Yeah right. Tell Buffet ET say hi.
Quote from profitseer:
do a random test. Pretend you are using 1 pt stops and a three point target. I bet you'll be stopped out 75% of the time. So turn it around a scalp for 1 with a 3pt stop and you'll have a 75% hitrate.
But 75% is only breakeven not counting costs. So you need more like 4 out of 5. Now I ask you, If you really tried, do you think you could be stopped out 4 out of 5 times with a 1 pt stop? If you say yes, you may be a scalper trading backwards.
Quote from Breakout:
Okay guys...I'm going to end my argument with a few quotes from Victor Sperandeo. If you think you know more about this business than he does-so be it.
"When I daytrade the SP, the smallest movement I am interested in is one where I can select spots to limit losses to
between three and five ticks,while the nearest resistance
or support levels on the profitable side are a minimum of 15 to
20 ticks away."
"You can make a respectable living being right on only one
out of three trades provided you maintain a risk/reward ratio
of 3:1. In other words, if you pick opportunities so that the
probable reward is at least three times greater than the
potential loss, you will make profits over time."
"Anyone who expects to be right on most of their trades is
in for a rude awakening. It's a lot like hitting a baseball-the best players get hits 30 to 40% of the time"
The quotes come from his book: Trader Vic-Methods of a
Wall Street Master. If you haven't read it, I'd highly recommend it.
Best of Luck!

Quote from hermit_trader:
The problem is in the sentence:
if you pick opportunities so that the probable reward is at least three times greater than the potential loss
This is only what you THINK. How do you know it before the trade? You can set the stop loss. But no one knows the profit.
That's true, but your entry criterion wasn't the point. Striving for
three times was the point of the sentence.
From my own experience trading ES, many trends were very short and only gave you one or two points before it reversed. Even you used 1 points as S/L, your real risk/reward was only 1:1 or 1:2.
That was your experience, maybe your entrys sucked (no offense, sometimes my entrys suck,too)
No mondo, the facts are at 70% winners with 1 to 3 you will go broke. You don't need to wait for the 35% streak. You are confusing moves with noise. The scalper is hoping noise occurs more than 75% of the time. While you are studying the facts I've already put 5 pts in my pocket. What's the point of taking a small loss when I am just going to jump right back in?Quote from MondoTrader:
Its obvious that some people don't want to be confused with the facts, but here is another fact:
You will have losing streaks.
You can go 70% winners for months, then have months of 35%. If your risk/reward is bad enough you go broke or you quit in frustration. Especially in futures. You aren't gifted with a magical intuition of the markets, the difference is that Trader Vic knows it.
there is no trader of any consequence or fame that trades with a risk/reward worse than 1:1. I know its common, but common traders don't last.
Quote from Breakout:
I'm not saying 90% can't be done, but your typical trader
won't get close to that.
Let's take Larry Williams for instance. Most traders would probably agree he knows what he's doing, right?
Well, currently in the World Cup Championships he has a 57.14% in the ES, a 40% in the
SP, and an impressive 60% in the bonds.
If 40% is the best he can do in the SP, why should I believe I can
do 70% or even higher. I'm not even in this guys league, and he's doing 40%.
I'm just trying to be realistic, here.
www.worldcupadvisor.com/liveupdate/closedpos/
Note: I just noticed that's not Championship results, that's for
his adviser account, but I think the point's still intact.