@Alexspeed
Thanks for the interest. My methods are proprietary, complex, and multifaceted. It doesn't mean it is a secret unknown to all but unknown to many, yes likely. Given that you've been pretty nice, I'll share a few things.
In one sense, I'm a local in that I trade the same market every single day. In the other sense, I'm a speculator in that I'm always taking a directional stance. I only try to break even as far as spreads.
First, very few professionals trade using moving averages and other lagging indicators. On the one hand, they are lagging and on the other they are redundant to price itself. I do not use any type of what one would think of as real-time charting, i.e full screen charts, for my intraday day trading. I work and so it is not an option but not having charts can be a benefit too. I will use charts for general landmarks and support/resistance but even then I'm using 15 minutes delayed charts. Much like my mentor, Gary Smith, I read the numbers. Whatever is painted is after I'm done.
... This is not to say charts aren't useful. I use them to great effect for my planned trades. But, I don't have access to them intraday and little need for them either.
Much of what I'm trying to do is read the sentiment of the players. I want to know if the buyers are confident or not. I'm trying to take a broad view of the entire market and see the various forces that act upon it. A big part of index trading is trying to gauge if the market is trending or ranging. If the market is trending then I have to cut my losses fast if I'm wrong but if the market is ranging then I can take a lot of heat "safely". Likewise, if I'm right and the market is trending then it doesn't work well for me to try to jump around and "market make" whereas in a volatile and choppy market then I can "market make". It is one of my games of many.
I can enter a trade on any whim when I'm confident that I can manage the risk. The ES has been fairly risky lately though which has made me cut back and be more selective. I've given up some profits being too cautious but the risks are higher now.
I try to categorize all of my trades and review every "sequence". I don't always look at the outcome of a single trade but what I consider sequence as a whole. Example categories:
Bread & Butter Trades -> Market read, using principles, concepts, and indicators that I have long time experience with. There are many sub types.. including experimental and developing ideas.
Speculative trades -> Enter any trade on a lark. I recently placed a vertical spread trade on crude because I seen a lot of factors that would prop it up. It didn't really profit as much as the futures but futures were too volatile and risky for my skill in that market. These can be if/then trades.
System trades -> Trades that are signal/generated by systems that are useful.
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So, you can see it is much more then just a simple system. I'm looking at you know the forces/influences acting on my market. The best sense for what I do can be gained by reading my report which can be found at my blog and/or Gary Smith's, "How I Trade For A Living". I've read his book 5x. Try to read what professionals do.. how they read the market. You will start to learn. There is a book I have on spread trading here that has interviews with the spread traders.. you will see similarities, i.e to ways of thinking. I mean you need to read about what professional traders are doing and thinking.
One thing I rely on is varying my bet size within limits based on my confidence. I tend to be very accurate in knowing when I'm wrong, and I tend to be very right when I'm more confident. My rightness will vary between 52% to 90% depending on how well I'm understanding the market. I only take the trades that make sense to me. What looks random to you.. makes sense for me!! The futures market is very efficient, perhaps near perfectly, if played "rigidly". But if played around the "corners" then it is possible to profit quite a bit..
Sometimes I disregard price as being unimportant.. sometimes it is everything. If the market is trending then I can sell a support or a buy a resistance. Sometimes I will say TA isn't relevant but then the market will tell me that it is... So I just try to listen. I will review every sequence and write down every sequence and the reasons. I'm combining tons of data and have to review my work after I finish to really understand everything that went into it.
Quote from Alexspeed:
Can you describe your strategy in a few words???
For Example: ""Buy the /ES when at the 15min chart the 5MA pointing up, the VIX 15min 5MA pointing down, the TRIN is under 3 and 15min 5MA pointing down and the RSI-Wilder in oversold(under 20). And reversly.""
It would be nice to hear it, because I could not get through your Journal at collective2, it is so what of different. It looks like you have no strategy. But don´t talk this down and write 2 sheet something other about trading.
Thanks
Today is easy going, I have made a 7% account value rise already. Finished the day lucky