Quote from IronFist:
What's the best method to do that? Some people say looking for HH/HL or LH/LL. Others say to use a MA of [insert number] periods.
what's a PB?
1st you need to make sure you are not in congestion. Thinking the market is trending when it is congestion will cost you a lot of money.
A very simple way to define a trend is when a breakout of congestion or a swing hi/low occurs.
You can trade the 1st PB (Pull Back) after the breakout.
My live futures account has ~ $10k and 2 contracts is too much risk (unless I was to use super tight stops, which is impossible with the YM because it has 20 point "noise" fluctuations). I understand scaling out but 2 contracts = every loss is twice as big, so winners HAVE to be twice as big or you have negative expectancy. Scaling out typically does not promote winners being twice as big (in my backtesting... granted, my backtesting was based on entries and exits being based on the slope of a relatively fast MA, so that might affect it).
Your view on stops is not correct. The size of your initial stop is related to the quality of your entry technique and has nothing to do with noise. A good quality entry technique has a small MAE so you can use a small initial stop. You put your initial stop at a point where you know if prices get there, your probability of a successful trade is unfavorable. If you choose to use a trailing stop on a runner then you have to consider what you are calling noise.
Another characteristic of a good quality entry is that prices move in your direction almost immediately. Let's say your average time in a winning trade is 3 minutes. If you are sitting in a trade for 3 minutes and it does go anywhere, it's a good idea to exit as favorably as possible before it hits your stop.
If you're scalping for 8-10 ticks on your 1st target, you don't use a 20 tick stop. I already described to you a simple entry technique with range bars that lets you use close stops.
PA trading is discretionary. That means you use your judgement to select the best trading opportunities. With practice, you will be able to tell when S/R will hold with a high degree of accuracy.
For anyone doubting by "YM has 20 points noise" comment, look at the chart that JUST happened.
This is a 2 minute OEC chart. Price jumped down over 20 ticks instantly. There was no smooth fill on the way down. It JUMPED down. Check the order flow.
Don't enter trades when reports are being released.
Don't enter trades in fast markets.