# Monopoly and Free Parking rule variations **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [January 25, 2005, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monopoly-and-free-parking-rule-variations/286553 "2005-01-25T07:15:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mza662](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f4b2a3/32.png) [@mza662](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mza662)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2005, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monopoly-and-free-parking-rule-variations/286553/1 "2005-01-25T07:15:20Z")
[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2\_179.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_179.html) I was reading this article today, and being one of those who plays with modified rules giving Free Parking a nice payout (all Comm. Chest/Chance money plus $500 cherry after each time it has been emptied) i was surprised to read this paragraph. > [@](#): > > The Free Parking variation is apparently well known in all parts of the country, although an equal number of people play by the official rules. The purpose of the variation, obviously, is to enable financially inept players to scratch up a little extra capital. One of my sources says the kids on his block had worked out an even better scam: whenever you landed on Free Parking, you got one bill of each denomination from the bank–$686, if my addition can be relied upon. Such corruptions make it just about impossible for anybody to go bankrupt, meaning games go on forever. Talk about creeping socialism. What particularly raised my eyebrows was the assumption that $686 in the Free Parking booty would make it impossible for someone to go bankrupt. I don’t know what everybody else’s luck is like but from memory, this square is only landed upon about 6 times on average in any game I play, which would hardly cause the game to go on forever. I just find this assumption to be a bit misguided. You may all shoot me now for doubting the great Cecil, such nerve in my first fully fledged Charter Member post and all 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2005, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monopoly-and-free-parking-rule-variations/286553/2 "2005-01-25T12:39:23Z")
> [@mza662](#): > > [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2\_179.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_179.html) > > I was reading this article today, and being one of those who plays with modified rules giving Free Parking a nice payout (all Comm. Chest/Chance money plus $500 cherry after each time it has been emptied) i was surprised to read this paragraph. > > What particularly raised my eyebrows was the assumption that $686 in the Free Parking booty would make it impossible for someone to go bankrupt. I don’t know what everybody else’s luck is like but from memory, this square is only landed upon about 6 times on average in any game I play, which would hardly cause the game to go on forever. I just find this assumption to be a bit misguided. > > You may all shoot me now for doubting the great Cecil, such nerve in my first fully fledged Charter Member post and all 🙂 Welcome to the boards! Cecil does say that ‘such corruptions’ make it ‘just about impossible’ to go bankrupt, so he means that injecting extra money into the game in various ways will make it last far longer. As a chess player, I think we should stick to the rules anyway! ---
**Author:** ![mza662](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f4b2a3/32.png) [@mza662](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mza662)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monopoly-and-free-parking-rule-variations/286553/3 "2005-01-27T01:30:00Z")
Ahh yes, you are right 🙂 I have a nasty habit of missing little words like ‘almost’ 😛 ---
**Author:** ![DarRRva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/53a042/32.png) [@DarRRva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarRRva)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monopoly-and-free-parking-rule-variations/286553/4 "2005-05-07T05:19:01Z")
In the archive it says that Cecil was sent a complete list of many variations of Monopoly by someone. I have searched the boards but cannot find it. Does anyone know how I can get a hold of this?