Pyramiding: Playing with the market’s money

I’m not invalidating your pov, most times I agree with it. I think the difference is how the various traders balance the information they see on their various displays (charts included) with the PV relationship at the HRE.

The various bias that traders have will determine how they process current market information. Some traders can only perceive in ‘hindsight’, others have taken hindsight and inversed it to experience ‘foresight’. One trader looking at a range bound day doesn’t see the multiple competing trends within the range. A btfd trader doesn’t see the signals that came before forecasting a markdown day. A novice stft trader doesn’t see the signals for a markup day.
There’s a diversity of opinions of what actually defines a trend here in ET, why wouldn’t that carryover in the interpretations of a single chart?
The difference here is that you are referring to such a situation in general, which is fine, and I am answering his question regarding a specific case which he felt could be answered only in hindsight.
 
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Hello,

I have been reading on money management methods especially for forex trading , here I am now at "Pyramiding" chapter.

It looks good in a trending market. Essentially with this method, you will lose same (or more slightly more due to commission charged) amount of money that you used to. But your upside gain will be doubled/tripled.

To be specific, the next trade is opened only when the first trade's stop loss level has been dragged to breakeven level. The amount risked is always a constant.

Correct me pls if I am wrong.

Has anyone here tried out on this method? Any thought about this method? Thanks

Playing with the markets's money

is a poor title and may indicate you do not understand things as well as you should.

Money won is your money and not the markets.
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Adding to a position because the add has worthwhile positive expectation and is within your sensible risk parameters is ok. Winning momentum traders sometimes do this.

Adding to losers because the add has worthwhile positive expectation and is within your risk parameters is also ok. Winning mean reversion traders sometimes do this. However, it is easier to get in trouble here if you do not understand what you are doing well enough or if you tilt.

(Note: successful traders often do off the table thinking about risk management on corelated events and uncorrected events)
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If you think adding to wins by itself will give you positive expectation, you are incorrect.

Positive expectation (Edge) comes from being paid more than is long-run breakeven on your wagers.

Adding to a position is done because the addition is a good bet.
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1.Positive expectation (Edge)
2. Risk control
3. Worthwhile volume

Are all needed to prosper

Pros weave expectation, variance and volume into a livelihood.

"Know your edge, exploit your edge— survive the game" — Blair Hull.
 
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Hello,

I have been reading on money management methods especially for forex trading , here I am now at "Pyramiding" chapter.

It looks good in a trending market. Essentially with this method, you will lose same (or more slightly more due to commission charged) amount of money that you used to. But your upside gain will be doubled/tripled.

To be specific, the next trade is opened only when the first trade's stop loss level has been dragged to breakeven level. The amount risked is always a constant.

Correct me pls if I am wrong.

Has anyone here tried out on this method? Any thought about this method? Thanks


Any strategy that nets me a worse average price is not a strategy I would employ.
 
Any strategy that nets me a worse average price is not a strategy I would employ.

The average price is not what is theoretically important when adding. Does the add have worthwhile edge and is it within reasonable risk control is.

However, sometimes shielding a trading, competitive or life weakness with a "rule" can be helpful. Sometimes realizing we do not have the skill to do something that others can is important.
 
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I love pyramiding, but only once the position reaches profit, NOT break-even - that's too soon. I think you meant the same as me but let's just be clear.....

By demonstration -
I have a long trade just opened with a capital risk of £100 back to the stop-loss

when the trade reaches +£100 a second trade is opened, also with a SL £100 below entry: the SL on the first trade is moved to its entry (break-even): capital risk with 2 trades open remains £100

when trade 1 reaches +£200, trade 3 opens, also with a SL £100 lower: move SL on trade 1 to +£100, move SL on trade 2 to its entry: there is now no capital at risk

with a 4th trade opened, you will gain £200 if all SL's are hit in a down move

but with a 5th trade open, and all SL's hit, gain would be +£500: the net effect of 1 additional free position (free in the sense there is no additional capital risk), you improve the worst-case outcome by £300

with a 6th trade opened, the worst-case outcome would be +£900

you can now see that reward is rising parabolically with each additional position, while your capital at risk remains flat - at zero.


The downside -
* every trade loses £100 if you wait for the SL to be hit: this is a real reduction in potential return and can be distressing

* if you carry multiple open trades on the same instrument, the risk from a gap to a price below your SL is multiplied, so selection of markets to pyramid is important.

What is your p&l distribution of trades where u do your averaging in technique?

I do something v similar. I have 70% losing trades, 20% small winners which dont quite offset the losers and the remaining 10% which are big winners and make all the money.
 
I scale into LOSING trades and average 70% to 90% winning trades. Rarely under 70%. I never have cared for scaling into winners. I will do it some times but it isn’t as profitable as scaling into losers, at least for me.

In terms of a long position...If there is value and i get in and it goes against me but my premise is still correct ..just my entry was off ...and the market hands me the opportunity to buy something of value, at an even greater discount, well caramba, I’m taking it. Wouldn’t you? Most won’t. So sad.
 
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