Las Vegas’ 11-year-old Monopoly champ heads for a showdown at the national championships

Kimberley McGee

Sunday, Oct. 17, 1999 | 10:48 a.m.

What: National Monopoly Game Championship.

When: 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday; 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday.

Where: MGM Grand Ballroom.

Cost: Free.

Information: Call 891-1111.

It may be the call of the little silver shoe, or the get-out-of-jail free card, or maybe this time the Boardwalk/Park Place monopoly coup will be achieved!

Whatever it is, Monopoly is a nearly 65-year-old game that still excites children -- and the little real estate moguls in all of us -- when the Parker Brothers' board game is laid out, its colorful properties and black and white railroads revealed.

The National Monopoly Game Championship takes place Monday and Tuesday at the MGM Grand hotel in the Grand Ballroom. It is free and open to the public.

Las Vegas is home to the state champion, 11-year-old Jarrod Tennell. Although the average age of competitors is 30, Tennell is the youngest of the 50 contestants to be rolling the dice with gamers of all ages.

But that doesn't phase this game-seasoned sixth grader.

"He's played casually since he knew how to throw the dice," says Aileen Tennell, single mother of Jarrod and an employee of the Riviera hotel-casino. "But he got the concept (of winning) when he was about 7 or 8 and then he started buying everything."

A long tradition

Why does this real estate trading game hold so many good memories for so many people around the world?

Penny Grieci, brand manager for Monopoly, says the game has become a tradition in homes around the world.

"Monopoly is one of those things that's in all of us, the drive to get it all," Grieci says. "It's the perfect balance of luck, skill and social interaction."

And not everyone plays by the rules.

The free space spot on the board is just that -- a place to rest. However, most players learn at an early age that it makes a nice place to store the tax money from the Chance and Community Chest cards, as well as that Income Tax board space that asks for a tabulation (most take the easy way out, as they do with their own taxes.)

"Then there's the 'even build rule,' where you need the same amount on each property," Grieci says. "For some reason, people tend not to follow that."

Monopoly is published in 26 languages for the 80 countries in the world that want to pass Go and collect $200. There are various versions of the game, including one based on Las Vegas.

Monopoly prodigy

Jarrod took to the game -- by the book -- immediately while at a day care center last year, which held a preliminary Monopoly tournament for the national championships.

"He had happened to be in day care at the YMCA and they had a tournament," his mother says, adding gleefully: "He beat everyone."

Tennell says she was very surprised when the Monopoly marketing staff began to call her to excitedly congratulate Jarrod as a qualifier for the state championships.

"I didn't take it too seriously, it was just chance and luck," she says.

But she started taking it seriously when they called in October to say he had the highest score in Nevada.

Jarrod, who on a recent afternoon would rather have been biking riding with waiting friends rather than discussing the rigors of Monopoly play, thinks of the tournament as a lark.

"He sees it as time to take off from school," his mother says.

But once seated at the board, Jarrod plays to win.

"He is very competitive," she says. "He likes chess, but he doesn't have the stamina to (see it through)."

Right now he is also into Pokemon, Nintendo and touch football, his mother says -- and, of course, riding his bike.

"The more the day approaches, though, he is getting excited," she says.

Typical of a mother, she is worried about taking the time off from school, something Jarrod is keen on.

"It is a great opportunity, something he will remember the rest of his life," he says. "But what about his homework?"

The little voice in the back of her head keeps nagging at her, and she, in turn, nags Jarrod about how he better keep those grades up.

"He is going to make up whatever he misses," she ssys. "You just do what you have to do."

If anything, the Monopoly people have made Jarrod feel very special.

"He's like a little Donald Trump," she says.

Not a local mogul, like Steve Wynn? Well, maybe he has eyes more for Atlantic Avenue, the yellow property in the upper middle-class portion of the board, just below the tony Pacific Avenue.

"He takes it pretty seriously when you land on his property," she says. "He is ruthless, he will play a game until the bitter end."

And what has the game taught the mini mock mogul?

"He's learned that accumulation of property is a good thing," she says.

Jarrod says he loves the longer version of Monopoly -- as it was originally intended to be played -- because he has more chances to amass money.

"Some friends want to use the short game, but I want to play," he says.

Mostly, he likes the money.

"Handling money is cool," Jarrod says. "It teaches me about handling money, too."

And Jarrod's secret to success?

"Buy everything," he says. "Every time I get on a property I buy it -- especially the railroads."