Overview
The Basketball Market Making Game combines live sports dynamics with real-time trading. Two teams, the Lions and the Tigers, play a simulated four-quarter game while markets open on outcomes like the game total, quarter and half totals, each team score, the final margin and the biggest lead. Behind the scoreboard runs a full engine: team strength drives ball possession, heavy possession drains fitness faster, and lower fitness cuts shooting accuracy, so the numbers you trade on are always moving. Your job is to read that information flow, price each market, buy when you think the outcome will finish higher and sell when you think it will finish lower, and manage a book of positions across several markets at once for the best final profit.
Example: one market during Q3
A simulated match runs quarter by quarter while markets open and close around it: quarter totals, final totals, the score difference, the biggest lead. You get each team’s strength, shooting precision and fitness, so you can price the rest of the game better than the quoted market does.
Q1
Break
Q2
Break
Q3
Break
Q4
01:0000:5900:5800:5700:5600:5500:5400:5300:5200:5100:5000:4900:4800:4700:4600:4500:4400:4300:4200:4100:4000:3900:3800:3700:3600:3500:3400:3300:3200:3100:3000:2900:2800:2700:2600:2500:2400:2300:2200:2100:2000:1900:1800:1700:1600:1500:1400:1300:1200:1100:1000:0900:0800:0700:0600:0500:0400:0300:0200:01
Pause Game
Lions Stats
Strength
72%
3PT Precision
38%
2PT Precision
53%
FT Precision
75%
Fitness
74%
Lions
6870
54%
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
3PT:
3/8
4/10
2/6
0/0
2PT:
6/11
5/10
5/96/10
0/0
FT:
4/5
3/4
2/3
0/0
Poss:
53%
51%
54%
50%
Tigers
61
46%
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
3PT:
3/9
2/8
2/7
0/0
2PT:
6/12
5/11
4/9
0/0
FT:
4/6
4/5
2/2
0/0
Poss:
47%
49%
46%
50%
Tigers Stats
Strength
64%
3PT Precision
29%
2PT Precision
47%
FT Precision
77%
Fitness
71%
Total Score at Final Time
Sum of both teams’ final scores
Market closes in: 10987654321s
BID
178.5178.4178.6178.5178.3178.6178.4178.5180.4180.6180.5180.5180.7180.4180.6180.5180.3180.6180.4180.5
SELL
ASK
179.5179.4179.6179.5179.3179.6179.4179.5181.4181.6181.5181.5181.7181.4181.6181.5181.3181.6181.4181.5
BUY
Game Total Position
Position
23
Avg Price Open Positions
177.50178.83
Unrealized P&L
+3.00+7.00+6.50
Realized P&L
+1.00
Total P&L Other Markets
+13.00
Total P&L
+17.00+21.00+20.50
All Positions
Market
Open Position
Avg Price Open Positions
(Expected) Value
Total P&L
Status
Game Total
23
177.50178.83
179.0181.0
+4.00+8.00+7.50
Open
First Half Total
2
92.00
95.0
+6.00
Settled
Q3 Total
1
33.50
36.0
+2.50
Closed
Absolute Difference
-1
11.50
7.0
+4.50
Closed
Markets close on a countdown, so the read has to be quick. Positions stay open until the outcome they cover is settled.
Game Phases
1
Watch the simulation
Follow the live game: the clock, both scores, possession share and each team fitness. Teams average about five points a minute, and tired teams shoot worse, so momentum and fatigue keep moving every market.
2
Read the markets
Markets open throughout the game on totals, team scores, the final margin and the biggest lead. Each one quotes a price for a future outcome and stays open for roughly two game minutes before a new one appears.
3
Take a position
Buy if you think the outcome will finish higher than the quoted price, sell if you think it will finish lower. Every trade is for one unit, and you can hold positions across many markets at the same time.
4
Manage risk and settle
Diversify, hedge correlated markets and size your exposure. Positions settle at the true outcome, and your combined profit and loss across all markets is your score.
Scoring
P&L
Profit and loss on every position
Each position settles at the market true outcome. Buy below the settle or sell above it and you profit; get the direction wrong and you lose. Your total profit and loss across all markets is what the leaderboard ranks.
Buy
Buy when you expect higher
Buying pays off when the outcome settles above the price you paid. The further above your entry it lands, the bigger the profit per unit.
Sell
Sell when you expect lower
Selling pays off when the outcome settles below your price, so it suits markets the price has pushed too high relative to what the game is likely to deliver.
Risk
Diversify and hedge
Correlated markets, a team total and the game total for example, let you hedge. Spreading risk across markets protects your book when a single outcome surprises you.
Mode
Easy vs Hard
Easy mode shows your live profit and loss and expected values as you trade. Hard mode hides your profit and loss until the final whistle, so you trade on your read alone.
Your final score is your combined profit and loss across every market you traded, so a few well sized, well timed positions beat a flurry of random trades. Hard mode hides your running profit and loss during play, so results are grouped by difficulty; compare yourself within the same mode.
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