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The community chest and chance cards are usually one of the scariest parts of Monopoly for me. My fear usually lies in the unknown results of the turned-over cards. However, these loved and dreaded cards are usually spice to the game.
In the game of Monopoly, the aim is to acquire as many properties as possible, build an empire, and ensure you don’t go bankrupt while consistently pushing your opponents toward bankruptcy.
The Chance cards can either make or mar your plans.
This comprehensive article exposes some significant details you need to know about the chance cards, their uses, differences, eventual repercussions, and likely advantages.
What are Chance Cards in Monopoly?
On three corners of the board lies a boldly stamped space titled ‘Chance.’ As their name implies, they are mostly chance-based and can reward or punish a player.
Whenever I land on Chance, there’s always a rush of nervousness through my body. Chance can either bless your overall strategy or ultimately ruin it.
In the Monopoly board game, there are only 16 Chance cards. More than half of these cards instruct you to move to another property.
I love categorizing the chance cards into four sets, and we shall briefly discuss each set below.
Advance Cards
These cards generally instruct you to advance to another property, sometimes with specific names. The most exciting part of these cards is the extra instruction, ‘If you pass “GO,” collect 200 pounds.
Moreso, amongst these cards, is one I often refer to as the Jackpot, the ADVANCE TO GO card. No matter where you are on the board or still on GO, this card sweeps you straight to GO. This move means more salary for you, and who doesn’t want more money with less struggle?
Sadly, sometimes these Advance cards do not guarantee that you pass GO. Getting instructions to move to a property one or two tiles ahead of you can be frustrating.
For example, if you’re on the Light Blue properties just before jail, and your Chance card instructs that you move to the Orange properties, you definitely will not pass GO, which just feels like a waste of the card. We will now see some scenarios in which this can play.
Light Blue Properties
If you find yourself on Chance just before ‘Jail,’ getting the Chance Advance card is often considered useless as players do not maximize the card’s potential, collecting a salary.
This can only be handy when the Advance cards help you skip over an opponent’s property with enough houses or hotels to drain your pocket.
Red Properties
These properties are found immediately after Free Parking. If luck is on your side while you’re on Chance within these properties, you have more chances of passing GO than any previously mentioned properties.
Your increased chances are because there is only one other property that you are likely to advance to that does not guarantee your salary. Even the said property, the dark blue properties, are just two, three, or sometimes one tile away from GO, so it isn’t a bad card to get.
You’re likely to advance to the red properties, dark blue properties, pink properties, or orange properties. See? More chances.
Dark Purple Properties
The Dark Purple Properties are usually found after Chance, just before GO. They are the most expensive on the Monopoly board. Players worldwide have mixed feelings about these properties.
Some dread it because it is expensive to buy and costs 200 pounds for houses, while others love it because the rent on them is a considerable sum.
Whatever the case, if you find yourself on Chance within these properties, I really do not know how to feel for you.
You’ve worked hard to get close to GO, and the card you long needed suddenly happens to come now. The only advantage of getting a Chance Advance card is that it trajects you many properties ahead. Other than that, I don’t fancy getting a Chance Advance card at this point in the game.
Chance Advance cards can send you to properties, railroads, or utilities in most Monopoly models. Players have a 44% possibility of getting these cards.
If the scenarios above do not match your board, the basic concept explained can help you navigate yours better, whether you’re to advance to a utility, property, or railroad.
Advance to Go
Players are always excited to get this card. Wherever you are on the Monopoly board, advancing to GO means good news because you earn more salary with less work.
Furthermore, there is another Chance card that falls under this category. It is the ‘Go Back Three’ Spaces card.
Go Back Three Spaces
Everyone wants to progress, but some things hinder progress, like in real life. Thus, I deem the ‘Go Back Three Space card a misfortune.
While sometimes it can helpful in getting the orange properties just before FREE PARKING, if not owned by anyone, most times it lands a player in misfortune.
For example, if a player lands on Chance between the blue properties just before Jail, he has to move back three spaces into INCOME TAX. Paying income tax is assumably the most frustrating thing that can happen to you in Monopoly. No one enjoys paying income taxes because it means losing your salary.
However, two things can happen if you get this card between the red properties immediately after FREE PARKING. You either land on the orange property and you can buy if empty, or you pay rent if owned by a player.
This can be especially painful in the advanced stages of the game when most players have several houses or hotels on their properties. Who wants to pay such rent? No one!
Moreso, you can get the ‘Go Back Three Spaces’ card just before the dark blue properties in front of GO. When in this position, a player should prepare for the worst. He is required to move three steps back into Community Chest.
As we know, when it comes to Community Chest, it’s always 50/50. Six cards can get you financial gains, while the other six can cost you some money or ultimately send you to Jail without passing GO.
Fine Cards
Chance cards that fine you are the absolute worst. Given that rent takes a chunk of money, no one wants to lose money unnecessarily, especially to chance.
In Monopoly, three cards ask you to pay a certain amount to the bank or a player.
When the card doesn’t specify that a player collects a certain amount, It is important to note that the amount you pay must go to the bank and not to some treasure community chest that you earn from when you land on Free Parking.
I strongly recommend that you do not play with such rules. It is a house rule, and it slows down the game.
Collect Cards
When I draw one of these cards out of the pile, I am excited and walk majestically to collect some free money from the bank or other players. There is a 13% chance that you will pick one out of the 2 Chance Collect cards.
These cards often reward you with cash prizes from the bank or other players.
Go To Jail and Get Out Of Jail Free Card
There’s one of each of these cards in Chance. When you pick the Go To Jail Chance card, you go directly to jail without passing GO or collecting a salary.
I don’t mind getting this card on the first chance box after Go. However, I am vexed when I pick this card at other intervals in the game because it just negates my hard work.
Moreover, there are times when the Go To Jail Chance card can be a lifesaver.
For example, you’re on Chance, and the few properties ahead have many houses or hotels. At this point in the game, everyone wants to go to jail and stay in jail.
Many players enjoy staying in jail when other players have several houses and hotels that can wreck their finances.
However, you can only stay in jail for three turns, after which you pay the fine. Another way to instantly get yourself into jail is by rolling doubles three times; you’re then charged with overspeeding and sent to Jail.
Get Out of Jail Free Card is one of my favorite Chance cards. This card allows you to leave jail without paying any fine once it’s your turn.
Players can decide when to use their Get Out of Jail Free card. You can also sell your card to another player for an agreed price. After three turns while in jail, you use your Get Out of Jail Free card, pay a fine, or roll doubles.
When a player rolls doubles, he immediately moves out of jail and plays the number of moves on the dice.
On regular grounds, when a player roll doubles, he automatically gets another turn to roll again, but from jail, that is not the case. When you roll doubles from Jail, you do not get another turn.
Conclusion
Monopoly Chance cards are there to spice things up. However, whether they benefit or ruin you has nothing to do with your strategy. It is purely chance based. Nothing you do or calculate can guarantee what Chance cards you get.
Furthermore, there is wisdom in evaluating your circumstances, your funds, and other factors to enhance your decisions after the Chance card hits you with either the good or bad.
Picking Chance cards is not optional. When a player lands on Chance, he must pick a card from the pile. For some, their house rules include making Chance optional.
Personally, I believe that rule slows down the game as each player can decide not to take risks when they are low on cash.
However, when you play with the standard rules, Chance forces players to make moves they ordinarily wouldn’t. A 60 minutes game can easily stretch to 4 hours if you make Chance optional.
