Imagine you were at a sportsbook and wanted to make picks on different sporting events. What if you didn’t want to spend your real money but still wanted to get in on the action? What if that concept was applied to a league –based competition with cool gifts, grand prizes, and bragging rights to gain? Welcome to "The Grind."

Players can join and/or create leagues (public or private). Players ("Grinders") receive a weekly handout (Points) to make non-monetary wagers with and disburse all of it across the game table on spreads, over/unders, and/or moneylines. Minimums and maximums are set during regular seasons in order to make it clear that this is a game of skill and not chance.

Only winnings count. They accumulate in your player bank account. If you lose or push (tie), then it scores a zero. Weekly winnings are stored in your player bank account over the course of a regular season. When a player's bank account has at least 100 points in it, then the player becomes eligible to make side bets including parlays, and/or other options. These non-monetary side bets are made through player bank accounts rather than the weekly handouts.

All players enter into the playoffs with their accumulated points. Handouts and most wagering restrictions are removed. No players are eliminated during the playoffs. All players compete until the final game of any season or sporting event. Different sports or events may have slightly different rules to fit.

Spreads and Over/Unders payout even money (1:1 odds). Meaning if you wager 1,000 points, then you win 1,000 points if you are right. If this were a real life wager, you would in effect "Double up."

Moneyline winnings are based on the ratio provided. (For example, +160 means that you would have to wager 1,000 points to win 1,600 points and -160 means you would have to wager 1,600 points to win 1,000.) The minus (-) always indicates the favorite and a plus (+) indicates the underdog.

Parlay cards are a side bet. In our game, parlay wagers are made only against the spread. Minimums and maximums are put in place in order to control winnings and again establish that this game is one of skill, not luck or chance. Parlay hits pay out as follows: 2 games = 3.5:1; 3 games = 6.5:1; 4 games = 12.5:1; 5 games = 20:1.

Inside each league, players will be matched up and compete against each other week-to-week in a round robin format. All players keep their winnings from their wagers regardless of the matchup. In head-to-head competition, whichever player earns more points that particular week earns a bonus. If players tie, then the bonus is split in two. If a league has an odd amount of players, then the player not paired in a head-to-head matchup still plays the week as usual, however they wouldn’t be eligible to win the bonus.

The point spread is the number of points that the favored team is expected to win by. For example, say the favorite is expected to beat the underdog by 7 points. The favorite would be -7 and the underdog would be +7. If you pick the favorite to win, then they have to win by more than 7 points for you to win. If you they win by fewer than 7 points or lose the game, then you lose. Vice versa for the underdog. If the final score is exactly 7 points different, then the result is a push (tie). In our game a loss or a push both score 0 points.

An over/under is placed by guessing the combined point total of two teams playing in a match. Let’s say two teams are playing and the over/under (combined score) is guessed to be 52 points. If you think the point total will be more than 52, then you would pick the over. And if you think it will be less than 52, then you would pick the under. An exact final score of 52 would create a push.

This is a guess of which team or individual in any match will straight up win or lose. Winnings are tied to whether you chose the favorite or the underdog. Picking the favorite will create smaller winnings and picking the underdog will create larger winnings. Let’s take, for example, a case where there is a favorite, expressed as -160 and the underdog is expressed as +160. That means for every 160 points you put on the favorite, you win 100 points if they win (i.e. smaller winnings than wager placed). For every 100 points you place on the underdog, you win 160 points if they win (i.e. higher winnings than wager placed).

A parlay is a single wager placed on multiple outcomes. This type of wager increases the potential winnings because it is more difficult to win with. (*In our game, only point spreads are applicable). The more games that the player adds to the parlay card, the higher they winnings will be. Parlay hits payout as follows: 2 games = 3.5:1; 3 games = 6.5:1; 4 games = 12.5:1; and 5 games = 20:1.

Winnings from correct non-monetary wagers accumulate in your Player Bank Account. The final points scored after the regular season will be your capital to play with in the scheduled playoffs.

The regular season is used to gather your points that will be used in the playoffs. Once the regular season is over, grinders will no longer go head-to-head and they will no longer play with a new handout. Instead, they will non-monetarily wager on the playoff games with their winnings, and all wagers will be subject to loss when picks are wrong. The Player's strategies will change. The level playing field will be removed. At this point, it is similar to a poker table where there is a chip leader and a short stack. Players will be allowed to place non-monetary wagers with all, none, or anything in between from their Player Bank Account.

All wagers made from a player's bank account are side bets. In our game, the handout is used for picks against the spread, over/under and moneyline. All other wager types are a side bet. Parlays for instance are a side bet. Other side bets will be available for different sports to create options for players to win extra points with.

(For simplicity, our example will not be as exotic as it could possibly be, but diverse enough to show basic functionality and option.)

We start with the handout of 10,000 Points to a Grinder named 'MakeDatMoney22.' 'MakeDatMoney22' places 10 equal bets of 1,000 Points. 4 bets are against the spread. 3 bets are against the over/under. And 3 bets are against moneylines. Let's say the Player picks 2 favorites and 1 underdog. Further, the 2 favorites are -160 (meaning at a sportsbook a bettor would have to bet $16 to win $10), and the underdog is +340 (meaning a bettor would win $34 on a $10 bet. In our game, these moneylines are given ratios that are made proportionate to sportsbook techniques. In our game the favorites would have a ratio of 0.625:1 and the underdog would be at 3.4:1. So, 7 bets are made at even money (1:1), 2 bets have a ratio of 0.625:1, and 1 bet has a ratio of 3.4:1.

Now that MakeDatMoney22's bets have been made, the Grinder's Payout ("Winnings") will be subject to the results of the games that they bet on. Let's now say that the game results come in and 'MakeDatMoney22' was correct on 2 of the picks against the spread, correct on 2 of their over/under picks, correct on one of the favorites, and also correct on the underdog.

Then to calculate: 4 correct bets pay even money, and therefore show winning of 4,000 Points. The correct pick on the favorite pays out 625 Points and the correct pick on the underdog will pay out 3,400 Points. In our example, the Player earned Winnings of 8,025 Points. The bets that they were wrong on WILL NOT count against them. A wrong bet, or a push, will amount to 0 Winnings. The 10,000 Points handout is not included in the tabulated winnings. Hence, there is no benefit to hanging onto your Weekly Handout (10,000 Points).

In our example, the Player won 8,025 Points. Let's say that his or her opponent earned 7,000 Points. Therefore, our 'MakeDatMoney22' won the matchup and earns a "Winner's Bonus" equaling an extra 1,000 Points. MakeDatMoney22's winnings for the week total 9,025 Points and the opponent Winnings remained at 7,000.

Although one Player won and one Player lost, both Players carry over their Winnings and hold them in their respective "Player Bank Account." These banks build each week. They form the league and overall leader boards. Leaders will be referred to as "Top Grinders" and will change inevitably week to week.

The overall Top Grinder of all website Players will be the "Weekly Prize Winner." The member who controls the player account will receive a gift prize worth approximately $200 (multi-purpose gadgets, digital cameras, gift certificates, etc.) Each week's winner will be exclusive to that week.

Individuals will be able to sign up for The Grind at any point during the regular season. Therefore, each Player (new or existing) has equal incentive and chance to win in any given week. Even if a player has a horrible week, they are given a brand new opportunity to win a gift prize the following week. The idea of an equal playing field every week of the regular season is essential to our gaming system in hopes that additional players will join the league throughout the entire regular season.

Public Leagues - For all members who are joining individually and not linking themselves to other players that they know, they will be system-placed into a 12-player league. Public Leagues do not have a commissioner.

Private Leagues - For all members who want to play amongst a group of pre-arranged friends, they will have the opportunity to create leagues that are not available to public players. Private Leagues are closed to public entry. Players will be invited and/or approved for entry into the league. This is to protect leagues of friends who do not want any interference. Private leagues can range between 4 and 24 players.

*Members are allowed unlimited Players. Those players can play in public and/or private league depending upon the member's discretion. Each player is independent, even though they are controlled by one single member. Members have access to all of their players through their Account Page.

Commissioners will be allowed certain privileges that the other players will not:

$ Override the system-generated league schedules. The computer will automatically form schedules for leagues based on the number of players that are currently in the league. If players would like to customize their matchups, the commissioner will have the authority to do so.

$ Name their league. Each league will be allowed to have a name of its own. Commissioners will have the authority to label their league's title.

$ Re-assign commissioner.

These privileges may or may not be enforced. If a current commissioner chooses not to use any of his or her authority, then the computer will control the league actions in lieu of the commissioner's orders.

Is this a gambling website?

NO, SportsGrind.Net is a non-gambling website intended for recreational use only. Our Game ("The Grind") merely simulates sportsbook activity. It allows players to get in on the action without committing to any financial investment. Winners will be awarded prizes, not payouts. Detailed explanations, rules and policies can be found in our terms and conditions.

Why did you create this website?

SportsGrind.Net, LLC is a company dedicated to sports and all its fans. We want to create a fun competitive community where members can share their knowledge and showcase their skills. Our proprietary game, "The Grind" allows members to pick games based on sportsbooks betting lines without taking on actual financial risk and worry.

How is this different than fantasy football?

Fantasy football revolves around a roster of players and points tabulated based upon their game performance. We at SportsGrind.Net are big fans of fantasy football. However, our game, "The Grind," takes a different approach. The Grind revolves around making picks on games like you would at a sportsbook (i.e. against spreads, over/unders, & moneylines). Fantasy Football answers the question; who's the best general manager/coach of a sports franchise? SportsGrind.Net simply answers the question; who's the better bettor?

How old do I need to be to play The Grind?

You must be 18 years old per our terms and conditions.

What if making picks at a sportsbook is new to me?

No problem. If you aren't experienced but are interested in how a sportsbook operates, then this game is perfect for you. Read the rules on how to play and then sign up. The website is made user friendly and will walk you through the appropriate steps. You will be guided into understanding the game and will ultimately educate yourself on how casino sportsbooks work.

What does Points mean?

Points is our imaginary monetary system. Players of "The Grind" accrue Points through head-to-head competition and side bets (parlay cards). A player's total of Points dictates their position within their league as well as overall.

Where do I make my picks?

After you purchase a grind player, your account page will allow you to make game picks based on spreads, over/unders, and/or moneylines. You will see a similar game table on our community sports page (SportsGrind Book); however, that table will not have activated cells for your wagers, whereas the game table in your account page will.

Can I control more than one player?

Yes. At any point a single individual can purchase an unlimited amount of additional players to control. These added players can be purchased at an additional discount. The more players a member controls, the better their chance at winning all the prizes.

Can I play in both Public and Private Leagues?

Absolutely! Members are allowed unlimited Players. Those players can play in public and/or private leagues depending upon the member's discretion. Each player is independent, even though they are controlled by one single member. Members have access to all of their players through their Account Page. The more players a member controls, the better their chance at winning all the prizes.

Can I create my own league and control all the Players?

Absolutely! You can create one private league of your own and add players to fill up the roster. The amount of players any single member can control is unlimited. Also, each additional player purchased is at a discount. The more players a member controls, the better their chance at winning all the prizes.

What happens when one Account Page has Multiple Players?

Any single account holder may control an unlimited amount of players. A section of the My Account page will list your "Other Players." This is also where the ADD A PLAYER and PAY FOR A FRIEND buttons will be placed. However, if an Account owns multiple players (co-existing in the same leagues or not) then the Other Players will be listed. Each Other Player will have to have a Unique Username. When you click on another player name, your page will refresh with that individual's player information.

Can I save my Handout?

No. A handout should be used in its entirety. Any remaining Points will dissolve. Only winnings from the handouts are added into the Player Bank Account.

How does a player win in a head-to-head matchup?

All players are given a weekly handout of 10,000 Points. Each player is matched up against another in head-to-head competition inside his/her league. Players use their 10,000 Points to earn winnings. Both players keep all of their winnings, which are stored in the player bank account. However, whichever player wins more Points in their matchup is declared the winner of the head to head competition and receives an additional 1,000 Points which is also stored in that player's bank account.

How are overall weekly winners judged?

Players earn winnings from their head-to-head matchups, head-to-head bonus winnings, as well as from their "side bets." Side bets, in this game, are made in the form of weekly parlay cards (up to 2 cards ranging between 2 and 5 games). Weekly winners are the player(s) who win the most amount of Total Winnings (Head-to-Head Winnings + Bonus Winnings + Wide Bet (parlay card) Winnings = Total Winnings).

When do my picks need to be made?

Currently, game picks need to be locked-in an hour before any individual game time.

When am I allowed to make a parlay bet during the regular season?

In order to fill out a single parlay cards, players must use existing winnings from their Player Bank Account. A minimum Parlay bet is 100 Points. Maximum parlay bets are 1,000 Points. After any single week of competition, it is highly unlikely that a player would not end up with a balance of at least 100 Points. Parlays are a more luck-based way for players to make quick large gains. Unlike wagers made from regular season handouts, Points PLACED ON PARLAY CARDS ARE SUBJECT TO LOSS.

Do both Public and Private Leagues have Commissioners?

No. Only Private Leagues have commissioners and invite options.

How does a player become a Commissioner?

League originators will be named Commissioner by default. At any time, that commissioner can re-assign the commissioner title to another player in the league.

What's the incentive in joining "The Grind" mid-season?

The game has been designed to create a level playing field each and every week. This is the reasoning behind using a handout that cannot be carried over from one week to the next. All players are put the same test each week during the regular season. The overall weekly winner is determined by the activity of that week exclusively. During any single week, all players - new or existing - have close to an equal chance of winning that particular week's prize. The other incentive is to join in on the Grinder Community and familiarize you with a brand new game that is as fun as it is interesting. Also, if a player enters The Grind mid-season, they will be placed in leagues with other late-entries, which gives them another equal chance at winning their leagues; thereby qualifying them for additional COOL PRIZES.