Cramer: Play 'Beat the Street' and Win

This game require you to learn a lot about real investing.
By Jim Cramer ,

At last, a game to be proud of. The "

Beat the Street

" game. I have felt ever since the spate of games came about last year that the artificial nature of them -- the "pick one small-dollar stock and hope it moves around like a jumping bean" -- is so totally unrealistic and not at all like real life that it wasn't worth doing. Anybody can get lucky; those games were pure luck.

Ah, but a portfolio of stocks with limited trading, isn't that how it really is? A portfolio of stocks with bets against a sector or with one? That's close to reality. Of course, I can't ask that a portfolio be diversified, because in a given week you are not going to get a great gain with a portfolio full of

Procters

(PG) - Get Report

and

Chevrons

(CVX) - Get Report

, but the method this game employs requires some real thought and some real stock-picking with less trading and more thinking.

It reminds me of the rotisserie league concept that I used at my old hedge fund, described in the book

Real Money

.

Why do I like this game so much besides it realistic nature?

Because you have to learn more than one silly, stupid little stock that can bounce around and move in ways that give you no insight into the market or companies' fundamentals.

With this game you can learn NEW stocks and it can have applications beyond the $5,000. This game forces you to learn sectors and pick good stocks or bad stocks if you go short.

In short, this game makes you a better investor, which is why I encourage all the college kids I have met on my tours, all the budding portfolio managers and all of the home-gamers to play. The $5,000 in this game is just a sideshow, some delicious icing to those who play.

So, go pick 'em. Go trade 'em when you can.

And remember, this game is a learning game, a game that can reward you far more than the $5,000 you could win by the end of each week.

At the time of publication, Cramer had no positions in the stocks mentioned.

Jim Cramer is a director and co-founder of TheStreet.com. He contributes daily market commentary for TheStreet.com's sites and serves as an adviser to the company's CEO. Outside contributing columnists for TheStreet.com and RealMoney.com, including Cramer, may, from time to time, write about stocks in which they have a position. In such cases, appropriate disclosure is made. To see his personal portfolio and find out what trades Cramer will make before he makes them, sign up for

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