not need to pay the $50 fine and will move the set amount of spaces. You do not receive another turn for rolling a double.

As always, you can pay the $50 fee to leave jail any time before you roll.

Q: What happens if I go bankrupt to the bank?
A: The bank collects your cash and properties are available for auction, one by one by the banker.

Q: How does the speed dice work?
A: The speed dice has 3 numbers [1,2,3], a monopoly man and a bus
You can only use the speed dice after you've landed on or passed GO for the first time after travelling around the board once. Note: Going to Jail in the first 'lap' does not constitute passing GO.

1. If you roll numbers, add them on to the other dice
2. If you roll a monopoly man, go to the next unowned property and purchase/auction it. If there are no unowned properties you must go to the next property that isn't owned by you and is not mortgaged
3. If you roll the bus, you can select the combination of the other 2 dice. Either 1 or the other or both added together

If you roll a double using the 2 standard dice, the speed dice does not apply and you move the set number spaces. You will receive another turn as per normal rules.
Note: A double will not be calculated by the numeric value on the speed dice and one other dice. It only applies to standard dice.

If you roll a triple 1, 2 or 3 you can move anywhere on the board and your turn will conclude with no further rolls. If you want to go to Jail, then you must set yourself to the 'Go To Jail' square, not 'Just Visiting'.

Q: Are IOUs allowed?
A: No they are not, you have to pay the full amount at the required time. If this requires taking down buildings or mortgaging property to fulfill a debt then you must do this.

Some exceptions can be made when a small amount may be required. usually a few dollars or so . e.g. The player doesn't have the correct change on them and will settle the bill shortly, as long as it's done in good faith.

Q: Can I buy a house at any time? Do you follow the housing shortage rule for auctioning houses?
A: SMBG does not follow the standard rules in this regard. You can only purchase houses/hotels on your turn. This is to keep the game orderly and the focus on a single player at a time. As a consequence of this, the housing shortage rule is therefore inoperable.

Secondly, houses may be upgraded to hotels directly irrespective of housing stock availability. This is done so that hotel ownership is not stifled by certain hoarding strategies which cause the game to lag.

Q: I need to downconvert a hotel to 4 houses but there aren't any houses left in the bank. What can I do?
A: You will have to build down to as many houses that are available by the bank. If the bank has no houses you will have to take the hotels off.

Remember: All rules apply to all players equally! If you have any suggestions feel free to drop me a line :)

Last updated: February 2024

Rohan

• (Organizer)