Monopoly Deal is a card game that combines the skill, strategy, and luck of the classic board game without the original’s endless tedium. It’s basically Monopoly, but better. In our house it’s quickly become a hit, because in addition to providing a socially acceptable way to conspire against each other, it also teaches many real-life business lessons. Here are a few to remember:

1. Always Have a Strategy

You can win with the right strategy, or lose with the wrong strategy, but you can’t win without choosing a strategy. In the game, and in entrepreneurship, there are many different ways to win. But if you chase all of them at once, you’ll lose every time.

For entrepreneurs, the key is to make sure your strategy is right before you fight. Pick one way to win, and then pursue it relentlessly. Is your goal to maximize profit? Travel more? Focus on your family? Any of these can be the right choice, depending on your goals. But trying to achieve all of them simultaneously is impossible. A good opportunity for someone else may not also be a good opportunity for you. For entrepreneurs, the right strategy is essential.

2. Focus on Your Hand

Your objective is to win the game – not to make the other players lose. Understandably then, it’s often tempting to pay more attention to your opponents’ cards than your own. But if your focus is always on other people and what they’re doing, you’ll miss the opportunities right in front of you.

To win the game, all you need are three complete sets of properties. It doesn’t matter how much money, property, or power your opponents have, as long as you reach achieve the objective first. In elementary school, we all learned to “keep your eyes on your own paper.” With age, though, the more difficult it is to avoid comparison. Entrepreneurship can become a comparison trap disguised as a career. Whenever you find your eyes wandering, refocus on your own goals, ambitions, and opportunities. What defines your winning hand? Start there.

3. Riches Don’t Win

Accumulating wealth is not the aim of the game. Instead, cash is merely a tool to help you reach a more important goal. Sound familiar?

To win, you must balance saving wisely and spending strategically. It’s easy to think that the player with the most cash is winning the game, but that’s rarely right. When the game ends, you don’t get any bonus points for the money left in the bank. Instead, use the cash in your hand to buy and defend your most important assets. The earlier you recognize money is not one of those, the better you’ll play. Before you show your hand, remember: riches don’t win.

Play YOUR Game

Together, these lessons emphasize the importance of playing your game well. Choose the right strategy, don’t compare yourself to others, and focus on what matters most to you. It’s always wise to consider everyone’s next moves, but if you dwell on what your opponents are doing, you’ll eventually get swallowed up by their empire instead of building your own. Even if your entrepreneurial ambitions don’t include developing properties or pulling off a sly deal, the lessons you can learn from Monopoly Deal still might make you a winner in real life. That is, if you play your cards right.

P.S. If you’re interested in the card game, here’s the link. Highly recommended!

Adapted from Greg’s upcoming book, The Entrepreneur in You →