Time Travel Game: how would you make money?

Dominic · #1 09-09-2007, 09:50 PM

The Situation:

You have been whisked back in time to August, 1992. You are 21 years old with the same college degree you have now (or are in the process of getting). You have $500 to your name. But you are exactly the same person on the inside as you are right now.

You take nothing with you but your memory of what happens between August, 1992 and today.

The Challenge:

You have exactly one year to earn one million dollars. After the year is over, you will be sent back to the present day.

How will you make this money?

Sports betting?
inventing something that hasn't been invented yet? (how will you go about this?)
some form of crime?
the stockmarket?
something else?

The Process:

Explain HOW you would make this money in detail...for example, answering "I'd play the stock market" doesn't tell us anything...explain HOW you would make money this way...do you remember what the stock market was doing in 1992? Would studying up on the market in that period jog your memory enough in order to make a killing? Etc.

Rules:

You have only your memory to rely on.
You can't tell anyone you know that you're "from the future and know what's going to happen."

That's it.

gogogogogogogogo

MrWookie · #2 09-09-2007, 10:04 PM

If I knew I was going to head back, I'd think that sports betting would be unmatched. You'd basically be printing money for the games you remembered the results of, assuming your time travel didn't affect the outcome. You could earn money much faster than stocks, since you could basically double your money every week or so, until you made so much that you couldn't bet it all before you maxed out the betting limits or you got banned from all the sportsbooks in Vegas.

This is, of course, I could study up some and memorize game results. If I'm whisked away as soon as I click the post button for this, I couldn't pull it off.

Dominic · #3 09-09-2007, 10:06 PM

[ QUOTE ]
If I knew I was going to head back, I'd think that sports betting would be unmatched. You'd basically be printing money for the games you remembered the results of, assuming your time travel didn't affect the outcome. You could earn money much faster than stocks, since you could basically double your money every week or so, until you made so much that you couldn't bet it all before you maxed out the betting limits or you got banned from all the sportsbooks in Vegas.

This is, of course, I could study up some and memorize game results. If I'm whisked away as soon as I click the post button for this, I couldn't pull it off.

[/ QUOTE ]

yeah, let's say you get whisked away immediately and don't have time to study beforehand.

also, how would you go about sports betting? You can't do it online in 1992. Do you know a bookie back then? Are you in Vegas?

kerowo · #4 09-09-2007, 10:25 PM

I would imagine that most of the people on 2+2 are better than most of the poker players around in '92, that's probably easiest way to get a roll started, assuming you can get to a game without using all your monies.

Dominic · #5 09-09-2007, 10:32 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I would imagine that most of the people on 2+2 are better than most of the poker players around in '92, that's probably easiest way to get a roll started, assuming you can get to a game without using all your monies.

[/ QUOTE ]

So you're going to play an honest game of poker with a starting roll of $500. and you're going to build that to $1 million in one year? Good luck with that.

MrWookie · #6 09-09-2007, 10:36 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
If I knew I was going to head back, I'd think that sports betting would be unmatched. You'd basically be printing money for the games you remembered the results of, assuming your time travel didn't affect the outcome. You could earn money much faster than stocks, since you could basically double your money every week or so, until you made so much that you couldn't bet it all before you maxed out the betting limits or you got banned from all the sportsbooks in Vegas.

This is, of course, I could study up some and memorize game results. If I'm whisked away as soon as I click the post button for this, I couldn't pull it off.

[/ QUOTE ]

yeah, let's say you get whisked away immediately and don't have time to study beforehand.

also, how would you go about sports betting? You can't do it online in 1992. Do you know a bookie back then? Are you in Vegas?

[/ QUOTE ]

No bookie, but I think I get a flight to Vegas for <$500. Without being allowed to study, though, I wouldn't be able to get a good turn around in enough time to make that the best plan right off the bat. I might do better just working a generic job for a bit to build up a roll before heading to Vegas.

Riverman · #7 09-09-2007, 10:39 PM

Cool thread idea. I think the spirit of the question is "what would you differently in terms of making money if you could go back to the day you got your college degree." My answer is "pick a different career path and work harder."

Dominic · #8 09-09-2007, 10:41 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
If I knew I was going to head back, I'd think that sports betting would be unmatched. You'd basically be printing money for the games you remembered the results of, assuming your time travel didn't affect the outcome. You could earn money much faster than stocks, since you could basically double your money every week or so, until you made so much that you couldn't bet it all before you maxed out the betting limits or you got banned from all the sportsbooks in Vegas.

This is, of course, I could study up some and memorize game results. If I'm whisked away as soon as I click the post button for this, I couldn't pull it off.

[/ QUOTE ]

yeah, let's say you get whisked away immediately and don't have time to study beforehand.

also, how would you go about sports betting? You can't do it online in 1992. Do you know a bookie back then? Are you in Vegas?

[/ QUOTE ]

No bookie, but I think I get a flight to Vegas for <$500. Without being allowed to study, though, I wouldn't be able to get a good turn around in enough time to make that the best plan right off the bat. I might do better just working a generic job for a bit to build up a roll before heading to Vegas.

[/ QUOTE ]

So then what...you're in Vegas in October, 1992 after making another grand...you spent $150 to get there and you have $1350.

Do you remember what happened in week five of the NFL that well to make a few bets? Maybe you remember how your favorite team did...put it all on that and do the same the next week - assuming you remember who won, of course...

I think it's harder than it seems...

kerowo · #9 09-09-2007, 10:52 PM

[ QUOTE ]

I think it's harder than it seems...

[/ QUOTE ]

What made you think it was easy? No money, no prep time, no contacts, no time. How would you turn 500 into a million in a year today? In '92 you could try catching the first internet bubble but you have no money and no resources to day trade. Oh, you could try and raise money playing poker but you've already pissed on that. What is your solution?

Screw making a million in a year, what are you going to do for a bed in 2 weeks?

Pudge714 · #10 09-09-2007, 11:04 PM

This is pretty difficult assuming you need to find a place to live/food, etc.
I feel I could do it sportsbetting, however part of the reason I would be able to do that would be looking at newspapers and stuff which would jar my memory. For instance right now off the top of my head I know with a 100% certainty the results of specific baseball games that number such as I know the Pirates won games the last 4 of the Braves/Pirates series went Braves, Pirates, Pirates, Braves. The Jays won the WS in game 6, etc. But there is more specific stuff, which I can't assign to a game. I know Jimmy Key won a game in the WS. I know Kevin Gross threw a no hitter on his birthday so I could lookup his birthday. Stuff like that.
Also I know enough about the NHL playoffs that summer. Kings beat Leafs. Canadians beat Kings in finals. Also a lot of this is very dependent on the limits I could find to bet with.