You’ve probably been there. The board is out, the iron and the dog are vying for position on GO, and someone is already complaining about who has to be the banker. Then comes the inevitable question: how much money does each person start with in Monopoly? If you just want the quick number to get the game moving, here it is: Every player starts with $1,500. But wait. If you’re looking at a pile of colorful paper and trying to figure out which bills to hand out, it gets a bit more specific. Depending on when your box was printed, the "official" way to hand out that $1,500 actually changes.
The Standard Breakdown (Pre-2008 Style)
For most people who grew up with a classic set, the math for the starting cash follows a very specific rhythm. This is the distribution found in the original Parker Brothers rules and many sets produced before the late 2000s.
To give a player their starting $1,500, the banker hands over:
- Two $500 bills
- Two $100 bills
- Two $50 bills
- Six $20 bills
- Five $10 bills
- Five $5 bills
- Five $1 bills
It’s a classic setup. Honestly, the six $20 bills always felt like the most important part because those are the "working" bills you use for the smaller properties like Oriental Avenue or the Reading Railroad.
The Modern Distribution (Post-2008 and UK Rules)
Around 2008, Hasbro shook things up. They didn't change the total—you still get $1,500—but they changed how the bills are divided. If you bought your game recently, your instruction manual likely tells you to do this instead:
- Two $500s
- Four $100s
- One $50
- One $20
- Two $10s
- One $5
- Five $1s
Why the change? Some say it’s to make the banker's life easier by giving more "mid-range" bills like the $100s. Others think it’s just a way to align the US rules with the UK and international versions that have used this breakdown for years. Either way, the $1,500 total remains the golden rule.
Does the Version of Monopoly Matter?
Yes. Kinda. If you aren't playing "Classic Monopoly," the rules of engagement for your wallet are totally different.
Take Monopoly Junior, for example. There are no $500 bills there. Kids start with a much smaller stash—usually around $18 to $20 in single $1 bills—because the properties only cost a couple of bucks.
Then you have the Monopoly Empire or Electronic Banking versions. In the electronic ones, you don't even touch paper. You start with a pre-loaded card. In Monopoly Mega Edition, which is basically the classic game on steroids with an extra outer ring of properties, you actually start with $2,500 because the board is so much bigger and the prices are steeper.
Why People Get This Wrong (The House Rule Trap)
Most Monopoly arguments don't actually start over the money at the beginning. They start because of "House Rules" that people think are real.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that the amount of starting money should change based on the number of players. You’ll hear people say, "Oh, there are six of us, so we should all start with $1,200 so the bank doesn't run out."
Actually, that's not true. According to the official Hasbro and Parker Brothers rulebooks, the $1,500 is a fixed constant. It doesn't matter if you are playing a cutthroat head-to-head match or an eight-person marathon. The bank technically cannot "go broke" anyway. The rules state that if the bank runs out of paper money, the banker can just write "IOUs" on scraps of paper.
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Another weird one is the "Free Parking" jackpot. People love to put tax money in the middle of the board and give it to whoever lands on Free Parking. While it feels great to win that $500 windfall, it’s one of the main reasons Monopoly games last five hours. It keeps poor players in the game longer than they should be. If you want a faster game, stick to the $1,500 start and leave the Free Parking space empty.
Expert Tips for the Banker
If you’ve been roped into being the banker (my condolences), there are a few ways to make the startup phase less of a headache.
First, don't just hand people a messy pile. Count it out in "stacks." I usually count out the $1,500 for myself first to make sure the math is right, then use that as a template for everyone else.
Second, if you're playing with more than five people, the older sets can actually run a bit thin on specific denominations. If you run out of $10s or $20s while handing out the starting cash, just give the player a larger bill and have them "make change" from the bank immediately. It doesn't break the game; it's just basic accounting.
Setting Up for Success
To get your game started correctly, follow these steps in order:
- Select the Banker: Pick someone who is fast with math and won't "accidentally" slip a $500 under their own token.
- Distribute the $1,500: Use either the 2/2/2/6/5/5/5 method (Classic) or the 2/4/1/1/2/1/5 method (Modern).
- Check the Bank: Ensure the rest of the cash stays in the tray, organized by color.
- Shuffle the Decks: Put the Chance and Community Chest cards face down.
- Roll for Order: Everyone rolls two dice. Highest total goes first.
Basically, as long as everyone has exactly $1,500 at the moment the first die hits the table, you're playing a legal game. What happens after that—the trades, the monopolies, and the inevitable board-flipping—is entirely up to you.
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Actionable Next Step: Check the copyright date on the side of your Monopoly box or the bottom of the board. If it’s before 2008, try the classic $20-heavy distribution. If it's newer, stick to the modern $100-heavy distribution to see if it actually makes your trades go any faster.