Man versus Machine –TOP STEP TRADER vs. my algos

$35K commish? That's more than 90 RT I reckon'.

Maybe I am misreading the IB screenshot that he posted. The commissions clearly show the 35k, but maybe it's not USD-denominated. I do not trade Forex cash, so I am not sure if I am interpreting these figures correctly.
 
Maybe I am misreading the IB screenshot that he posted. The commissions clearly show the 35k, but maybe it's not USD-denominated. I do not trade Forex cash, so I am not sure if I am interpreting these figures correctly.

And that's the real trick, isn't it. To be able to post a clear and concise screenshot of final results, without so much falderal in it that one would have to interpolate the meaning of all the numbers and symbols. Just a simple statement.
 
What's the merit of participation? Only shows how seriously some take their profession. For me trading is my career, my only income, my provision for my family, through trading I build my best egg. Why would anyone like me feel the slightest desire to participate in a mindless competition and potentially revealing part of their edge? Is the market not competitive enough? Bored? Then look for some other excitement. Sorry but pass...

With all the discussion of the die out of human traders and machines rising I want to issue a challenge.

A friendly 2 week challenge. My Trading algos versus any TST trader or TST prospect or any other trader for that matter. I traded for years as a disc, with increasing algo help and then flipped over almost entirely (very dark Gray box) I think this exercise will help highlight the advantages and disadvantages of both

My specialty is FX but the TST trader can trade anything they wish. Rules would be similar to the combine but unlike the combine, traders can manage their own risk and leverage like most traders do, subject to allowable margin. I realize this is not the TST way but in the real world risk and reward cant be separated. To make dough you have to incur some risk.

Rules:
-2 week period or longer
-25k demo account with real world fills (no MIT) I will use Interactive Brokers with similar margin rules for FX as futures 50:1
-P&L market at 430EST each day

I will make my Algo available via live 24/5 via join.me so traders can look in and see the live trading and will update and will post the updates mornings and afternoons. I will also make the auto trade into IB available.

see thread below for

Would also like the trader(s) to weigh in and comment if comfortable

If interested in participating weigh in and lets see what we learn
 
I knew there is a bunch of BS behind all that. Man, I am getting really good at smelling out BS. Stats are useless in algo trading? Lol, this already says it all.

interesting you ask .. i used to concern myself with that info and i know a lot of folks wont agree but I have found stats pretty useless when algo trading. my number one factor i consider is what is my slippage real versus machine and then how can I improve. I use a process that is consistent over time, with average trade levels in the $35-45 range. dont look at ratios because to me they mean very little. today was a good example. we jumped 1100 at 7-8 pm then dropped 1400 but then jumped 500 and settle back to flat. it was due to behaviours beyond my design and how i think the market behave "generally" over time
 
And that's the real trick, isn't it. To be able to post a clear and concise screenshot of final results, without so much falderal in it that one would have to interpolate the meaning of all the numbers and symbols. Just a simple statement.
just trade history, the 35k is yen, IB is not very user friendly .. that is why i post US$ net ..
 
I knew there is a bunch of BS behind all that. Man, I am getting really good at smelling out BS. Stats are useless in algo trading? Lol, this already says it all.
I did not say stats are useless in algo trading, i said they are useless to me in my algo trading. I am not mining large piles of data for a statistically significant relationship from which to exploit. Stats most certainly have their place, with disc traders to, but price action behaviour can appear to be similar over time but in fact can and is infinitely different which is why stats based strategies fail over time.
 
Over night update... down $850 screen shots below
i felt last night would not be great because of the lack of volatility ahead of NFP. one of the weakness of basic algo strategy and advantage of disc trading. factors not considered by math but a look back in time suggests letting run still more profitable than turn off.

also threw in the algo charts which will look quite different by 9am..
algo-update - 1-5-17-am.png
algo 8-1-6-17-am.jpg
 
i felt last night would not be great because of the lack of volatility ahead of NFP.

In my ATS, I have coded "exclusions" around certain market-moving events, such as FOMC (for the ES) and Weekly Petroleum Report (for the CL). Sure, you may forgo some of the profits by excluding these periods, but you also avoid a lot of undesired volatility. I know you said that you don't care about the performance ratios (which take volatility into consideration), but I approach this with a lot of attention. I suppose this highlights one of the differences between our "machines".

We have not entered the "official competition" yet, but since you are posting updates, I'll post mine, as well. No trades for the last 2 days.
 
thanks for comment.NL5 . .. i agree with you about not running and i think DISC traders can benefit from that comment. ...i am big believer in system within systems with systems...and most of the time for ES i dont run ES at NFP or FOMC (although what i often do is set my ATS fill settings to scale big moves then flatten so that the base algo signal loses, i.e going short at X but i get short at X plus. y +++.. then hit stop or drop and go long / flat = losing algo signal on paper - winning in real trade)...

what i have found is volatility cuts both ways and am happy to deal with as long as within my levels. .. today was negative side of coin.. -1600 but that is well within what I tolerate per25k. my losses come from in and out and stocking up lots of little cuts. mentally tough to watch but I often go walk dogs and let chips fall.
trading gods giveth and taketh away.. would love a shape of 4 but a retail trader will never get this.
 
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