Pick a mode. You get starting cash and a mystery slice of Wall Street history — the date is hidden. Trade real historical prices and try to beat the market.
Buy or sell right now at the current price. Simple and instant — the price you see is (roughly) the price you get.
An order that only fills at your chosen price or better. A buy limit fills only at or below your price; a sell limit only at or above it. You control the price — but if the market never reaches it, it never fills.
Example: stock is $50, you set a buy limit at $48. If it dips to $48 or lower on a later day, you buy. If it keeps rising, nothing happens.
An order that stays dormant until the price crosses your stop level, then fires as a market order. A sell stop (a "stop-loss") sells if the price falls to your stop — it caps your losses. A buy stop buys once the price rises through your stop — used to jump on an upward breakout.
Example: you own a stock at $50 and set a sell stop at $45. If it drops to $45, you're automatically sold out before it can fall further.
A call is the right (not obligation) to buy 100 shares at a fixed strike price until it expires. You pay a premium up front. Calls gain value when the stock rises. Your most you can lose is the premium; your upside is leveraged and large. It's a bullish bet.
Stock $50, you buy a $52 call for $1.50 (= $150 per contract). If the stock jumps to $60, the call is worth at least $8 ($800) — big gain on a small stake. If it stays under $52 at expiry, the call expires worthless and you lose the $150.
A put is the right to sell 100 shares at the strike price until expiry. Puts gain value when the stock falls. Again, the most you can lose is the premium. Use puts to bet on a decline (or to protect shares you own).
Stock $50, you buy a $48 put for $1.20 ($120). If the stock drops to $40, the put is worth at least $8 ($800). If it stays above $48, it expires worthless.
Shorting lets you profit when a stock falls. You sell shares you don't own (your position goes negative), then later buy them back to close — hopefully cheaper. If the price rises instead, a short loses money, and losses aren't capped, so cover if it moves against you. Available in Short Seller, Crash, Leverage and Hardcore modes (or switch it on in a Custom game).
Example: short 10 shares at $50 (+$500 cash). Price drops to $40, you buy back for $400 — you keep the $100 difference.
Leverage multiplies your buying power — 2× lets you hold twice your cash in positions by borrowing. It amplifies gains and losses. If your account equity is wiped out, you get a margin call and everything is liquidated. Handle with care.