Monopoly

I suggest Monopoly. It is usually a long game and since my wife isn’t expected home for a long time it seemed like a perfect way to kill time. My mother-in-law agrees.

I suggest that, to make this interesting, we can use real money to stay in the game if we run out of Monopoly money. My mother-in-law agrees. She rummages through her wallet and produces a $50 bill. I realize that I forgot to go the bank and only had $20 cash on me. Mother-in-law says “My daughter left $30 in the kitchen. You can use that for the game. If you lose it to me though, she may have to punish you.” She giggles, collects the money and hands it to me. “Each dollar of real currency will count as $10 in the game. We will keep playing until one person is completely broke.” She says.

From the start of the game I could see that this is not going in my favor. My mother in law is quickly buying all the high-value properties, leaving me with cheap ones that she never landed on. In no time I run out of Monopoly money while she has Motels on all of her properties. If I land on another of her properties I’ll have to use real money. On my next turn, I land on her Park Place. I’ve lost my wife’s money in one go.

My mother in law laughs. “I can’t wait till my daughter sees that you lost her money! You’ll be sleeping on the couch for sure!”

I ask if there is anything I can do to keep playing and win the money back. Grinning slyly, she says “Well well well, I think there is something you can wager to win this back.” I shiver nervously. “What more do you want? I have nothing on me . . .”