Tackle the market. Swing with the Bulls and the Bears. Work your Wall Street Wizardry in this remake of the classic Stocks & Bonds. Optional Rules 10.1-10.4 and 10.7 are used. The event moves to Sunday morning in 1999 to spread out the opportunities to enter Classics Iron Man tournament events (yes, this is one).
The event has drawn a healthy mix of old and young, expert and novice, men and women (indeed the '97 champ was the latter). Forget the monthly investment tea club; master the nuances of this game and you are ready to dive into the market (or at least have a fun Sunday morning at the WBC).
A few words of advice to future Gurus: though speculative dives into Stryker Drilling may not be as palatable as they were in the original game, buying on margin is still the preferred method of the reigning (and multi-time) champion to leverage oneself to victory. Selling short has limited uses -- and some big drawbacks. Watch the effects of the market cycle on interest rates. More than simply a safe haven, the bond market can provide a strong contribution to victory. Tax-free earnings have merits, but never let that cost you other capital appreciation opportunities. The "safe" will rarely be sorry in this game (as bankruptcy checks have ended one champion's title defense) -- but safety-first strategies won't win the event, either. Following the crowd which is following the rumor may keep you in the game, but it makes easier the leader's task of coverage. When falling behind, you must find a unique path to reclaim the lead. This is where the true entrepreneur will find it worthwhile to not just monitor the market, but manipulate it. Pay attention to how other investors are chasing rumors. You may get a chance to shrink their portfolio -- those SEC watchdogs can't be everywhere!
In 2000, we may format the tournament around the historical scenarios. Be sure to let the GM know what you'd like to see done in future years.