If you consider yourself good at Monopoly, just wait until you meet Nicolò Falcone.
In daily life, Falcone is a lawyer and a comedian from Venice, Italy - but outside of work, he holds the title of Monopoly World Champion.
Did you even know there was such a thing?
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Well, there is, and Falcone is the defending champion after first entering and winning the competition in 2015.
Obviously Falcone is playing in a bit of a different league to those of us who sit down with our families during the holidays and end up in heated arguments over who needs to pay who, but at the end of the day, it's still the same game.
Still, Falcone noted that professional players know all the tips and tricks there are to the game, so while there is an element of luck to winning, he does have some good advice to share.
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Speaking to the Guardian in 2022, Falcone said: “People ask for tips and I tell them to buy three houses on each property when you own a complete set. Also, jail is your enemy at the beginning of the game, but your best friend towards the end.
“By then, if you go to jail, stay there for as long as possible because you can collect money off your properties but you don’t go around the board paying other players.
"There are also Monopoly “heat maps”, which show the places that are landed on the most.”
These are all very useful pieces of advice to keep in mind, but there's also one other piece of advice that you might be more reluctant to take on board.
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"Read the rules," Falcone said simply.
"Knowing them properly will help you win,” he continued. “For example, you can buy and build houses any time between other people’s turns, not only when it’s your turn.”
Falcone's expert knowledge of the game has helped massively reduce his play time - which is probably good news for families who end up losing whole days to the activity.
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In fact, the game which won Falcone his title only took 47 minutes.
“That is not because I am the Maradona of Monopoly,” he said. "But because I know the rules. It shouldn’t be a five-hour game.”
Falcone is now looking forward to defending his title at the next championship.
The competition is usually held every four to six years, but the 2021 event was cancelled due to Covid.
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“When it comes, I hope to win again. Nobody has won the title twice," he said.
Topics: Gaming
Emily Brown