A Monopoly dilemma. Help needed - Democratic Underground

CoffeeCat

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Wed May-21-08 11:27 AM
Original message

A Monopoly dilemma. Help needed

Edited on Wed May-21-08 11:43 AM by TwoSparkles

My sister and I popped a big bowl of popcorn and played a drawn-out game of Monopoly. Now
we're at a stalemate. I'm wondering if anyone can help me determine who won.

This game ended with my sister landing on Vermont Avenue--on which I had a hotel.
This wiped out her money. She mortgaged the properties she won, and the numbers
don't add up. She can't win. I finished with just under $2,000.

My sister insists that although I won the money count--she secured more of the big, important
properties--and this is more important than having the most money. While it is true
that she won Boardwalk, Park Place, Pennsylvania Avenue and half of the Red properties--the rules
state that it's all about the money count. We both read and understood the rules, which have
been clearly written and static for decades.

Despite the rules, my sister continues to argue that she won because no one can win Monopoly without a strategy that
secures those big-name properties.

I told my sister, "Well obviously a person can win without those big properties, because
I just did." She then demanded to know, "How in the world will you win future Monopoly games
without the ability to win those large, high-value properties?"

She then accused me of having less experience playing Monopoly, and I shot back that experience doesn't always
translate into a better strategy.

She then threw popcorn at me and called me, "a raging sexist."

Enraged and indignant, my sister summoned all of our elder family members to the living room. She reminded all of
them that she has the keys to the family condo in Boca Raton, and then asked them their opinion about the game!
Two family members sided with her (they love that seaside condo) but most of them have thrown their support for me.

My sister wants to continue playing this game! Even though she is out of money. Even though the rules state that
I have a higher money count. Even though there is no way she can surpass me in the money count. Even though most
of our family elders have signaled that it's time to box up the game.

She won't give up! And she's now hinting that I give her a loan from the Monopoly bank to keep her in the game!

To add to the absurdity, at the beginning of the game--we were unable to locate Water Works and Electric Company
property cards. We agreed that those properties would not count. Now, she's insisting that the game is not valid
because Water Works and Electric Company were left out. She's now saying that she landed on them more than I did, so
she technically owns them!

I explained, "I went around those properties because of our agreement!"

She then accused me of hating electricity and water! She said, "You just want the entire world to live in the Dark
Ages and I cannot support that!"

I tried to talk some sense into her, as our great grandfather walked into the room and listened. My sister then turned
to me and said, "I've had years of experience playing Monopoly. Our great grandfather has had years of experience
playing Monopoly. All you have is a speech about the rules!"

I told my sister that I really hoped that she would come to her senses.

Then she accused me of being a hopemonger!

The last straw was when I pleaded with her to do the right thing--and she proceeded to hop up on the coffee table
and say--in this really creepy, sing-songy voice, "Now I could stand up here and say...‘Let’s just get everybody together.
Let’s get unified...The sky will open...The lights will come down...Celestial choirs will be singing and everyone will
know we should do the right thing and the world will be perfect."

I'm pretty sure she's gone outer limits. Her husband is no help. He's just as nutty as she is.

I'm just wondering if anyone else could settle this Monopoly dilemma for us.

Don't time-honored, clearly written rules--and fair play--mean anything any more?