No game offers more excitement than participating in a fantasy stock market game. In a good market simulation, all of the excitement of buying and selling stocks exists, just as it does in the real world. The way to properly enjoy playing a stock trading game is if there are some legitimate stakes involved.

CNBC demonstrated this truth with their own fantasy stock challenge. For prizes, they put up fast cars, lots of cash, and the fame of appearing on TV. Since every trader sitting behind their desk plugging away at the market ultimately wants these things, it isn't hard for CNBC to attract over 1 million participants every time they put on a fantasy stock challenge.

As popular as CNBC's stock challenge is however, there are a few distinct flaws that keep it from properly exhibiting the same traits as the real stock market. For one, their fantasy stock game only allowed end of day trading. With the market moving as wildly as it has been, we all know that not being able to make trades can ruin an otherwise good strategy. On top of that, extra money was added to players accounts for answering trivia questions as well as referring friends. Rarely in real life is this going to add money to your actual brokerage account. Lastly, the option to short stocks was nonexistent, thereby removing a whole side of the market for traders to play. Any smart and experienced trader know: there is just as much money to be made on the downside as when the market is going up!