Martin Lewis reveals how to beat your family at Monopoly this Christmas
Notepads at the ready!
Martin Lewis is obsessed with board games – after all he did propose to his wife using Scrabble!
This Christmas, the Money Saving Expert has set himself a festive mission: helping the nation at beating family and friends this Christmas at board games, just like he does!
So if you fancy your chances at reigning supreme at Monopoly, Scrabble or perhaps Articulate, Martin Lewis has the best tips for you.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
How have board games survived the rise of screens and online gaming?
They bring people together in communal social engagement. In my Christmas TV show I play backgammon against a 90-year-old man who's played seven days a week for decades. His sharpness shows how board games are a secret weapon against old age.
Why do you love board games?
I’m ferociously competitive. I even proposed to my wife Lara playing Scrabble. I cheated – the only time I’ll ever admit to it – to be sure of going first. Then I put down two seven-letter words, "willyou" and "marryme". She loved it.
Does your financial savvy mean you always want to be the banker in Monopoly?
I generally am the banker, although it’s good to let young kids have that job to learn the numeracy skills of counting and giving change. But Monopoly and money are only loosely connected…
Do you mind losing?
Not if I’ve played well. I keep a graph of every Scrabble game I’ve ever played against my wife – about 1,200 times now. If I win with a low score where I think I’ve played below potential, I’m really peed off with myself. It’s the same if I play my friend Joel at Connect 4 and he beats me because I missed something.
Are there life lessons to be learnt from board games?
Rather than just teach my 12-year-old daughter the rules, I've taught her strategy, tactics, evaluating and planning – such good tools. In the programme, other children use that applied knowledge as they try to beat their teachers at Connect 4. The kids really improve their game play by thinking about what their opponent is doing.
What's your top Monopoly tip?
Orange properties should be your number one target, for the sweet-spot combination of rent return on investment and the higher probability of landing on them in the first place.
The Christmas double issue of Radio Times is out now – order your copy here.
Martin Lewis: How to Win at Board Games airs Tuesday 17th December at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
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