Anyone who’s played Monopoly knows how it usually goes: what starts as a fun game inevitably turns into an endless slog until everyone agrees to declare someone the winner. As it turns out, we’ve brought this agony on ourselves by not actually following the official Monopoly game rules.

A YouTuber who goes by @sblga explains says that, despite following all kinds of made-up “house rules,” most of us neglect one simple, official Monopoly rule that makes the game go much faster. It’s known as the “auction rule,” and it’s literally a game-changer.

(By the way, he also shares the game’s absolutely wild history, which is definitely worth sticking around for.)

How the ‘auction rule’ in Monopoly changes the game

Several scenarios can trigger the auction rule. The primary rule, however, is that when a player lands on a property and doesn’t want to (or can’t) buy it, the property immediately goes up for auction, and all players can bid on it.

There is no minimum bid, so bidding can start at........

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