It sounds like those who poo poo another’s profitable trading methodology simply don’t understand it.
Thank you for your post.
Thank you for your post.
It sounds like those who poo poo another’s profitable trading methodology simply don’t understand it.
Thank you for your post.

I think what most of us just want to see is either trades posted in real time, or a chart with your trades marked on it by the platform. Then we can see how you're taking your trades and if you are following the KISS rules.I've been chewing on the notion of posting something audit-able (won't be audit-ed as audits are a hassle and expensive). Haven't decided whether I want to go to the bother.
As a novice PA trader, sharing my 2 cents below: (disclaimer: I'm a beginner trader)
Bottom Line Up Front--I see Friday as a bull BO (breakout) bar breaking the downward trend line, as the bears' 2nd attempt to BO down from a large bear flag failed (it's also a consecutive failed BO of Sep low as well as a failed BO of the multi-day trading range).
Near term--since the down channel (one may argue it's a wedge, prolly doesn't matter) is tight enough, first breach may not succeed (Israel and whatnot, for instance, can provide a convenient excuse for a pullback); I'll be interested to see what kind of follow-through we get on Mon-Tue, and I'll look for a PB (pullback) to buy (for at least a second attempt to reverse up). If, however, the PB is deep and strong enough, I'll trade the other side as well
View attachment 324704
^SPY 5min chart with comments--I focus on the US cash session (esp with the 5min timeframe, features are cleaner to me without globex; hence using SPY chart). fBO=failed breakout. LL=lower low. DB=double bottom. MTR=major trend reversal (yes, all Al Brooks terminology)
View attachment 324708
^HTF context. HTF=higher time frame. I didn't mention in BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) that I saw the market was very interested in that May/June midway (or was it a breakaway) gap, and I would consider the earlier D1 close below a false break and a 2nd failed attempt (first being the large reversal bar prior), which adds to the bull "reversal" case here. the indicator on the bottom is borrowed from LBR--her famous 310 oscillator and 2period ROC overlay. I use it for context (too much to go into details, but fair to say context supports we getting a pause from selloff here)
View attachment 324707
^entertaining what may follow... (IMHO, this sequence of BO PB price action seems to be common--ie, often enough it's likely >50% odds--following contexts similar to what we have up to last Friday 10-06; but I'm just a newbie, and even I know the market can do anything it wants to...)
^^I make a slide deck after cash close every day, summarizing the session, lessons learned, and whatnot. I took some slides from last Friday's deck... All constructive criticism is appreciated. I'm a newbie and eager to learn where my mistakes are/ how I can improve
Hope everyone has a good trading week!
I think what most of us just want to see is either trades posted in real time, or a chart with your trades marked on it by the platform. Then we can see how you're taking your trades and if you are following the KISS rules.
Here is the chart from Friday. We had a big drop at 8:30 after the jobs report, and then open at the big red O. So we try up for a few minutes, then down, and then we come back up again towards A. We don't hit A though, but is this close enough to try a short based on what you would call a matched high? At B we make a nice double bottom, but it doesn't go back up to the top. If you tried a long, how long do you hold for? Would this even be a profitable trade or do you exit at break even when it drops back down again? When we make a lower low down to C, at this point are you going to try and chase the breakdown? It sure looks like it wants to drop with the series of lower highs and right at C, it looks like its rolling over and getting ready to drop.
At D, we certainly look like we are rejecting that high for a couple of minutes, so is this a short entry? We do break out though at E, but then go sideways for quite a few minutes, and even dropping lower down to F. If you chased the breakout at E, do you get out for lack of follow through?
When we hit G, it was the price that we dropped from after the news, so we filled in that gap. Once again, do we try a short here since its just sideways?
View attachment 324714
It would be really difficult to figure out the direction for the day. So what we would want to see is that you're following your rules by trying to take both longs and shorts, looking for those double bottoms and double tops, and then also see if you are chasing any breakouts, and what you do about breakouts that don't just take off and fizzle. There are easily a dozen trades you can take in just this first 2 hours based on the simple logic I outline, which I do think is well within the KISS principles.
So showing us how you're using these principles to put on trades would in my opinion be a million times better than an audited statement, unless that statement of course had timestamps that we could use to plot your trades on a chart.
There are easily a dozen trades you can take in just this first 2 hours
I do absolutely agree that I am pushing it with my suggestion for the trades, but at the same time, they are following the same concepts of just buying swing lows and selling swing highs. Of course its better if its on an hourly chart, since that low or high is more prominent than a swing low put in a few minutes after the open.The plays I highlighted on earlier posts were of the "more substantial" variety.
I think this is where you are wrong, and even Volpri would disagree with this if you follow his work. His suggestion is that when in a range, 70% of attempts out of that range fail, and I tend to agree.And please, get over your obsession with false break-outs... not just you, but everybody. They're not as common as most traders seem to fear... nor do they do much damage unless you screw up.)
(And please, get over your obsession with false break-outs... not just you, but everybody. They're not as common as most traders seem to fear... nor do they do much damage unless you screw up.)
Perhaps its a definition issue, but here is what I would call another false breakout. At the red arrow, ES dropped below the opening low, and then climbed back up. It first looks like its breaking out to the downside, but then goes back into the range. Is this not a false breakout?