"You have to learn the rules of the game. And then…

“You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else” is a quotation that has been printed on many posters, with credit usually given to German-born theoretical physicist Albert Einstein (1879-1955).There is no evidence that Einstein said this.

The quotation (with credit to Einstein) has been cited in print since only about 2005—half a century after Einstein’s death.

Trade2Win (T2W)
Things said by Clever Buggers.
c6ackp
MAY 21, 2005, 11:16AM
You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former
A.Einstein

Gamasutra
November 4, 2005
Facilitating the Education of Game Development
By Lennart Nacke
Pg. 9:
You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.
(ALBERT EINSTEIN)

Just KLOUT Me
19 October 2006
Powerful Words…
“You have to learn the rules of the game.
And then you have to play better than anyone else.”
Dianne Feinstein

Google Books
The People Code:
It’s All About Your Innate Motive
By Taylor Hartman
New York, NY: Scribner
2007
Pg. 44:
“You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.” —Albert Einstein

Google Books
The Extraordinary Book of Lists:
A Colossal Collection of Fascinating Facts and Intriguing Information
By Publications International Staff ( Lou Weber)
Lincolnwood, IL: West Side Pub.
2007
Pg. 440:
“You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else. ” — Albert Einstein

Laugh It Out
June 15, 2007
Funny Quotes By Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein is best mind known to human. He was the most Intellectual person ever. But still he had a funny side to him. Following are some of his quotes which I found funny.
(...)
“You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.”

Twitter
lyra2a
‏@lyra2a
You have to learn the rules of the game.And then you have to play better than anyone else.
你必须学会游戏的规则，然后你必须做得比别人好！
Albert Einstein quotes
2:17 PM - 15 May 2008

Quora
Updated 9 May, 2014.
Out of all those quotes attributed to Einstein which ones are really his? How can you tell?
Mark Eichenlaub, graduate student in physics
(...)
One Quoran recently wrote a post with the fake Einstein quote

You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.

That doesn’t sound like Einstein, either. He wasn’t really big on advertising how he was better than other people.