LIVE LEADERBOARD
Top 50 & rank search →RankCompetitorNet P/LTodayTradesStatus
Beat the Machine is a proposed recurring monthly ES trading competition in which up to 200 human traders compete for a $10,000 prize pool paid to the top three — guaranteed once a competition is confirmed — measured every day against The Machine — a transparent automated benchmark. Spectators can follow along and play a free prediction game. This interactive prototype is being shared to gather feedback before production development.
Your feedback will help determine whether and how Beat the Machine moves into production.
SUBMIT EVALUATION → QUESTIONS & ANSWERSUse this short tour to evaluate whether you would participate in the proposed monthly competition.
After reviewing the concept, tell us what would make you participate—or what would stop you.
SUBMIT TRADER EVALUATION →This tour focuses on the recurring event, audience experience and the sponsor inventory demonstrated throughout the prototype. Sponsor positions are shown as open placeholders.
Tell us which placement interests you and what audience, pricing or activation information you would need to evaluate a partnership.
SUBMIT SPONSOR EVALUATION →This tour focuses on whether Beat the Machine is interesting enough to follow — and play along with — even if you never enter the competition.
Tell us whether you would watch or play along regularly, what would bring you back, and what would make it more entertaining.
SUBMIT VIEWER EVALUATION →Review Beat the Machine as a recurring trading event, spectator property and potential media or commercial partnership.
We are especially interested in audience potential, media value, commercial opportunities and concerns that should be addressed before production.
SUBMIT PARTNER EVALUATION →Thank you for reviewing the prototype. This form collects the feedback we need before committing to full production development.
PREPARE MY FEEDBACK → RETURN TO REVIEW HOME
Up to 200 traders compete using verified NinjaTrader simulation accounts with live ES market data, under the same risk framework and standardized $50,000 simulated equity. No one trades their own money. Their daily benchmark is CS01 — The Machine — with settings published before the session and locked for the day. The $10,000 prize pool pays the top three humans every month — $6,000 / $2,500 / $1,500. Beating The Machine earns the bragging rights.
Target reached • 10 contracts • 6th straight target
5 contracts
Winning trade • +$450 net
Make daily picks on the traders and The Machine, climb the viewer leaderboard and win sponsor-provided prizes.
PLAY ALONG →Up to 200 seats. Free entry. One month. Verified NinjaTrader simulation accounts with live ES data. $10,000 prize pool paid to the top three humans ($6,000 / $2,500 / $1,500), guaranteed for every confirmed competition.
REVIEW RULES & ENTRY REQUIREMENTSTechnology, hosting, hardware, financial media, analytics and trading-service brands can support the monthly competition. No sponsor relationships are implied until formally approved.
VIEW SPONSOR OPPORTUNITIES →The live leaderboard shows the top 50 competitors, ranked by verified net competition P/L after standardized commissions. Every competitor can find their own rank with the search below, and the complete final standings for the full field are kept permanently in the competition archive. The Machine appears at its position for comparison only. It is not prize-eligible.
Momentum trader • Austin, TX • Public profile and verified competition record.
| Time | Side | Qty | Entry | Exit | Gross P/L | Std. Commission | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:44:12 | Buy | 3 | 6810.25 | 6811.75 | +$225.00 | −$15.00 | +$210.00 |
| 9:17:40 | Sell | 5 | 6816.00 | 6816.75 | −$187.50 | −$25.00 | −$212.50 |
| 9:52:06 | Buy | 4 | 6808.50 | 6811.00 | +$500.00 | −$20.00 | +$480.00 |
| 10:11:42 | Sell | 5 | 6812.25 | Open | +$125.00 open | — | +$125.00 open |
CS01 is a conservative automated strategy that trades once per day with settings published before the session and locked for the day. Its settings rarely change. When they do, the new settings are announced in advance. The Machine is an exhibition benchmark: it is ranked for comparison but never eligible for any prize.
The Machine takes a small target most days and accepts a stop five times larger. That makes it steady until it isn't. A single stop-out erases about five winning days. The question each month is whether discretionary traders can stay ahead of a rules-locked system after costs. The prize doesn't depend on it, but the bragging rights do.
This screen is designed for spectators and broadcasts. It will update from verified competition events once the connector is live. Public execution prices are shown on a delay.
ES long • target reached • streak extended to 6
5 contracts
94% of today's published loss limit used
This page summarizes the trading framework. The complete legal terms — eligibility, data coverage, scoring, prizes, taxes, disclosures and dispute terms — are in the Official Rules, which control if anything here differs. The Official Rules are a draft pending attorney review.
Each competitor is responsible for maintaining NinjaTrader, the registered competition account, live CME market data for ES, Internet or VPS connectivity, and the Beat the Machine competition connector in an operational state. The competitor remains responsible for monitoring and managing all open positions and for closing positions by the required time. A trader-side computer, Internet, NinjaTrader, data-feed, VPS or script interruption does not automatically extend the competition, reverse a trade, or excuse a rule violation. Beat the Machine adjudicates all disconnects and reporting gaps, and its decision is final.
Hosting: A Windows VPS may be used to reduce dependence on a home computer or Internet connection. VPS use is optional and does not transfer responsibility for the competitor's trading technology to Beat the Machine. Any recommended hosting partners will be identified once agreements are in place.
By entering, competitors authorize collection and processing of competition-related NinjaTrader information needed to verify trading activity, calculate results and enforce the rules. Public competition pages may display a competitor's chosen display name, rank, positions and trade activity, competition P/L, commissions and competition statistics. Execution prices shown publicly are delayed. The live public leaderboard shows the top 50; every competitor's rank remains searchable, and the full final standings are published on the competition's permanent archive page. Sensitive credentials and private account identifiers are not displayed.
Any scoring or competition dispute must be submitted within 24 hours after the official end of the competition. Beat the Machine may review connector, NinjaTrader and competition-server records when investigating a timely dispute or suspected rule violation. Tampering with, modifying or bypassing required competition reporting, running unreported trading sessions for a registered entry, falsifying information or manipulating competition records may result in disqualification.
Competitors remain responsible for their own trading decisions and position management. No uninterrupted availability of NinjaTrader, CME market data, Internet/VPS services, third-party services, or the competition website/connector is guaranteed. Prize, tax, privacy, eligibility and jurisdiction terms will be incorporated into the final Official Rules before registration opens.
The complete Official Rules, administered by Eight Percent AI, cover eligibility, live data coverage, scoring, prizes, taxes and disclosures. Draft pending attorney review before registration opens.
READ OFFICIAL RULES → VIEW ENTRY FLOW NINJATRADER SETUPThese Official Rules govern every monthly Beat the Machine competition. If anything elsewhere on this site differs from these rules, these rules control.
No purchase or payment of any kind is necessary to enter or win. A purchase will not improve your chances of winning. This is a contest of skill: winners are determined solely by verified trading performance, never by chance or random drawing. Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 or older. Void where prohibited.
All competition trading is simulated. No real money is traded, and simulated profits are not paid to anyone. Only the fixed prizes in Section 12 are awarded.
The Beat the Machine competition (the “Competition”) is administered by Eight Percent AI, [legal entity name and type], [mailing address] (“Eight Percent AI” or “Administrator”).
No sponsor has any role in rules, scoring, rankings, The Machine, verification or dispute decisions. Eight Percent AI and all sponsors are together the “Competition Entities.” NinjaTrader and CME Group are not sponsors and do not endorse the Competition.
Prizes are fixed and funded in advance. No part of any prize comes from competitor payments, and prize amounts do not depend on the number of entries.
Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are at least 18 years old, or the age of majority in their state if higher, at registration.
Not eligible:
Eight Percent AI clients are eligible. Owning or buying any Eight Percent AI product, license or service — or any other product or service — is not required and gives no advantage.
One entry per person per competition. Each competitor may register only one NinjaTrader account for a competition.
Each monthly competition has its own Competition ID, registration window and trading dates, published on the Competitions page before registration opens (example: BTM-2026-11, November 2–30, 2026; registration closes October 30, 2026). All times are Central Time. Eight Percent AI's competition server is the official clock.
How to enter (free): create a competitor profile at [website URL], accept these Official Rules, confirm eligibility and claim a seat. No payment is collected at any step.
Seats: up to 200 seats per competition, filled in the order valid registrations are completed. No random selection is used.
Returning-competitor priority: competitors in the immediately preceding competition may claim a seat in the next one, at no cost, before the published priority deadline. Seats are never renewed automatically. Unclaimed seats then open to the public.
Confirmation: a competition is “confirmed” when a sponsor commitment covering the full prize pool is in place by registration close. A competition that is not confirmed does not run. Registered competitors are notified and offered priority for the next competition.
Competitors trade a NinjaTrader simulation account using live CME market data for ES. Delayed data, Market Replay and the Simulated Data Feed are not eligible. NinjaTrader's free live-data trial is shorter than a competition month, so live data is covered as follows. No competitor has to pay to compete for the full competition.
Competitors who already pay for live data may use their existing subscription. The data source gives no scoring advantage.
Competitors are ranked by verified net P/L: profit and loss rebuilt from validated fills, minus standardized commissions. Simulation account balances are never used for scoring.
“The Machine” is CS01, an automated ES strategy operated by Eight Percent AI. It trades once per day in its own simulated account under the same instrument, session and commission rules. Its start time, target and stop are published before the session and locked for the day. Setting changes are rare and announced in advance.
Each competitor is responsible for keeping NinjaTrader, the registered account, live ES data, Internet or VPS connectivity and the Beat the Machine connector running throughout every session in which they trade. A competitor-side interruption does not extend the competition, reverse a trade or excuse a rule violation. Eight Percent AI adjudicates disconnects and reporting gaps. VPS use is optional and does not shift this responsibility. No Competition Entity guarantees uninterrupted availability of NinjaTrader, market data, Internet services or the competition website or connector.
The following are prohibited and result in disqualification from the competition:
Eight Percent AI decides violations based on connector logs, platform records and competition-server records. A competitor facing disqualification will be told the rule and the trades involved and may respond in writing within [5] days before the decision is final. If a prize winner is disqualified, the prize passes to the next-ranked eligible competitor.
Scoring disputes must be submitted to [email] within 24 hours after the official end of the competition. Eight Percent AI may review connector, NinjaTrader and server records in resolving them. Its decisions on scoring and rule interpretation are final, to the extent permitted by law.
Each confirmed competition awards a fixed $10,000 prize pool, funded by the Grand Prize Sponsor:
| Place | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|
| 1st | $6,000 |
| 2nd | $2,500 |
| 3rd | $1,500 |
| Total per competition | $10,000 |
All competition results, including CS01's, are generated in simulated accounts and are hypothetical. Simulated results have inherent limitations: they do not represent actual trading and may not reflect market factors such as liquidity and slippage. No representation is made that any account will or is likely to achieve results similar to those shown.
Past or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Futures trading involves substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for everyone. Nothing in the Competition is investment advice, a trade recommendation or an offer to buy or sell any futures contract, security or trading product.
Play Along is a separate, free prediction game for viewers, governed by its own Play Along Official Rules, which will be published before launch. Competitors and their household members are not eligible for Play Along prizes. Neither Beat the Machine nor Eight Percent AI offers or facilitates wagering.
Download the BTM script, install it in NinjaTrader 8, connect your registered sim account and confirm READY status before competition day.
NinjaTrader Desktop and simulated trading are free to use. New simulator users receive a trial of live streaming market data. After the trial, simulated trading can continue, but Beat the Machine requires live CME market data for ES. Delayed market data is not eligible for competition trading.
You do not need another simulator account if you already have an eligible NinjaTrader environment. Confirm NinjaTrader Desktop is installed and has live CME data for ES, then continue to the connector installation below.
You trade NinjaTrader on a sim account with the BTM script running. The script reports your activity; Beat the Machine verifies it against tick data after the close and decides your official results. Nothing in your local NinjaTrader settings can change your score.
The official Beat the Machine script for NinjaTrader 8. It reports your registered sim account's activity to the competition server and must run for every session you trade. It never places, changes or closes orders.
⬇ DOWNLOAD BTM SCRIPT ⬇ INSTALLATION GUIDE
TEST CONNECTION — AVAILABLE WITH CONNECTOR
Install once per computer. Repeat steps 5–8 at the start of each competition. Have your competition key ready — it is shown on your Confirm Entry page and in your entry email.
BTM_Connector_v1.0.0.zip somewhere easy to find, such as Downloads. Do not unzip it. NinjaTrader imports the .zip file directly.Tools → Import → NinjaScript Add-On…, select BTM_Connector_v1.0.0.zip and click Open. Wait for the message that the import was successful, then click OK. If NinjaTrader asks to replace an older BTM version, click Yes.Connections and connect your live data connection. Do not use Simulated Data Feed or Playback — the script will not accept them.New → Beat the Machine. Enter the email you registered with and your competition key, then click Sign In.Tools → Remove NinjaScript Assembly, select BTM_Connector and click Remove.Start NinjaTrader → connect the registered account → enable the connector → confirm READY → trade ES only from 8:30 AM–3:00 PM CT → be flat by 3:00 PM CT.
VIEW ENTRY FLOW REVIEW COMPETITION RULESPrototype registration flow. Production account linking will be connected after the NinjaTrader data interface is finalized.
This screen is intentionally non-operational until account linking is finalized.
CONTINUE TO NINJATRADER SETUP → RETURN HOMEYour competitor profile and NinjaTrader connector carry forward. Each monthly competition is a separate entry with its own Competition ID, dates, registration and leaderboard.
CLAIM DECEMBER SEAT — FREE
Every completed competition keeps its own permanent page: final standings for the full field, the champions, The Machine's result, Play Along winners, the recap video and the partners who presented it.
The official, permanent record of the October competition and the partners who presented it. This page stays live after the event ends, so every sponsor's credit remains visible to everyone who browses past results.
Viewer prizes provided by [ PLAY ALONG SPONSOR ].
Review the current Official Competition Rules, confirm eligibility and claim your seat. Entry is free. No purchase is necessary to enter or win.
One entry per person per competition. No rebuys or resets. The prize pool is funded by sponsors, not by entrants, and does not depend on how many seats are filled.
CONFIRM MY ENTRY BACK TO ENTRY
This information creates your public Beat the Machine identity. Your display name, photo, bio and trading background may appear on the leaderboard and public trader profile.
ES day trader focused on intraday momentum setups and disciplined risk management.
Prototype competitor view for competition readiness, verification status and prize documentation.
A completed W-9 must be on file before any cash prize is paid. Prizes are paid through PayPal. In production, W-9 details will be held in secure tax storage, and this site will store only status and a masked identifier.
VIEW / UPDATE W-9Complete this before any cash prize is issued. This prototype masks sensitive tax information and does not store a real SSN or EIN.
SAVE TAX INFORMATION CANCEL
Not trading? Make free daily picks on the traders and The Machine, climb the viewer leaderboard and win sponsor-provided prizes. No purchase, no wagering, nothing to deposit.
SUBMIT TODAY'S PICKS
Season picks open when registration closes and lock before the first session, so early players stay invested all month.
| Rank | Player | Points | Correct Picks | Best Streak |
|---|
Prize structure to be finalized based on sponsor offerings.
Free sign-up. Picks take about 30 seconds a day.
SIGN UP FREE WATCH LIVE FLOORBeat the Machine is designed as a recurring monthly live trading competition with a daily spectator game, creating sponsorship opportunities for brands serving active traders. All sponsor positions in this prototype are open placeholders.
Top-level event recognition across the Competition Home, live event experience, monthly results and sponsor page.
Recognition around the monthly grand prize, winner announcement and archived results. A prize sponsor commitment by registration close is what confirms each competition. Once confirmed, the payout is guaranteed and the sponsor has no say in who wins.
AVAILABLERecognition on the live leaderboard and competition floor where visitors follow trader rankings and The Machine.
AVAILABLECovers every competitor's live ES market data for the competition month. The free data trial is shorter than the event, so this sponsor removes the biggest cost barrier to entering and finishing. Credited on the Competition Home, the NinjaTrader Setup page, every competitor's onboarding and the event archive.
AVAILABLEBrand presence on the free daily prediction game — the pick card, viewer leaderboard, pick-result alerts and monthly prize announcements. Provide products or services as viewer prizes.
A potential future relationship with a licensed sports-data or integrity provider to distribute verified competition data. Any such arrangement would require regulatory and legal approval and is not part of the launch format. Beat the Machine does not accept or facilitate wagering.
EXPLORATORYMonthly packages can be tailored around the live competition, leaderboard, grand prize, Play Along game and event content. Sponsorship does not provide control over competition results, rules, trader rankings or The Machine.
REQUEST SPONSOR INFORMATION — COMING SOONNinjaTrader and CME are not sponsors or event partners. References to trading platforms, exchanges, instruments or market data are operational descriptions only and do not imply sponsorship, endorsement or affiliation. Sponsor names and logos will appear only after an agreement is in place.
This page explains the proposed competition for prospective traders, sponsors and viewers. The concept remains in development and details may change after participant, sponsor, technical and legal review.
Use the evaluation form to send questions along with your feedback.
GO TO EVALUATION →