About Monopoly
Monopoly was put out in its current form by Parker Brothers in 1935, which accounts for the apparel of the various figures depicted in the game and the design of the game as a whole. Monopoly is a literal depiction of the idea that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer: the more money you have, the more property and houses and hotels you can buy, and then the more rent you can collect. A monopoly is, of course, a situation where there is only one seller or provider who has no competition for his goods or services. The winner of the game thus has a monopoly of all the property (and the money) in the end. One of the things that bring a unique kitschiness to Monopoly is the special edition branding of the game. You can find special editions of the game for almost any fandom imaginable. There are over a thousand different special editions of Monopoly. Special editions are usually made to match things like TV shows, games or bands so the pieces will all be made to match the particular theme of the game.
Managing Monopoly Money
The game of Monopoly revolves around money which flows out of and into a central bank. There are specific rules about exactly how much money the bank and each player has at the start of the game, and what to do if, for example, the bank runs out of money.
Monopoly Money
Monopoly money consists of 20 orange $500 bills, 20 beige $100 bills, 30 blue $50 bills, 50 green $20 bills, 40 yellow $10 bills, 40 pink $5 bills, and 40 white $1 bills.
Money in the Bank
In pre-2008 Monopoly games, the bank starts with $15,140 in cash. In games made after September 2008, the bank has $20,580, accounting for inflation, of course. A few of the bills are a different color: $10s are blue, $20s get a brighter green hue, and $50s are purple. Also, there are 30 of each denomination rather than varying numbers of each one.
Amount of Money Each Player Starts With
In Monopoly, each player starts the game with $1,500. Here is the breakdown of how much money each player gets:
Two $500sTwo $100sTwo $50sSix $20sFive $10sFive $5sFive $1s
The remaining bills go to the bank. One player serves as the banker and is in charge of dividing up money and collecting fees. At the start of the game, the bank holds all 32 houses and 12 motels.
Extra Money in the Bank
If the bank repeatedly runs out of money when you play, which is more likely if you play with several people, you can add as much as you want. Make your own out of paper or use checkers or poker chips to indicate different amounts. Or if you want it all to be real Monopoly money, you can buy more in a toy or hobby store or order it online. The Monopoly bank never goes belly-up.
