EricP, Lescor, Patrickq, Dustin and gang..

[ChkitOut]

Quote from gmst:

I am a profitable futures trader. When I started I lost a lot of money and I was consistent at that

However, with sheer hard work and determination and testing a lot of hypothesis I have become profitable. So, yes trading only 1 instrument profitably is possible.

I think one big reason why guys starting out in futures trading lose money is because most guys start with ES. ES is too damn hard to trade with. Now, I trade primarily ES and do ok. but it was super-hard initially.

I have never done this. But trading multiple stocks - imo, should be much better from consistency point of view vis-a-vis trading couple of futures contract.

right, like dustin said. find a niche, a setup, an edge, whatever you want to call it, then find it happening in 20 stocks, spread your risk and things will work out sooooo much smoother, theoretically.

trading futures, of course i had setups that i had really high confidence in, but the problem is i only saw them 2x a month. and if you went to the bathroom you may have missed one of them.

 

[R. Raskolnikov]

That's what empty Gatorade bottles are for

Quote from ChkitOut:



trading futures, of course i had setups that i had really high confidence in, but the problem is i only saw them 2x a month. and if you went to the bathroom you may have missed one of them.

 

[marketsurfer]

Quote from R. Raskolnikov:

That's what empty Gatorade bottles are for

I prefer using computers. ( just bought some new machines from friendly ET computer pros) You guys actually sit in front of the screen all day for so long, you need to pee in a bottle? Dude, 1800- gambler may be the answer. surf

 

[Swan Noir]

The real problem with the "once-in-a-blue-moon-setup" is that you need to back it too big to build a plan around it and you can easily be shaken with just a few losses. You need quality but can't wait for pristine.

Quote from ChkitOut:

but the problem is i only saw them 2x a month. and if you went to the bathroom you may have missed one of them.

 

[R. Raskolnikov]

It was just a joke dude

Quote from marketsurfer:

I prefer using computers. ( just bought some new machines from friendly ET computer pros) You guys actually sit in front of the screen all day for so long, you need to pee in a bottle? Dude, 1800- gambler may be the answer. surf

 

[R. Raskolnikov]

9:30-4 in front of a screen is hardly all day. Most "normal" workers probably spend just as much time if not more at their screens

Quote from marketsurfer:

You guys actually sit in front of the screen all day

 

[rt454]

Quote from gmst:

I am a profitable futures trader. When I started I lost a lot of money and I was consistent at that

However, with sheer hard work and determination and testing a lot of hypothesis I have become profitable. So, yes trading only 1 instrument profitably is possible.

I think one big reason why guys starting out in futures trading lose money is because most guys start with ES. ES is too damn hard to trade with. Now, I trade primarily ES and do ok. but it was super-hard initially.

I have never done this. But trading multiple stocks - imo, should be much better from consistency point of view vis-a-vis trading couple of futures contract.

I agree, ES was way to hard for me so I dumped it in the trash. CL, GC and NG treat me much better.

 

[marketsurfer]

Quote from R. Raskolnikov:

It was just a joke dude

Good to hear. Computers can be used for more than drawing charts and looking at pictures.

surf

 

[Ol' Yella]

Quote from ChkitOut:

trading futures, of course i had setups that i had really high confidence in, but the problem is i only saw them 2x a month. and if you went to the bathroom you may have missed one of them.

That is interesting.

If I had a setup that reliable here's what I would do. Get a nite job and sit home all day for the 6 hrs of active trading..... waiting for the setup.

When it comes.... put in on with as big of a size as I can afford. Work up to 50 ES contracts. Or 100.

If it's really that good I'll eventually get rich, quit the job, and travel the world, with the only restriction on my freedom being that I am glued to a screen 6 hrs a day, 5 days a week.

But my impression of daytrading is that it is not so easy. Seems to me it is grinding out a razor thin edge, taking as many setups as possible so that tiny edge can play out. Lots of losing and scratched trades along the way so you dont get that winning feeling as often as our psyche requires, so can be a miserable experience. Never found an ATM machine setup that I could go all-in on a few times a month. Cant imagine there would be one either-- that would be too easy a game.

 

[Swan Noir]

He said he had a high degree of confidence in the setup; he did not say he would bet the ranch on it and then bet the ranch again and again. C'mon, a bit of reality might help.

Quote from Ol' Yella:

That is interesting.

If I had a setup that reliable here's what I would do. Get a nite job and sit home all day for the 6 hrs of active trading..... waiting for the setup.

When it comes.... put in on with as big of a size as I can afford. Work up to 50 ES contracts. Or 100.

If it's really that good I'll eventually get rich, quit the job, and travel the world, with the only restriction on my freedom being that I am glued to a screen 6 hrs a day, 5 days a week.

But my impression of daytrading is that it is not so easy. Seems to me it is grinding out a razor thin edge, taking as many setups as possible so that tiny edge can play out. Lots of losing and scratched trades along the way so you dont get that winning feeling as often as our psyche requires, so can be a miserable experience. Never found an ATM machine setup that I could go all-in on a few times a month. Cant imagine there would be one either-- that would be too easy a game.