WORLD MONOPOLY CHAMPIONSHIP
20-23 October 2000, Toronto, Canada
OKADA BANKRUPTS ALL
After two tough days of preliminary play and a marathon final round, Yutaka Okada, an economist from Japan, was crowned the 11th World MONOPOLY® Champion. He defeated fellow competitors from Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary and Scotland, during a more than three-hour final match played at the Toronto Royal York Hotel. He finished with $11,589 and received US$15,140 in real cash, the amount of MONOPOLY money in the game.
Yutaka says his 10 years of MONOPOLY experience has helped his negotiation techniques in real life. His advice to aspiring champions is "never give up until the game is over."
THE FINAL ROUND
Today's final round was the culmination of hundreds of state tournaments, preliminary rounds played by the 38 national champions (plus reigning world champion Christopher Woo of Hong Kong), and a lifetime of practice playing MONOPOLY. Competitors included an innkeeper, toy store manager, medical secretary, economist, students (middle, high, college), sound technician, supermarket employee and a journalist. This fierce group of 39 competitors ranged in age from 11 to 53, and represented a total of 38 countries.
Over the course of two days in Toronto, players wheeled and dealed their way through three 90-minute rounds. Many of these high rollers went directly to jail and most succumbed to bankruptcy.
In recognition of the continued popularity of MONOPOLY and the World Monopoly Game Championship being hosted in Toronto, Hasbro Games created the new Canadian Monopoly Game Board. This version of the game features well-known Canadian properties such as Yonge Street, Granville Street, rue St. Denis and Portage and Main. Tokens include Canadian icons such as a moose, canoe, sled and hockey player. And the Chance and Community Chest cards have been replaced by Federal and Provincial cards that offer a humorous take on the country's culture and traditions. (click on the board to get a bigger picture)
The Championship has been taking place since 1973 and has been held in numerous locations across the globe, including New York, Monte Carlo, Bermuda, London, Berlin, Palm Beach and Toronto. The competition now takes place every four years.
Since 1935, more than 200 million copies of MONOPOLY have been sold in 80 countries and the game has been translated into 26 languages. Over 500 million people have played the classic game. To learn more about MONOPOLY including tips and tricks and tournament information, go directly to www.monopoly.com.
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Older News From 23 October 2000:
TOP FIVE REAL ESTATE TYCOONS ADVANCE TO FINAL ROUND
After two gruelling days of shrewd negotiations, bankruptcies and the construction of countless houses and hotels, five finalists emerged. Representatives from Japan, Germany, Hungary, Scotland and Hong Kong survived to compete in Monday's deciding round of play.
The five finalists, dressed in tuxedos and bearing their respective country's flag, were led in procession by Mr. Monopoly. Adding pomp and circumstance, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Toronto Metro Police Band followed the five champions into the Imperial Room, where the final round was played.
The five players who made the final cut and their cumulative scores:
| # |
Player |
Country |
Age |
Score |
| 1. |
Yutaka Okada |
Japan |
33 |
$22,435 |
| 2. |
Steven Chu Chun Hin |
Hong Kong |
18 |
$18,865 |
| 3. |
Hans-Gunther Meyer |
Germany |
43 |
$17,427 |
| 4. |
Tamas Bukovsky |
Hungary |
22 |
$17,318 |
| 5. |
Marilyn Elliot |
Scotland |
46 |
$17,235 |
About Hasbro
Hasbro Games manufactures and markets games and puzzles under the brand names Milton Bradley®, Parker Brothers® and Avalon Hill®.
Based on press material from Hasbro, Inc. and www.monopoly.com.
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