Going Live with Real-Time Bidding

This is what it's all about. Everything you've set up — players, grades, teams, purses, sponsors — comes together in the live auction. Click "Go Live" and CricSmart's real-time engine takes over.

WebSocket-Powered Real-Time Bidding

CricSmart uses WebSocket technology — the same tech powering stock trading platforms — to push bid updates to all connected devices simultaneously within 50 milliseconds. No page refreshes, no polling, no delays. When a team owner clicks "Bid", everyone sees it instantly.

This is critical in a fast-paced auction. With polling-based platforms (which check for updates every 2-5 seconds), multiple teams might think they're the highest bidder simultaneously, causing chaos. WebSocket eliminates this — the server is the single source of truth, and updates are instant.

Admin Controls

During the live auction, the admin has full control:

• Pause: Halt the auction temporarily (technical issue, tea break, clarification)
• Skip player: Move to the next player without selling the current one
• Undo last action: Reverse the last sold/unsold mark (up to 3 actions via undo stack)
• Mark sold/unsold: Finalize a sale or send a player back to the pool

These controls give the auctioneer the same authority as a real IPL auctioneer — pause for drama, skip if there's no interest, undo mistakes.

Broadcast Overlay for Streaming

The broadcast overlay is a full-screen, cinematic view designed for OBS, YouTube, and Twitch streaming. Add it as a Browser Source in OBS and stream a professional-looking auction with:

• Large animated player cards with photo and stats
• Real-time bid ticker
• Team logos in sidebar
• SOLD/UNSOLD stamps with sound effects
• Countdown timer for bid windows
• Sponsor logos

Spectator Mode

Share a public spectator link for unlimited viewers. Family, friends, sponsors, and waiting players can watch the auction live in real-time — no login, no app, no signup. They see the same updates as participants but cannot bid. WebSocket scales to hundreds of viewers without affecting performance.

CricSmart offers two bidding modes that fundamentally change how your auction runs. You pick one when creating the auction (in Settings), and you can switch between them mid-auction at any time — without interrupting the current player's bidding.

Remote Bidding (Team Owners Bid)

In Remote Bidding mode, each team owner joins the auction from their own device — phone, laptop, tablet — and places bids directly. A timer runs for every player (configurable duration). When the timer ends, the highest bid wins automatically and the player is sold.

How it works:

1. Team owners click their magic link to join the live auction
2. Admin presents a player — the card appears on every team owner's screen
3. Bidding opens at base price — owners tap "Bid" on their device
4. A countdown timer ticks down (e.g., 30 seconds)
5. Timer ends → highest bidder wins automatically → player is SOLD

Best for: Remote auctions where team owners are in different locations, hybrid events, or when you want a fast-paced, automated auction that doesn't need an auctioneer calling out bids.

Admin Bidding (Auctioneer Drives)

In Admin Bidding mode, the admin (auctioneer) drives the entire auction from their console. There is no timer. The admin places bids on behalf of teams (e.g., "Mumbai Tigers bids ₹50L"), and manually clicks Sold or Unsold when bidding stops.

How it works:

1. Admin presents a player — the card appears on broadcast/spectator views
2. Teams call out bids (verbally, via chat, or signal the admin)
3. Admin enters each bid on the console, selecting the team and amount
4. No timer — the admin controls the pace, building drama like a real IPL auctioneer
5. Admin clicks Sold (to highest bidder) or Unsold (no bids)

Best for: In-person auction rooms where teams are physically present, when you want an auctioneer to control the pace and drama, or when team owners prefer not to manage devices.

Mid-Auction Switching

The killer feature: switch modes at any time without interrupting the auction. A confirmation modal shows exactly what changes for the next player:

• Switching to Remote: "Team owners will bid from their devices. Auto-timer activates. Highest bid wins when timer ends."
• Switching to Admin: "You (admin) will place bids for all teams. No timer. You mark Sold/Unsold manually."

The current player's bidding continues uninterrupted. The new mode applies starting from the next player. This means you can start in Admin Bidding for the marquee set (building drama with verbal bids), then switch to Remote Bidding for the bulk grades (faster, automated).

Which Mode Should You Pick?

| Scenario | Recommended Mode |

|----------|-----------------|

| All teams in one room | Admin Bidding |

| Teams in different cities | Remote Bidding |

| Hybrid (some in room, some remote) | Start Admin, switch to Remote |

| Want IPL-auctioneer drama | Admin Bidding |

| Want fast, automated auction | Remote Bidding |

| Unreliable internet at venue | Admin Bidding (works on admin's device alone) |

| Large auction (100+ players) | Remote Bidding (faster) |

Default: New auctions start in Admin Bidding mode. Switch to Remote from the live console whenever you're ready.