Experienced Traders' Bloopers
- Thread starter NoDoji
- Start date
About 3-4 years ago, I was trading small and my days were +/- ~$200. I had a sim account and my live account on the same platform. One day I just nailed a stock that was running off the open and ended up having my first $1,000 day ever.... when I went to check my account, my ballance was still the same..... I ended up signing into the Sim account that day and didn't notice it 
I was so pissed.
I was so pissed.
I've done that. But the reverse of that is a couple of times a while ago I had some bad losses and when I closed my position and then checked my account the losses weren't there. Then I realized I was using the SIM account instead. Can't tell you how good that felt.Quote from CasperCRF:
About 3-4 years ago, I was trading small and my days were +/- ~$200. I had a sim account and my live account on the same platform. One day I just nailed a stock that was running off the open and ended up having my first $1,000 day ever.... when I went to check my account, my ballance was still the same..... I ended up signing into the Sim account that day and didn't notice it
It was like God was looking after me and switched it over to my SIM account. And then said, "I cut you a break. Now don't make those same mistakes again." I have some things to post to this thread later. Just a few of my very, very rare bloopers. Wink.
What's that you say? I made 3 just today? Really? Must be a clerical error of some sort. 
Sounds similar to me posting the following on Thursday at 12:53pm eastern time on CL Redux:
Quote from NoDoji:
Failed final flag!! Buy now, target 103.00!
Sorry, can't resist. CL is just so kind to you if you follow the trend
Then putting on the trade @ 100.35, .20 from what is now that last pivot low CL saw before a) hitting a pivot high of 103.03 in that overnight session, and b) continuing on yesterday to eventually top 105.00.
My exit on that trade (which seemed like a great day trader's exit at the time): 101.05
:eek:
Since I started after a trade, whether a winner or loser, I would reflect on whether I had made an error or blooper like this executing the trade, to make a "Top 10 Trading Mistakes" list. This list is now 3 pages with over 100 one-liner bloopers and still growing.
Number one is a good example, has nothing to do with planning or deciding the trade, would never see it in any trading books, but was my mistake that affected my results:
"1. Twitching Finger" -- I would keep the cursor over the buy/sell/enter/exit button, to be ready to execute exactly at the right moment. But then I noticed my finger would twitch and click the button before I intended or was committed to the action.
Solution: always keep cursor to side of button over a non-active spot of the screen, and consciously move cursor to button when ready.
Number one is a good example, has nothing to do with planning or deciding the trade, would never see it in any trading books, but was my mistake that affected my results:
"1. Twitching Finger" -- I would keep the cursor over the buy/sell/enter/exit button, to be ready to execute exactly at the right moment. But then I noticed my finger would twitch and click the button before I intended or was committed to the action.
Solution: always keep cursor to side of button over a non-active spot of the screen, and consciously move cursor to button when ready.
Was once setting a stop order. After carefully entering all the details, I hit enter.
Couldn't figure out why all of a sudden all of my shares disappeared. Then I realized the 'side' should have been set to buy not sell. D'oh.
Was once cleaning out a hair on the keyboard with my finger that was sitting right beside the enter key. I guess you can figure out how that one turned out. Lessen learned was use your pinky to clean such hairs not your thumb.
Couldn't figure out why all of a sudden all of my shares disappeared. Then I realized the 'side' should have been set to buy not sell. D'oh.
Was once cleaning out a hair on the keyboard with my finger that was sitting right beside the enter key. I guess you can figure out how that one turned out. Lessen learned was use your pinky to clean such hairs not your thumb.
Back when I was monitoring multiple stocks for correlation
I was focused / trading (so I thought) one stock
But actually entering the other (it was the one loaded in my LII entry box)
Took me a bit to figure out the disparity between what I was watching.., and what my PnL, / position was reporting
============================================================================================
Next
My computer time/ date was off, so the charts didnât work (thought the broker had a problem)
On the upside â I did lean to read T&S and hand chart that day
Next
Fat fingers â out the wazoo
Next
Enjoyed two margin calls â the first one I literally though I was going to jail/ or would be banned from trading
Next
Not checking/ verifying every one my settings before the open â then attempting to trade after the open â and nothing making sense/ or working
This one multiple times
Next
Holding an overnight long in a short financial ETF â and the gov. outlaws shorting financials that night
I have that chart hanging on my wall
Next
Entering too early
I sill suffer this one occasionally - and usually pay for it
==============================================================================================
Next
Not exiting a loser when it hits my stop point
Next
Averaging down instead of taking the loss
These last two â I donât do anymore â but it took a lot of money lost to make me see the lightâ¦
The problem was, they would work just enough that I kept resisting the message â take the damn stop and move on
My list is long â not overly distinguished â and continues to grow to this day
RN
I was focused / trading (so I thought) one stock
But actually entering the other (it was the one loaded in my LII entry box)
Took me a bit to figure out the disparity between what I was watching.., and what my PnL, / position was reporting
============================================================================================
Next
My computer time/ date was off, so the charts didnât work (thought the broker had a problem)
On the upside â I did lean to read T&S and hand chart that day
Next
Fat fingers â out the wazoo
Next
Enjoyed two margin calls â the first one I literally though I was going to jail/ or would be banned from trading
Next
Not checking/ verifying every one my settings before the open â then attempting to trade after the open â and nothing making sense/ or working
This one multiple times
Next
Holding an overnight long in a short financial ETF â and the gov. outlaws shorting financials that night
I have that chart hanging on my wall
Next
Entering too early
I sill suffer this one occasionally - and usually pay for it
==============================================================================================
Next
Not exiting a loser when it hits my stop point
Next
Averaging down instead of taking the loss
These last two â I donât do anymore â but it took a lot of money lost to make me see the lightâ¦
The problem was, they would work just enough that I kept resisting the message â take the damn stop and move on
My list is long â not overly distinguished â and continues to grow to this day
RN
During my beginning years:
Just about everything.
- Blowing up accounts
- Not respecting stops
- Expanding stops
- Adding to losers
- Increasing size after a loss
- Holding losers through major news events
- Holding leveraged positions through the weekend
- Letting losers run, cutting winners short
- You name it I did it
Nowadays.
- Fat finger
- Buying instead of shorting by mistake
- Shorting instead of buying by mistake
- Quantity errors, less and more
- Raising stop too quickly
the usual i guess
Just about everything.
- Blowing up accounts
- Not respecting stops
- Expanding stops
- Adding to losers
- Increasing size after a loss
- Holding losers through major news events
- Holding leveraged positions through the weekend
- Letting losers run, cutting winners short
- You name it I did it
Nowadays.
- Fat finger
- Buying instead of shorting by mistake
- Shorting instead of buying by mistake
- Quantity errors, less and more
- Raising stop too quickly
the usual i guess
Oh man, I did this once, too. I was actively watching two different stocks, charts right near each other. I decided to trade one as it set up, but forgot I had the other one on my LII entry window. What allowed this to happen so easily was that both stocks were trading at nearly the same price at that moment in time! What're the chances of that??
So I put on the trade, happily watch price on the chart go my way, then realize my P/L is red, not green.
Doh!