Guide to improve your chances when playing the following classic games

Whatever games you choose to play, you probably do so hoping to win. While people might say ‘it’s the taking part that matters’, everyone knows that there is a special thrill from winning. Whether you are playing a family game, a round of cards with friends, or an online video or igaming game, there is something special about being crowned the winner. While sometimes it is a financial reward that is the prize, other times just the win itself is enough. Whatever you are playing, there are usually some techniques that can give you the edge over your fellow players. Here, we look at some top tips for a few classic games.

Monopoly

We probably all know how to play Monopoly, and as families and friends, we may have introduced a few of our own rules. However, if you want to clean up, you need to:

• Go out all guns blazing – slow and steady will not see you winning. Invest as you can and buy where you can. The sooner you get on the property ladder, the sooner you will be able to charge rents
• Do not hesitate on red and orange as these squares are landed on more than any other coloured streets. That is what the statistics say, and it is to do with where they are positioned on the board and the probability behind how dice land. So, if you land on any of these six, snap them up and add them to your portfolio. Chances are you will be picking up rent in no time.
• Try to get the railroads. Having all four can significantly increase your chances of winning because owning them gives you the opportunity to collect rent from all sides of the board. And even if you do not get all four, having any of them will prevent the competition from having the Monopoly on transport on the board.
• Don’t get over-excited about utilities. Privatized waterboards might be returning extraordinary profits to shareholders in the UK and other countries at the moment, but in Monopoly, they are a weak choice, particularly compared to railways. As there are only two of them, you only have a one in thirty-six chance to turn a profit – and even then, the multipliers are not great
• Build as much as you can – concentrate on getting three houses on a single location rather than one house on each of three places. The differential in rent that can be collected from one and three houses on the same property is enormous. Collecting enormous rents increases your chance of winning the game.
• Buy as many houses as you can and create a housing shortage. There are only thirty-two in total, and the more you have, the less are available for the competition. You make money when another player lands on your property, and if they cannot access houses, they cannot buy hotels either, as they need four houses to convert to a hotel. This strategy could be the one that causes the classic Monopoly argument, but it could also bag you the game
• Know your stats to help you plan. Because Monopoly is played with two dice, you have the highest odd or rolling a 7 and the least of rolling a 12. You also have a 17% chance of rolling doubles, so that means you should roll a double every six turns or once for every lap of the board. Remember these stats and use them to your advantage.
• Going to jail is not always a bad thing, particularly towards the end of the game, when it gives you a chance to let the other players pick up the fines.

Poker

Winning at poker can genuinely be the difference between cleaning up and going home broke. However, poker can be great fun, even if it is played for relatively low stakes or even with matchsticks. Certainly, as a beginner, you want to start out by making moderate bets or trying out demo versions of this game when playing at online casino sites. It is essential to make sure you understand the basic principles before launching into real-money bets, particularly if you are playing live dealer versions of the game. Otherwise, you could regret placing bets without understanding the consequences. There are many places to go and get poker tips, and you can check out these poker cheat sheets before taking the plunge.

• Know what is what. It could sound silly to say, but it is essential to get the basics right, so make sure you can tell your Royal Flush from a Full House and a Straight Flush from a Flush
• Know when to fold – professional players fold 80% of their hands before they flop. The trick is to be able to know what is a good hand and what is not. Otherwise, you will be flopping out of the game in no time. It is better to fold than flop.
• Most hands are statistical losers, and the fastest and easiest way to get ahead of your opponent is to play better cards than they do.
• In her book, The Girl’s Guide to Poker, Amanda Botfield advises beginners only to play suited Ace, King, Queen, Jack, or Ten to make a two card royal flush. She says that implementing this strategy will help to develop good habits.
• Intermediate players are advised to stick to Broadways, Pairs, and Suited Connectors.
  • Broadways are Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and Ten of any suit
  • Pair are two of the same card
  • Suited connectors are a run of cards from the same suit. Connectors from different suits should be folded.

Jenga

If the pressure of poker is all too much, then maybe something like Jenga will be a little more relaxing – just don’t make the tower fall!

• Don’t pull the blocks – push them out gently
• Take the central blocks out first – leave the exposed sides to your opponents
• Think one step at a time – you need to make your best move now
• Try to build a stable tower rather than the tallest one. Well, unless you like to hear the sound of tumbling blocks that is.