So we've entered into the historic week that is the countdown to UFC 100.  As you may or may not know we have entered into a competition(that we are going to win because I hate losing) against or SBN brethren over at Bloodyelbow.  I know a few of us are relatively new the MMA Playground format, so I thought I would post a short tutorial/quick hits that Eugene over at BE so graciously allowed me to use here at MMA4Real.  In the extended entry you will find a short walkthrough of the MMA Playground experience in an attempt to better orient your access to our little game.

FYI-If you would like to join the MMA4Real betting crew you still have time.  Leave a comment in this thread with your MMA Playground username.  Please make sure your MMA Playground login name is the same as your MMA4Real name or as close as possible so we can give you the proper credit.  Also, if you are a part of a fight camp already, you will need to leave that fight camp before you can join our fight camp.


UFC 100 coverage

There are two things by which you are measured in the betting game: points and cash. Points are awarded when you correctly pick a fight's winner, ending time, and type of finish (KO, sub, etc). Earning points also earns you Playground dollars. This is a helpful offset to any losses incurred during the early part of the season when cash is low. If you bet away all of your cash picking is your only means of bringing it back in , so do not forget to make your picks for each event.

A season on MMA Playground's betting game lasts ten UFC events. You can place bets on other major promotions, such as DREAM and the WEC; however, the results of those bets and picks in the secondary league are not counted toward our camp standing, and I care about that standing. Those secondary league bets and picks will also not earn you any of our fat loot. The next season of the betting game starts with UFC 100.

Money earned through the placement of bets is what, in the end, we are all after, however. Something to keep in mind: the odds used for Playground are not necessarily reflective of any actual betting line. They are "based entirely off of MMA Playground fantasy game user data".

Another thing worth noting is that the line for a bout is not locked in when you make a wager on that fight. The lines move with your bet on them until the actual start of the event. I would suggest making initial bets a week out from an event and checking the lines a day or so out. This strategy will prevent you from forgetting to make that play green and will also allow you to make any needed changes before fight time.

Placing Wagers

Playground kindly does the math for you and displays the possible earnings and losses from the bets you have placed. It is up to you, however, to decide which fighters to ride. A parlayed bet is indicated by checking the box to the left of the fighters (up to three) you believe will win in synchronization:

The total win/loss of a parlay wager is displayed at the bottom of the wagering interface. An event summary for your wagers is also provided:

Prizes

I don't have anything in mind at the moment.  I may leave it up to you guys, but THERE WILL BE PRIZES and I'm open to suggestions.  So feel free to leave those in the comments section as well.  I'm thinking about getting some MMA4Real t-shirts printed up so you all can rock those out and help spread the word about us as well.

Joining

After creating your account at MMAPlayground just leave a message(with your username) in this thread indicating your desire to join the MMA4Real betting crew.  Please note your MMA4Real user name if you are contacting me through MMA Playground.  Our fight camp name is MMAForReal.com.

More Details On Stuff

1) The playground lines don’t seem to change. I don’t recall them ever shifting one way or another, they’re just sort of made up. It’s helpful to look and see what the real lines are when making picks too: http://www.bestfightodds.com/

2) Parlays are hella risky. A three-line parlay has three chances to go south, and at the level of competition in the UFC, almost anything can happen.

3) You get five points if you pick winner correctly, seven points if you pick winner and round OR method correctly, and eleven points if you get all three: that’s a two point bonus for being spot on. There’s also a hot bout for every fight, which they claim is the closest fight (but is usually the worst, or just random) which is good for DOUBLE points. That means that if you get just the winner, you’re in for ten, and if you get all three you get a whopping twenty-two points!

UFC 100 Early Lines