stock market guru [Updated August 2000]

SMG   
 
  
      9-11    11-13  

   Tack

Bruce Reiff, OH

2000 Champion

2nd: Randy Schilb, MO

3rd: Anna Maria Amicucci, MD

4th: Chuck Foster, TX

5th: Terry Stiles, MO

6th: Gary Moss, MD
Event History
1991    None      -
1992    None      -
1993    None      -
1994    Ken Gutermuth      17
1995    Bruce Reiff      13
1996    Andy Lewis      26
1997    Debbie Otto      18
1998    Ken Gutermuth      21
1999    Malcolm Robinson     13
2000    Bruce Reiff     26
AREA Ratings
 1    Malcolm Robinson      5206
 2    Bruce Reiff      5200
 3    Frank Atwood      5140
 4    Ken Gutermuth      5139
 5    Terry Stiles      5077
 6    Anna M Amicucci      5075
 7    Chuck Foster      5075
 8    Randy Schilb      5040
 9    Joseph Lux      5037
10    Cathy Kratz      4980

Investing for the truly nervous ...

This year's Stock Market Guru event drew a total of 26 attendees - the most ever for the event. Due to time constraints, all but one of the five preliminary games were adjudicated; leaving five winners to compete in the finals.

At Table 1, the only table to complete the preliminary game, Bruce Reiff ran away with the win; betting heavily on Stryker Drilling in year 2, and enjoying its subsequent $67 increase. He sold all his stock, and played conservatively the rest of the way. The rest of the table had already begun placing most of their monies into IRAs and bonds, but it was no contest. Reiff finished with $19,250, ahead of second-place finisher Tom Vickery, with $14,000.

At Table 2, Randy Schilb formed a diversified portfolio - buying bonds early and often. Larry Kratz saw an early exit when his stocks went belly-up, and his desperate attempt to regain some control with Stryker also failed. When the bonds tanked (due to the rising interest rate - an anomaly most of the other tables experienced, as well), Schilb cut his losses and turned to other
buying opportunities. The high interest rate dictated very little "buying-on-margin." Schilb finished the game with $12,850, ahead of second-place finisher Chris Palermo, with $9,860.

At Table 3, Terry Stiles invested primarily in Growth, and a few other stocks, but stayed away from the "risky" stocks - in fact, he did not invest in Stryker once the entire game. Similar to Randy Schilb's win at Table 2, on the last turn, all players near contention invested whole-heartedly in Stryker; and - again, like Schilb's win - the opponents came up short. Stiles finished with $15,800, ahead of second-place finisher Ken Gutermuth's $9,850.

At Table 4, Anna Maria Amicucci used the IRA strategy to her advantage, investing heavily in IRAs and Bonds, and using the IRA rebates to purchase more Shady Brooks non-IRA stock, and Tri-County. Gary Moss invested in Stryker, and hit more often than not. But, by the end of the mostly bull market game, the table proved unaware of how much Amicucci had stockpiled in the IRAs. It was a close game, as Amicucci tallied $19,340, while Gary Moss totaled $18,640. Also, Debbie Otto came close with $18,110, and Derek Landel finished with $15,250 - more than enough to win most of the other tables.

At Table 5, Chuck Foster came from behind, to overtake front-runner Charles Ellsworth. Most of the table had invested in Uranium for much of the game. Foster, in third place, invested in Metro, which saw a $30 increase, and split. This was the odd game, with a low interest rate the entire contest, never rising above 10%. Many of the players invested in bonds early, only to take a loss on them, when it became apparent they'd never even get their money back. Foster finished with $10,690, beating Alfred Wong at $10,280 and Ellsworth at $10,070.

In the finals, Reiff employed the same strategy as in his preliminary win, scoring BIG with Stryker early in the game, then liquidating all his stock, and investing in bonds. Schilb couldn't cover the bonds in time, and the interest rates skyrocketed.
In turn 4, after buying Tri-City on margin, Stiles saw the stock suffer a business check, and the price was cut in half. Stiles couldn't afford the interest, and went bankrupt. On the next turn, Foster also was eliminated, when Tri-City suffered ANOTHER monumental loss (-$27). He also couldn't pay the margin interest, and was bankrupted. In an effort to make up ground, Schilb diversified even more. Reiff stayed with Tri-City (which he purchased at dirt-cheap prices) and bonds, and rode
the wave. On Turn 6, Reiff sold his bonds as the game moved into the bull market, and purchased Stryker, which promptly survived the business check, and saw its price rise. Reiff sold Stryker, and reinvested into bonds. In Turn 7, in a bad bear market, Tri-City inched up in value, and bonds gained heavily, as most other stocks nose-dived, essentially sealing the win for
Reiff.

Of particular misfortune to Schilb, was the fact Reiff consistently played the last card in each hand (or, more to the point, Reiff was the only player with bear market cards). This meant Schilb was always the lead player, and Reiff always had the advantage of seeing Schilb's moves, first. For the last four turns, all Schilb could do was hold his hand, and hope one or more of Reiff's stocks went bankrupt. Reiff finished the game with $19,400; Schilb totaled $12,950 and Amicucci tallied $10,930. Foster and Stiles were bankrupt halfway through the game, which meant the finals had as many "bankrupts" as all preliminary games combined.

For next year, when SMG hopefully re-enters as a Century Event, a move toward "simultaneous purchasing" will be considered, to keep the games moving and finished on time, and the "insider trading" optional rule may be dropped.

 GM      Chris Palermo  [1st Year]   NA
    NA   NA

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