Quote from atticus:
Hi Mitsu -- the intraday up/down bet can be sold and trades at a .25 premium to the market on the SPX. A bit better than the double bet.
you are quite correct-the commission is much lower and i have used these bets in the past and will again in future.However, you can only sell these bets back to betonmarkets at a loss for a few minutes after you place the bet,i suppose this allows you to get out of a mistake if you're quick.The problem with this bet is that not only do you have to pick a direction,but you must also pick an ending time,and be correct on both counts.Now,you can easily devise strategies to take advantage of the lower comission on these bets.For example unless it's a trending day up/down (and even sometimes on these days) you often find that a V or A shape forms during the day often between the hours of 10.30 12.30 and 2.30.So lets say the market drops at 10.30,you might bet that 10.30 will be lower than 12.30 (betting for either a straight line through there to maybe 2.30,or betting it might form an A shape and so 12.30 may then be higher than 10.30 and 2.30.Today for example, looks like an A shape 10.30 to 1.30 to 3pm.A problem with this bet is they start on 10 minute barriers and you can't get in immediately as you can with the 'double' so the price would have moved by the time your bet starts,which sometimes is good,and sometimes bad.In the past i often got direction right but missed by a few minutes and/or half a point which is really frustrating and with a risk reward ratio of 1:1 even with a good 70-80% strike rate on correct calls,can see your account going sideways mostly unless you are prepared to increase the stake after each loser-more and increasing risk.So,lots to consider if you want to use fixed odds.Also with both bet types you cannot bet in the last 90 minutes of trade except on the 'double' if you are betting on tomorrows close or a close several days from now(up to 180 days i think)So you might for example place a double just before the close to end on tomorrows close-thats another strategy i am considering.And i have just won my bet today as i write this!! it looked close in the last half hour.I am now at breakeven-6 bets 3wins 3 losses.Of course i would be very grateful for any suggestions from experienced traders as to how best reduce the disadvantages of these bets-i am happy with my strategies though.Today i went short at medium term resistance (1327) and was only a point away from todays high 1328.5 which is a fib ratio (+1.000% from friday close) and i was banking on an A shape which we got.