Quote from mschey:
You learn how to trade in retrospect. Trading is about making a few distinctions on how best to handle your positions. Then, one goes against you, and you complete a post mortem analysis(I ask questions, what happened? How did it happen? how can I avoid this in the future? What damage control techniques can I employ to salvage the trade, et al) on the trade to determine the best solution going forward.(a new distinction) Perhaps you research this on a few more instruments to validate your strategy, and give you confidence to take the correct action when under pressure(in a losing trade).
One way to avoid getting screwed by one individual specialist is to trade multiple stocks. One specialist might get you, but every specialist? I don't think so. I solve the specialist dilemma by trading 40+ specialists every day. One or two might "get" me, but I am able to make up for it trading the other 38 or so. For instance, BSC and LEH hammered me this morning, but I made up for it on the other 25 or so specialists I traded. Do I really care about the outcome of these two individual trades? NO, unless they were the only two stocks I traded all day, then, I imagine I wouldn't be happy with my trading results.
Ok one day you might stop assuming, mr. fortune teller. I trade a lot more than 2 stocks, try 10-20 on average. I have personal favorites and started trading CAI again since he is kinda back in play. (NOTE: If you are new, PLEASE do not touch CAI he will rip you apart, take this as a warning) I trade it cause I make money on it, I can figure out it out well most of the time, otherwise why would I touch it. Last thing I need is some retarded advice about it from 2 pricks that have zero experience with the stock but are excellent in explaining things after the fact. Also the idiotic statements about the specialists, get it through your head, they are all scumbags, it is their job to steal. Use common sense, they are stuck robbing day traders and programs, nothing else left. The scum have 1-2 years left, they are all gonna squeeze out every last penny, any of us would do the same. A specialist is a specialist, easily 90% of them nowdays will screw you every chance they get. It's slippage, unnecessary slippage since the scum mostly just get in the way instead of providing any significant edge. Maybe you're still holding on to the tape reading dream but the reality is that electronic order & ECNs have been taking over in huge strides. I trade stocks that are controlled by ECNs & Open Book while the specialist is just a worthless jerk-off that is in the way. It's too bad I call the shots on these stocks too good to stop trading it but the scumbag keeps eating into my profits, getting in the way, and frustrating me. On the occasion that these guys are even worth tape reading, they usually will not make big enough moves to cover for the cumulative slippage they provide, not lately.
Regardless I'm going off tangent, thanks for your...eehhh "advice". Tell me smth I do not already know. BTW, regarding trading multiple stocks, the more successful traders stick with less stocks to make better money. If you think otherwise, come and check it out I can introduce you to the trader that pulls in 1-3k everyday trading one single stock for the last 3 years. Of course, most would go crazy trading like that, it's like working in a factory but there is a lot to be learned from the style.