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Every time I roll doubles in Monopoly, I’m excited because I know I’ve got superpowers at this point. But sometimes, I argue with my friends about what to do and what not to do when rolling doubles in Monopoly.
If, like me, you’re arguing about the Monopoly rules for rolling doubles or find the rules in the rulebook too complex to understand, then this article is for you.
As you keep reading, you’ll understand how to interpret the rulebook and all it says. You’ll also get a full explanation of each rule as stated in the Monopoly official rulebook.
First, let’s see some quick facts that’ll aid us in breaking down and understanding the Monopoly double rules.
Quick Facts About Rolling Doubles in Monopoly
- Everyone can roll doubles in Monopoly
- If you roll doubles, you get a second turn (roll again)
- If you roll doubles consecutively three times, you go to jail
- If doubles land you in jail, you do not get another turn
- There is only a 16.67% odd of rolling doubles
- If you roll doubles while in jail, you can leave jail
These might sound like all you need to hear, but trust me there’s more you’re yet to learn. If you keep reading, you’ll benefit from the different nuances regarding doubles in Monopoly.
Can You Roll a Double in Monopoly?
Yes, in Monopoly, you can roll doubles. If you’re playing with the standard two dice, there’s a possibility that you may roll a double during your turn.
Even when playing with a Speed Die, there’s a good chance that you will roll doubles during your turn. When players roll doubles in Monopoly, several things happen.
Some could mean good news for the players, and others, not so much. But what am I even talking about? First, consider the odds of rolling doubles in Monopoly, especially when using the standard two dice.
What Are The Chances of Rolling a Double?
When rolling a six-sided dice numbered 1,2,3,4,5, and 6, there are 6 possible outcomes. This means that when rolling two dice, each has a ⅙ chance to obtain a double.
How do we know this? Well, if you roll two dice, each will have 6 possibilities, so we have 6X6 = 36 possibilities.
Out of the possible 36 combinations, there are only 6 combinations that could result in doubles. They are: (1,1), (2,2), (3,3), (4,4), (5,5), and (6,6).
Hence, this means there are only 6 possibilities out of 36 to roll a double, which is 6/36. 6/26 When reduced to its lowest fraction, it becomes ⅙. And that’s how we arrived at the answer.
If you don’t like math, do not bother your head with these calculations. The easy way to think about it is that every number has an equal chance of being displayed. Because a dice has 6 sides, each number has 6 possibilities to display.
Although you now know what the odds of rolling doubles are, this doesn’t guarantee that you can now get doubles whenever you like. Each roll is random, and you cannot predict them. Clearly, rolling doubles is simply by chance.
What Happens If You Roll a Double in Monopoly?
The first rule of rolling doubles is you get a second turn to roll. If you roll a double a second time, you get a third turn.
However, if you roll doubles a third time, you go to jail. You do not pass GO, you go straight to jail. And rolling doubles can also get you out of jail. These may seem confusing and contradictory, but you will understand it as you read.
Rolling doubles in Monopoly can get you around the board quickly. Even if you roll double ones (snake eye), you get another turn. And you got to move two spaces for free. That’s an advantage no matter how you look at it.
Moreso, rolling doubles at the start of the game could change everything for you. You get a higher chance of reaching high-value properties before opposing players, and you also collect salaries faster than other players. This speed means more money and more properties.
As we all know, buying as many properties as possible gives you an advantage in Monopoly. But there’s a risk when you consecutively roll doubles. If you roll doubles three times, you go to jail without a salary. This will be the case even if you were on the last set of properties before GO. It can be really frustrating.
You might wonder why you go to jail for a move you have no control over. Well, that’s the rule. When you roll doubles three times in a row, you’re overspeeding. Consequently, you go to jail.
Rolling doubles could play out in different scenarios in the standard Monopoly game. Let’s now see what happens in those various cases.
What Happens When You Roll Doubles in Monopoly?
When you first roll doubles, you should be happy. After moving your token to the corresponding space displayed on the dice, you roll again. If the space you land on your first roll requires any action like picking a Chance or Community Chest card, you should do so before taking your second roll.
Some players think that rolling doubles means you don’t have to act as instructed in the space you land. That’s incorrect!
If a player lands on your property after rolling doubles, ensure to collect rent before they take their second turn. They must pay up before taking that second roll. In Monopoly, only two spaces don’t require any action before your next turn.
The first is the Go To Jail space, which sends you straight to jail, depriving you of your next turn. The second is the Free Parking space. When you land on the Free Parking space, there are no instructions. Simply move your token and then take the next roll.
Some might think that the GO space is one such space where you don’t have any actions, but that’s incorrect. When you land on the GO space, you should collect $200 before taking your next roll, or else you could forget.
What Happens When You Roll 2 Doubles in Monopoly?
Sometimes, after rolling doubles the first time, you could roll doubles a second time. This has happened to me several times when playing with my friend Umesi. On one occasion, I rolled a double six on my first and second rolls, and everyone was amazed.
The chances of getting the same numbers on the doubles are really low, but they happen. However, when you roll double twice, you get a third turn, and this is where things get crucial. On your second turn, the same rules for the first roll apply.
So, for any space you land on, you must perform the required action; pay rent, buy/auction property, or pick a card as instructed before taking the third roll.
What Happens When You Roll 3 Doubles in Monopoly?
When you uncover the rolling cup and see doubles a third time, if you’re new to Monopoly, you may be excited about this, but you really shouldn’t. Your sadness should be because rolling doubles a third time in Monopoly results in sad consequences.
When you roll doubles a third time in Monopoly, it’s considered ‘overspeeding.’ You must pick your token and go straight to jail without passing GO, without collecting $200, and without taking a third turn.
The idea behind this rule is to slow players down. When you roll multiple doubles, you literally are flying around the board and moving too quickly.
In real life, you get a speeding ticket for overspeeding, but in Monopoly, you just serve jail time. Rolling multiple doubles is not anyone’s fault. Sometimes, you’re fortunate, and in this case, unfortunate.
Even though there’s a 1 in every 200 chance of you rolling doubles a third time, you could be pretty unfortunate and experience this. However, whenever you roll doubles a second time, don’t get too excited because you could go back as quickly as you’re moving forward.
If you’ve ever experienced rolling doubles three times, you’d understand the heartache it causes. Whenever this happens, it demoralizes me and feels like I’ve just wasted my time.
But as horrible as it sounds, it’s not the end of the game for you. Although you’ve gone several steps backward, you could use this disadvantage to buy other properties you could have possibly left behind on your first move across the board.
How Do You Get Out of Jail With Doubles in Monopoly?
There are several ways to get out of jail in Monopoly. One such way is to roll doubles while in jail. Although this is not a guaranteed strategy, many players try this before exploring other options for leaving jail.
In Monopoly, if you roll doubles while in jail, you immediately get out of jail, but this time, you don’t get a second turn. You simply move your token to the number of spaces as displayed on the dice.
According to the official Monopoly jail rules, there are three ways to get out of jail.
- Use a Get Out of Jail Free card
- Roll doubles
- Pay a $50 fine
When you decide to attempt rolling doubles, you can only try for three turns. After the third turn, you must use other means to get out of jail.
In my experience, when you really want doubles, they often don’t occur. Most times, I get doubles after I’ve paid the $50 fine. You can literally see the frustration in my face for wasting that money.
When you have three attempts at rolling doubles, the odds are really good. I wouldn’t want to bore you with the complex calculations. But there is a 42% chance of you rolling doubles in three attempts. That’s 91/256
Rolling a Double One (Snake Eyes)
When you roll double ones, it’s called snake eyes in Monopoly. Rolling snake eyes is the same as getting any other set of doubles; you don’t get any special incentive.
Personally, I think rolling snake eyes is a waste of doubles, but there are cases where rolling snake eyes could be really useful.
Suggested read: Rolling Snake Eyes in Monopoly- Reward or Disaster?
Some players set house rules that reward players who roll snake eyes. The house rule rewards players who roll snake eyes with $500. However, endeavor to state any house rules at the start of the game.
Another variation of house rules regarding rolling snake eyes is that the player doesn’t have to pay rent on the next property he lands on.
You have to know that although there are house rules that Hasbro recently suggested for players to use, they aren’t official rules. House rules will never replace official rules.
Can You Buy a Property on a Double Roll in Monopoly?
Yes, if the property you land on is empty, you can buy or auction it before you take your next roll. As stated earlier, you must perform the actions instructed on the spaces you land on before rolling again.
Sometimes you could land on the Chance space, and the card you draw might instruct you to advance to another property. You must do exactly what the card says; move to the said property.
When you advance to the property, you can take your next roll and repeat the process. If you land on a free space and have enough money, you buy it.
If you intend to buy a property and, on landing on it, make your next roll and move your token to the next property, you can’t return to buy the previous property. Whatever property you land on, buy it instantly if you intend to do so.
After buying a property, if your color set is complete, you can also buy houses on the property. The official Monopoly rules don’t restrict you from buying houses when you roll doubles.
What Happens If You Roll Doubles and Land On Go To Jail
If you roll doubles and land on the jail space, you immediately go to jail. There’s never a time when you land in jail and not go to jail. If you land on the Go To Jail space, you must go to jail.
Interestingly, the go to jail is the only space that ends your turn immediately. You don’t get an extra roll and don’t even earn an immediate opportunity to leave jail; You just go to jail.
To leave jail, you must have to wait for your next turn. When you unfortunately land on the go to jail space, you must move your token straight to jail without passing GO or collecting $200.
The line of properties starting from the red Monopoly properties is a risky place to roll. If you find that your token lands on an odd space just before the go to jail space, you should pray really hard. There are some spaces I find my token on, and I instantly know I’m very likely to land on the go-to jail space.
Funny enough, it mostly happens, and I have no choice but to go to jail.
Can I Build Houses In Between Someone’s Double Turns?
The official Monopoly rule states that you can build houses at the end of someone’s turn or between player’s turns.
This rule doesn’t include double rolls. When a player earns a second roll from rolling doubles, you can’t interrupt them. You can only purchase your house at the end of the player’s turn.
This rule is fair because it protects every one’s interest. If players were allowed to buy houses during opposing player’s turns, they would have the advantage of knowing what properties to load houses on to make money from their opponents. This would result in total chaos.
If you want to take advantage of an opposing player approaching your property, the only thing you can do is hope they roll a small number that still keeps them somewhere before your property. That way, you have the opportunity to build more houses.
When You Roll Doubles, Is The Extra Roll Optional?
If we go by the words used by Hasbro in the official rule book, then it’s optional. The rule states that when a player rolls doubles, he is allowed to have an extra roll.
‘Allowed’ doesn’t mean ‘must,’ hence, you don’t need to take the extra roll if it doesn’t serve you or your strategy.
If another player forces you to take the extra roll, ignore the player and stick to the rules. Monopoly is a business game, and in business, a move that doesn’t serve your interest should be out the window.
Monopoly Rolling Doubles Rules
The rules for rolling doubles are super simple. When you roll doubles, you earn an extra turn. However, if you roll doubles three times, you go to jail. If you roll doubles and land on the go-to-jail space, you don’t get an extra turn. Lastly, rolling doubles in jail gets you out.
Conclusion
When part of your strategy is to get around the board quickly, rolling doubles can be helpful. However, doubles aren’t always good news. If you’re trying to shy away from an opposing player’s property with expensive rent, doubles could get you into that trouble sooner than you planned.
In other instances, rolling doubles could land you in jail. You could be charged with overspeeding and sent to jail. When in jail, doubles are a pretty cheap way to get out. Although it’s not a guaranteed strategy to help you leave jail, it’s worth the try because it works almost 42% of the time.
Frequently Asked Questions About Rolling Doubles in Monopoly
How Many Doubles Do You Have To Roll In Monopoly To Go To Jail?
When you roll doubles three times consecutively, you go to jail for overspeeding. Since there are no speeding tickets in Monopoly, you just serve jail time. Also, getting out of jail is super easy. Unlike in real life, you can get out of jail as quickly as your next turn.
How Many Doubles Can You Roll in Monopoly?
You can roll as many doubles as you can in Monopoly, but rolling doubles end at three. When you roll doubles three times, you face the consequences of overspeeding; jail. However, if you roll doubles twice in a row, you can get around the board faster than other players.
