Mucker Monopoly

Mucker Monopoly was auctioned at the 2007 Dum Dum, and Brad Vinson took this unique item home for his vast ERB collection.

The Mucker Real Estate Trading Game
(In honor of Edgar Rice Burroughs)

Upon the West Side of Chicago, the older gangs are jealous of the sanctity of their own territory. Outsiders do not trespass with impunity. To escape with their skins intact, they must cough up the green. Pay protection. Hand over the rent. And even then, a bruise or two is almost guaranteed.

From Halsted to Robey and from Lake to Grand lay the broad hunting preserve of Kelly's gang, to which Billy Byrne had been born. Kelly owned the feed-store back of which the gang had loafed for years.

The police and citizenry of this great territory were the natural enemies and prey of Kelly's gang, but as the kings of old protected the deer of their great forests from poachers, so Kelly's gang felt it incumbent upon them to safeguard the lives and property which they considered theirs by divine right.

As Billy wended homeward alone in the wee hours one morning in 1914, after emptying the cash drawer of old Schneider's saloon and locking the weeping barkeep in his own ice box, he congratulated himself on the easy monopoly Kelly’s gang held over all the loot in the territory.

But he also began to wonder. How did them swells on Michigan Avenue ever earn a dime when they hadn’t had “Eddie” Welch around to teach them the proper technique in sticking up a guy over on West Lake Street?

So, as he loafed one afternoon in the alley, drinking beer from a tin pail, he devised a board game and called it “Mucker Monopoly.” Some of the rules came from his own experience on the street. Other bits he swiped from the wild imagination of a childhood pal named Edgar.

Since 1935, it has become the leading board game on as many planets as you can list—and inside a couple of those worlds, too. On Barsoom, it ranks second only to Jetan among the Red Men. The Green Men thrill to its theme of conquest, although matches often end in duels to the death among muckers.

OBJECT… The object of the game is to become the swankiest mucker in dear old Chi through mugging, bribing, demanding protection money, and fencing property. In a pinch, you can also buy stuff legit. Palming some loot from the bank when no one is looking is acceptable.

EQUIPMENT… The equipment consists of a board, 2 dice, tokens, 32
speakeasies (houses) and 12 casinos (hotels.) There are Coincidence and Community Chest cards, a forged Title Deed card for each property, and loot.

PREPARATION… Place the board on a table and put the Coincidence and Community Chest cards face down on their allotted spaces on the board. Each mucker swipes one token to represent him/her while traveling around the board.

Each mucker starts out by sticking up the Bank for $1,500 in the following denominations:
2 each of $500s, $100s and $50s.
6 $20s
5 each of $10s, $5s and $1s.
All remaining loot and other equipment go to the Bank.

BANKER… Select as Banker a mucker who will also make a good Fence (Auctioneer). A Banker who plays in the game must keep his/her personal funds separate from those of the Bank. You can’t trust anybody, so keep an eye on the Banker throughout play. When more than five people play, the Banker may elect to act only as Banker and Fence.

THE BANK… Besides the Bank’s money, the Bank holds the forged Title Deed cards and speakeasies and casinos prior to purchase and use by the muckers. The Bank pays salaries and bonuses. It sells and fences properties, and hands out their forged Title Deed cards; it sells speakeasies and casinos to the muckers, and acts as the Pawnbroker when a mucker puts his property in hock (called mortgaging a property in some versions of the game.) Be sure to pay on time, or the Banker is authorized to break them knobby kneecaps for ya.

The Bank collects all taxes, fines, loans and interest, and the price of all properties which it sells and auctions. The Bank never “goes broke.” If the Bank runs out of money, the Banker may counterfeit some by drawing on blank pieces of paper.

THE PLAY… Starting with the Banker, each mucker in turn throws the dice. The mucker with the highest total starts the play: Place your token on the corner marked “GO,” throw the dice and move your token in the direction of the arrow the number of spaces indicated by the dice. After you have completed your play, the turn passes to the left. The tokens remain on the spaces occupied and proceed from that point on the mucker’s next turn. Two or more tokens may rest on the same space at the same time.

According to the space your token reaches, you may be entitled to buy real estate or other properties — or obliged to pay protection, pay taxes, draw a Coincidence or Community Chest card, “Go to the 28th Precinct Jail,” etc. If you throw doubles, you move your token as usual, the sum of the two dice, and are subject to any privileges or penalties pertaining to the space on which you land. Retaining the dice, throw again and move your token as before. If you throw doubles three times in succession, move your token immediately to the space marked “In the 28th Precinct Jail”(see JAIL).

“GO”… Each time a mucker’s token lands on or passes over GO, whether by throwing the dice or drawing a card, the Banker pays him/her a $200 bribe. The $200 bribe is paid only once each time around the board. However, if a mucker passing GO on the throw of the dice lands 2 spaces beyond it on Community Chest, or 7 spaces beyond it on Coincidence, and draws the “Advance to GO” card, he/she collects $200 for passing GO the first time and another $200 for reaching it the second time by instructions on the card.

BUYING PROPERTY… Whenever you land on an abandoned property you may buy that property from the Bank at its printed price. You receive the forged Title Deed card showing ownership; place it face up in front of you. If you do not wish to buy the property, the Banker fences it at auction to the highest bidder. The buyer pays the Bank the amount of the bid in cash and receives the forged Title Deed card for that property. Any mucker, including the yellow stiff who declined the option to buy it at the printed price, may bid. Bidding may start at any price.

PAYING PROTECTION… When you land on property owned by another mucker, the boss of that property collects rent from you in accordance with the list printed on its forged Title Deed card. If the property has been pawned, no protection can be collected. When a property has been pawned, its forged Title Deed card is placed face down in front of the boss of that property.

It is an advantage to hold all the forged Title Deed cards in a color-group (e.g., Grand and Lake; or Thark, Warhoon and Torquas) because the boss may then charge double protection for vacant properties in that color-group. This rule applies to un-pawned properties even if another property in that color-group is in hock.

It is even more advantageous to have speakeasies or casinos on properties because the cost of protection is much higher than for vacant properties.

The boss may not collect protection if he fails to say, “Hey, youse! Pay up before I breaks yer knobby knees for ya”—or some similar demand—before the second mucker following throws the dice.

“COINCIDENCE” and “COMMUNITY CHEST”… Billy gave “COINCIDENCE” its name because of the way his young pal Edgar’s odd tales always depended on unlikely coincidences. When you land on either of these spaces, take the top card from the deck indicated, follow the instructions and return the card face down to the bottom of the deck.

The “Break Out of the 28th Precinct Jail Free” card is held until used and then returned to the bottom of the deck. If the yellow stiff who draws it does not wish to use it, he may use it to bribe the BANKER, or sell it to another mucker at whatever price he can get. (If the BANKER refuses the bribe, the mucker who offered it gets to swipe $10 from the BANKER’s personal funds.)

“INCOME TAX”… If you land here you have two options: You may estimate your tax at $200 and pay the Bank, or you may pay 10% of your total worth to the Bank. Your total worth is all your loot on hand, printed prices of properties and the price of all the buildings you own. You must decide which option you will take before you add up your total worth.

“JAIL”… You land in the 28th Precinct Jail when…
(1) Your token lands on the space marked “Go to the 28th Precinct Jail”
(2) You draw a card marked “Go to the 28th Precinct Jail”
(3) You throw doubles three times in succession, because then it’s obvious that you are using loaded dice. Patrolman Lasky will escort you to the cooler.

When you are sent to Jail you cannot collect your $200 salary in that move since, regardless of where your token is on the board, you must move it directly into Jail. Your turn ends when you are sent to Jail.

If you are not “sent” to Jail but in the ordinary course of play land on that space, you are “Just Visiting Sheehan,” you incur no penalty, and you move ahead in the usual manner on your next turn.

You get out of Jail by…
(1) Throwing doubles on any of your next three turns; if you succeed in doing this you immediately move forward the number of spaces shown by your doubles throw; even though you had thrown doubles, you do not take another turn.
(2) Using the “Get Out of Jail Free” card if you have it.
(3) Purchasing (or swiping) the “Get Out of Jail Free” card from another mucker and playing it. It is acceptable to steal another mucker’s “Get Out of Jail Free” card during the course of play when he isn’t looking. But if you get caught, Patrolman Lasky will escort you to the 28th Precinct Jail.
(4) Paying a bribe of $50 before you roll the dice on either of your next two turns.

If you do not throw doubles by your third turn, you must pay the $50 bribe. You then get out of Jail and immediately move forward the number of spaces shown by your throw.

Even though you are in Jail, you may buy and sell property, buy and sell houses and hotels and collect protection money.

“FREE PARKING”… On Barsoom, great planet-spanning wars have been waged over the Free Parking Rule. Some say that a mucker landing on this place does not receive any money, property or reward of any kind. It’s just a “free” resting place. But others play a version where all of the fines, bribes, and other incidental payments during the course of play go into a “pot” in the center of the board, and the mucker who lands on Free Parking collects all the loot in that pot.

This rule must be decided by the muckers before play begins. Swords should settle the matter quickly. Or, you might use Billy Byrne’s own method: An old-fashioned street brawl, like that time he and Sheehan sat down to a game:

“The battle was a long one. The two were rolling about in the dust of the alley quite as often as they were upon their feet exchanging blows. There was nothing fair, nor decent, nor scientific about their methods. They gouged and bit and tore.”

Billy won. But Sheehan carried a grudge for a long time afterward. Beware that if you do win a brawl over the Free Parking Rule, you may some day find yourself shanghaied on a ship full of cut throats and unhung murderers — or at the very least, framed for a job you didn’t pull.

SPEAKEASIES. (HOUSES) … When you own all the properties in a color-group you may buy speakeasies from the Bank and erect them on those properties. If you buy one speakeasy, you may put it on any one of those properties. The next speakeasy you buy must be erected on one of the vacant properties of this or any other complete color-group you may own. The price you must pay the Bank for each speakeasy is shown on your forged Title Deed card for the property on which you erect the speakeasy.

The boss still collects double rent from an opponent who lands on the vacant properties of his/her complete color-group. Following the above rules, you may buy and erect at any time as many speakeasies as your judgment and financial standing will allow. But you must build evenly, i.e., you cannot erect more than one speakeasy on any one property of any color-group until you have built one speakeasy on every property of that group. You may then begin on the second row of speakeasies, and so on, up to a limit of four speakeasies to a property. For example, you cannot build three speakeasies on one property if you have only one speakeasy on another property of that group. As you build evenly, you must also break down evenly if you sell speakeasies back to the Bank (see SELLING PROPERTY).

CASINOS (HOTELS) … When a mucker has four speakeasies on each property of a complete color-group, he/she may buy a casino from the Bank and erect it on any property of the color-group. He/she returns the four speakeasies from that property to the Bank and pays the price for the casino as shown on the forged Title Deed card. Only one casino may be erected on any one property.

BUILDING SHORTAGES… When the Bank has no speakeasies to sell, muckers wishing to build must wait for some mucker to return or sell his/her speakeasies to the Bank before building. If there are a limited number of speakeasies and casinos available and two or more muckers wish to buy more than the Bank has, the speakeasies or casinos must be sold at auction to the highest bidder.

SELLING PROPERTY… Vacant properties, transportation hubs and utilities (but not buildings) may be sold to any mucker as a private transaction for any amount the owner can get; however, no property can be sold to another mucker if buildings are standing on any properties of that color-group. Any buildings so located must be sold back to the Bank before the owner can sell any property of that color-group.

Speakeasies and casinos may be sold back to the Bank at any time for one-half the price paid for them. All speakeasies on one color-group must be sold one by one, evenly, in reverse of the manner in which they were erected. All casinos on one color-group may be sold at once, or they may be sold one speakeasy at a time (one hotel equals five speakeasies), evenly, in reverse of the manner in which they were erected.

PAWNING (MORTGAGES) … Vacant properties can be pawned through the Bank at any time. Before a vacant property can be pawned, all the buildings on all the properties of its color-group must be sold back to the Bank at half price. The pawn value is printed on each forged Title Deed card. No rent can be collected on pawned properties or utilities, but rent can be collected on un-pawned properties in the same group. In order to get the property out of hock, the owner must pay the Bank the amount it was pawned for plus 10% interest. When all the properties of a color-group are no longer in hock, the owner may begin to buy back speakeasies at full price.

The mucker who pawns property retains possession of it and no other mucker may secure it by buying it from the Bank/Pawnbroker. However, the owner may sell this pawned property to another mucker at any agreed price. If you are the new owner, you may get it out of hock at once if you wish by paying off the Pawnbroker/Bank the pawn price plus 10% interest. If the property isn’t gotten out of hock at once, you must pay the Bank 10% interest when you buy the property and if you get it out of hock later you must pay the Bank an additional 10% interest as well as the amount it was pawned for.

BANKRUPTCY… You are declared bankrupt if you owe more than you can pay either to another mucker or to the Bank. If your debt is to another mucker, you must turn over to that mucker all that you have of value and retire from the game. In making this settlement, if you own speakeasies or casinos, you must return these to the Bank in exchange for money to the extent of one-half the amount paid for them; this cash is given to the creditor. If you have pawned property you also turn this property over to your creditor but the new owner must at once pay the Bank the amount of interest on the loan, which is 10% of the value of the property. The new owner who does this may then, at his/her option, pay the principal or hold the property until some later turn, then get the property out of hock. If he/she holds property in this way until a later turn, he/she must pay the interest again upon getting the property out of hock.

Should you owe the Bank, instead of another mucker, more than you can pay (because of taxes or penalties) even by selling off buildings and pawning property, you must turn over all assets to the Bank. In this case, the Bank immediately sells by auction all property so taken, except buildings. A bankrupt mucker must immediately retire from the game. The last mucker left in the game wins.

MISCELLANEOUS… Money can be loaned to a mucker only by the Bank and then only by mortgaging property. No mucker may borrow from or lend money to another mucker. Stealing from the bank or another mucker is acceptable. But if you get caught, Patrolman Lasky will escort you to the 28th Precinct Police Station.

RULES for a SHORT GAME (60 to 90 minutes)

There are five changed rules for this first Short Game.

1. During PREPARATION, the Banker shuffles then deals three forged Title
Deed cards to each mucker. These are free— no payment to the Bank
is required.
2. You need only three speakeasies (instead of four) on each lot of a complete color-group before you may buy a casino. Casino rent remains the same. The turn-in value is still one-half the purchase price, which in this game is one speakeasy less than in the regular game.
3. If you land in Jail you must exit on your next turn by 1) using a “Get Out of Jail Free” card if you have (or can buy) one; or 2) rolling doubles; or 3) paying a $50 bribe. Unlike the standard rules, you may try to roll doubles and, failing to do so, pay the $50 on the same turn.
4. The penalty for landing on “Income Tax” is a flat $200.
5. END OF GAME: The game ends when one mucker goes bankrupt.
The remaining muckers value their property: (1) cash on hand; (2) lots, utilities and transportation hubs owned, at the price printed on the board; (3) any pawned property owned, at one-half the price printed on the board; (4) speakeasies, valued at purchase price; (5) casinos, valued at purchase price including the value of the three speakeasies turned in.

The swankiest mucker wins!

ANOTHER GOOD SHORT GAME

TIME LIMIT GAME… Before starting, agree upon a definite hour of termination, when the richest mucker will be declared the winner. Before starting, the Banker shuffles and cuts the forged Title Deed cards and deals two to each mucker. Muckers immediately pay the Bank the price of the properties dealt to them.

The PARKER BROTHERS® trademark and its logo, the MONOPOLY® trademark and its logo, the distinctive design of the game board, each of the distinctive elements of the board including the four corner squares, and the playing pieces are trademarks of Hasbro, Inc., for its real estate trading game and game equipment. © 1935, 1936, 1947, 1951, 1954, 1959, 1961, 1973, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, Hasbro, Inc.

THE MUCKER: Originally published serially in All-Story Cavalier Weekly.
Copyright (c) 1914, by The Frank A. Munsey Co.

THE RETURN OF THE MUCKER: Sequel to THE MUCKER.
Originally published serially in All-Story Weekly.
Copyright (c) 1916, by The Frank A. Munsey Co.