When I was growing up in Venice, I used to play Monopoly every Sunday during the winter with my dad and brother. They were really good, so I usually lost and ended up crying. They were my coaches. I carried this routine into adulthood. During winter, I would go skiing with my friends in the Dolomites. The sun sets quite early there, so we played Monopoly in the evenings. I was a strong player.
One day in 2014, when I was 30 and working as a lawyer for Venice city council, a pop-up banner appeared on my computer, asking: “Are you good at Monopoly?” There was a chance to win a trip for two to the 2015 world championships in Macau, China.
