Champions Pass Go, Collect $20,580

Monopoly Man
Mr. Monopoly taken by helpful housemate Sam Rosen-Amy

And you thought the Masters at Augusta was riveting competitive titillation! On this sopping Tax Day, roll through Union Station between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. and witness the 2009 Monopoly U.S. National Championship. Twenty-eight of the nation’s best monopoly players will face off for a chance to win $20,580 — the exact total amount of a Monopoly bank (before your brother stole those 50s, that is…).  

The winner of today’s Championship will represent the U.S. in the World Championships in October in Las Vegas. U.S. has not seen a world champion since 1974. The last World Champion, Spain’s Antonio Fernandez reigned victorious in Tokyo in 2004. 

Photo courtesy of
‘Not a bad first trip around the board. (ps with JJ, MikeC n Devin!)’
courtesy of ‘dpstylesâ�¢’

The finalists for today’s matchup were singled out after taking an online quiz. Those who scored 80% on the online quiz were then invited to answer five essay questions, which were scored by a panel of judges. My question is: how has this tournament not become a ESPN8 sleeper TV hit?

UPDATE: I have been informed that there is a guy dressed up as the Monopoly Man “officiating” the matches. See picture above!

Acacia has lived in DC since graduating from Vassar College with degrees in English and Italian. She cries daily at the thought of her imminent departure from this beloved city, as she will begin a Fulbright teaching grant in the Campania region, Italy come October. She’ll be blogging that experience too. Get at her: acaciaO@welovedc.com or follow her on twitter.

3 thoughts on “Champions Pass Go, Collect $20,580

  1. This is too amazing! Who knew that there was actually a national contest where someone could win $20,580 for essentially being good at playing a board game?

  2. I’m producing and directing a documentary about the game of Monopoly called “Under the Boardwalk.” It will feature interviews with some of the top players from around the world, as well as cover the history of the game and showcase how Monopoly has become such a huge worldwide phenomenon. We had our crew of 10 at the US Championship covering the quest for the title.

    You can check out some clips from the interviews and follow our progress as filming continues at http://www.MonopolyDocumentary.com

    Kevin Tostado
    Producer/Director of Under the Boardwalk