Experts Tell Us How To Win At Monopoly

If you want to win at Monopoly, take advantage of the people getting out of jail.

A group of mathematicians figured out which properties were the best ones to buy, based on their rent, and the likelihood people will land on them.

It turns out the best property to get is Illinois Avenue. That's one of the red ones, just past the Free Parking corner.

B&O Railroad, right next to Illinois, is the next best property to buy.

If you're looking to buy all of one color's properties so you can build houses, your best bet are the orange properties:  New York Avenue, Tennessee Avenue, and St. James Place

That's because those properties are six to nine spots away from jail, which means that people just getting out of jail are most likely to land on them.

Illinois and B&O are 14 and 15 spots away, which means they're likely to land there on their SECOND turn out of jail.

Boardwalk and Park Place have the highest rents, but they come after the "Go to Jail" square, which means that fewer people land on them.

Jail can also help you late in the game.  If you're stuck in jail, you won't land on other people's houses and hotels and have to pay up.  The mathematicians say that once all the properties have been purchased, you should NEVER pay $50 to get out of jail early.

(Yahoo)