How to play MONOPOLY

Keep in mind that the ultimate goal is to have the most money and assets at the end of the game.

Make sure that you have all the pieces. The box should contain a game board, two dice, play money, 32 houses, 12 hotels, 11 tokens, a stack each of Chance and Community Chest cards, and a Title Deed card for each property.

Lay the board out with the Chance and Community Chest cards facedown on their respective spaces.

Choose your favorite token. Put all of the players' tokens on Go.

Select a player to be the Banker. This person takes care of the money, buildings and Title Deed cards.

Distribute the money. Each player gets two $500 bills, two $100 bills, two $50 bills, six $20 bills, five $10 bills, five $5 bills and five $1 bills for a total of $1,500. (Some times I play 2 x $500, 4 x $100, 1 x $50, 1 x $20, 2 x $10, 1 x $5 and 5 x $1.

Have each player roll the dice to see who goes first. The highest roll wins, and play moves to the left.

Roll the dice and move that many spaces.

Buy a property from the Bank, if you wish, when you land on it. If you opt not to buy a property on your turn, the Banker may auction it to the highest bidding player. Bidding can start at any price and anyone may bid on the property.

Pay rent if you land on a property owned by another player. He or she must remember to ask for it before the player after you throws the dice.

Take a card if you land on Chance or Community Chest and follow the instructions.

Keep the dice if you roll doubles - once your turn is over, you may roll again.

Go to Jail if you roll doubles three times in a row.

Collect your salary of $200 from the Bank every time you pass or land on Go.

Get out of Jail by any of these methods: Use a Get Out of Jail Free card; pay a $50 fine before you roll the dice on either of your next two turns; or roll doubles on the dice during any of the three turns following your incarceration (you don't get to take another turn). However, if you don't roll doubles by the third turn, you have to pay a $50 fine.

Win the game by snapping up all of the property on the board, ruining the other players and acquiring more money and assets than anyone else.