Da Vinci Derivatives, an Amsterdam-based options market maker, runs one of the most distinctive junior-trading processes in Europe: candidates consistently describe it as the most games-forward assessment in the industry. (Candidate-reported; formats evolve.)
The reported shape
- Math and logic screen. The standard timed numerical gate — arithmetic speed, probability, quick estimation.
- Game-based assessment day. The signature: poker-style and betting games, auction and estimation games, and market-making rounds played against other candidates and assessors. Reports emphasize games with incomplete information where sizing, bluff-detection, and expected-value discipline are scored — not just outcomes.
- Interviews woven through — probability questions, game post-mortems ("why did you size that bet that way?"), and fit conversations. The post-mortem matters: they probe whether your in-game decisions had reasons.
What the games actually measure
Three things, per consistent reports: EV discipline under adrenaline (do you keep computing when losing?), bet sizing (Kelly-consistent stakes rather than tilt), and information reading (updating on other players' actions — Bayes in the wild). Winning individual games matters less than displaying a process; assessors reward the candidate who loses a coin-flip having made the right bet.
How to prepare for a games-based day
- Play scored market-making and betting games — the market-making game, betting game, and card-hedging game here replicate the formats; play them until sizing is a reflex, not a decision.
- Drill fast EV — the expectation bank under time pressure.
- Prepare the post-mortem — after each practice game, articulate why each decision was right or wrong in EV terms; that narration is literally what gets scored.
- Poker literacy helps — not expertise, but comfort with pot-odds arithmetic and range thinking translates directly.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the Da Vinci Derivatives assessment like?
Candidates report the most games-heavy process in the industry: after a timed math screen, an assessment day of poker-style betting games, auctions, and market-making rounds against other candidates, with interviews and game post-mortems woven through.
What do the games measure?
Expected-value discipline under pressure, Kelly-consistent bet sizing rather than tilt, and reading information from other players' actions. Assessors score the decision process — a well-reasoned losing bet beats a lucky reckless one.
How do I prepare for a games-based trading day?
Play scored market-making and betting games until sizing is reflexive, drill fast expected-value questions, practice narrating why each in-game decision was correct in EV terms, and get comfortable with pot-odds arithmetic.
Do I need to be good at poker?
No, but poker literacy helps: pot odds, ranges, and not tilting map directly onto what the assessment day rewards. The underlying skill being tested is probabilistic decision-making with incomplete information.
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