Grex Scruples Conference

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Grex Scruples Item 114: monopoly choices
Entered by ryan1 on Wed Jun 21 05:59:57 UTC 1995:

ok, here's one, Your' playing Monopoly, and on your last turn, you went to
jail.  Now it is your turn.  You can either pay 50 bux, or you can try to roll
doubles to get out of jail.  What do you do? do you roll, or pay?
(btw, the game has just started a few moves ago, so most of the propertys
are possessions of the bank.  and there are 6 people playing)

14 responses total.

#1 of 14 by omni on Wed Jun 21 16:24:09 1995:

   In the grandest tradition of being cheap, it is the policy of omni never
to be caught paying to get out of something that can possibly be done for
fre  I employ this strategy if I want to win the game and 9 times
out of 10 I usually do. Just remember kids, Boardwalk and Park Place are not
the keys to happiness in the big board game of life. ;)

#2 of 14 by aruba on Thu Jun 22 02:08:39 1995:

Well, the probability of rolling doubles is 1/6, so on average you can expect
to be stuck in jail for six turns if you don't pay.  With 6 people playing,
that means 30 other movements, each of which could result in a property
being bought.  BY the time you get out, there might not be much left.
   I'd pay the 50 bucks.

#3 of 14 by omni on Thu Jun 22 05:24:34 1995:

  While I agree with you on principle, Mark, the fact still remains that the
50 would go to better use toward a property, and since it really doesn't
impact my collection power to remain in jail, I really don't see any problem
with it.

  I'd be interested in physically trying this out.

  Properties can be bought after market, as well, so like I said before, 
unless there was a rule that barred after market trading, then it would
probably have an impact on something.

#4 of 14 by popcorn on Thu Jun 22 13:31:24 1995:

This response has been erased.

#5 of 14 by omni on Thu Jun 22 16:18:22 1995:

 what he meant while the other people you're playing with have thier turns.
I only pay to get out when it becomes absolutly nessecary. I have also been
known to spring for other people's jail fines (evil grin)

#6 of 14 by aruba on Fri Jun 23 02:15:59 1995:

Oh, I didn't know about the three turn rule (Katie says it's 2).  In that
case I'd do some quick figuring to see what the probability was that I'd get
to buy something in those 2/3 turns, before deciding to pay or not pay.

#7 of 14 by zook on Sun Jun 25 01:52:14 1995:

It depends on how early in the game and how rich I am.  In the early game
scenario, I'd pay to get a crack at properties the quickest.  Later in the
game, it may be advantageous to hide out in jail to avoid others' hotels
while giving them a chance to stop by mine.

#8 of 14 by emotions on Sun Jun 25 20:47:42 1995:

I would  pay. Its just a game!

#9 of 14 by omni on Mon Jun 26 04:52:34 1995:

 There is no hiding from MY hotels, zook (evil grin)

#10 of 14 by marian on Tue Jun 27 16:32:07 1995:

Or you could buy a get of jail free card from another player...:)

#11 of 14 by omni on Wed Jun 28 04:21:22 1995:

  I once paid $300 for one of those.

#12 of 14 by marian on Sat Jul 8 05:18:25 1995:

that's perretty steep...hmm...maryybe it's a better idea to just roll the dice.
:)

#13 of 14 by omni on Sat Jul 8 11:00:08 1995:

 Well , I was stupid and desparate, which is, in Monopoly, a wretched combo.

#14 of 14 by ewhisam on Thu Dec 28 04:08:09 1995:

Calculate permutations and combinations vs odds of throwing double in two
turns which is a while with 6 players vs the probability that good properties
will be scarfed up in the interim ...................I think pay the 50 and
get on with LIFE er I mean Monopoly.

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