# Investment game



## Westerly (Dec 26, 2010)

I would be very interested in joining / starting an investment game to speed up my learning curve. I would be particularly interested in participating with the bright people on this forum, in which I count all of you. 

Maybe something we can pilot that can be later adapted to high-school? Any thoughts in that regard? 

I look at my TMX Money account and think it could be easily set-up to accommodate a relatively anonymous (until we win of course friendly 4 team portfolio of participants.

Any ideas? Administrators?


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## alingva (Aug 17, 2013)

I am not sure what you want to do. You can create an RBC Direct Investing Practice Account and play (losing or gaining) as much as you want, you do not need us


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## GoldStone (Mar 6, 2011)

Take a look at how kcowan runs his annual predictions contest. You can run an investment game the same way.

Start a thread. Post the game rules and the deadline. Enter the submissions in a Google spreadsheet. Set up the spreadsheet to automatically update the quotes. Share the spreadsheet to make it public. Post the link back in the thread. Done!


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## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

These things aren't very accurate...in games like this, where no real money is on the line, people will take risks they never would in real life. Further, if you want to win short term (let's even say 1-2 years) this is the path you have to usually take. Long term investing doesn't usually pay off quickly.

So, the guy who picks a few penny stocks may "win" the contest, but what's to lose? The drip guys would probably lose in the short term regardless. That's why these contests don't make good investors, they encourage people to gamble...not the same thing.

If you want to learn investing, you have to put real money on the line...if you lose, it's the price of an education.


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## Westerly (Dec 26, 2010)

I'll check the RBC practice acct, although I'm already managing my own accts over the RBC 100,000. Might be a good place to start learning options etc if it's available. I take the point that a short term game could do almost as much damage as good to a learning investor.

Thanks


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## Causalien (Apr 4, 2009)

Westerly said:


> I'll check the RBC practice acct, although I'm already managing my own accts over the RBC 100,000. Might be a good place to start learning options etc if it's available. I take the point that a short term game could do almost as much damage as good to a learning investor.
> 
> Thanks


With a game like this, a young high school student can set it up with 100 accounts and place half of them in one direction of a very risky bet, the other half in the opposite. You rinse and repeat until you get 1 in the end who will be your oracle account. Then you win the contest and get publicity, which in turn, will earn you trust and worship from peers. At this point, you will start getting people who want to invest with you and you use this to build up your stash for manipulation. 

This is how you start off earning money with the path of an oracle.

If you want to learn how to really earn money in the stock market and not having to rely on your reputation and popularity, then you need to learn with real money on the line. This is the path of a speculator.


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## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

Causalien said:


> With a game like this, a young high school student can set it up with 100 accounts and place half of them in one direction of a very risky bet, the other half in the opposite...


Or you do as my buddy did ... buy alphabetically, sell when it's up 4%, by the next in the alphabet, ignore people pointing out that this only works in a rising market, become convinced the strategy works and tank with real money.

He no longer invests on his own ... :rolleyes2:


Cheers


*PS*
... which is more to say be careful what lessons/conclusions one draws from the game versus the idea that nothing can be learned.


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## Moneytoo (Mar 26, 2014)

*Learning from the pros!*

I've just discovered this "investment game of pros" today:

Strategy Lab: Stock market ideas, investing insights (and competition)

Strategy Lab experts started with a hypothetical $50,000 portfolio on Sept. 13, 2012. They can each hold five to 12 Canadian or U.S. securities and trade as often or as little as they wish. 

Results as of April 2, 2014:

1) Chris Umiastowski's model growth portfolio

TOTAL: $126,941.10 +153.88%

2) Norman Rothery's model value portfolio

TOTAL: $73,649.29 +47.30%

3) John Heinzl's model dividend portfolio

TOTAL: $62,188.04 +24.38%

4) Andrew Hallam's model indexing portfolio

TOTAL: $61,212.05 +22.42%

___________________
Hopefully one day I'll play like a pro, too...


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