Quote from ptt:
Care to elaborate on how to get to 'afterward.'
How do you measure volatility?
When do you decide it's time to scalp?
How do you scalp?
Also, are you talking scalping as buy bid sell ask, or something else?
If you answer any of these, thanks. [/B]
There were very good posts earlier.
there are several definitions for 'scalping'. however the one that really applies imho is when you try to get A spread (it's not necessarly the inside bid/ask). and scalping refers to 'shaving' the spread.
so yes, it's sometimes buying at bid, but that's not really the point. it's about making a market.
I do not refer to myself as a scalper, but as a private market maker.
a market maker posts 2 prices (a price he's willing to buy at and one willing to sell at ).
that's why the direction is secondary. the important thing is volatility. how does the market move ? what's the difference in price between going up and going down, at different (short term) time frames.
anyway...
learn what tape reading is, market depth, market quality..
not easy to find this kind of information.
and with this basic knowledge, you basically have to watch the markets for hours and hours and hours. and trade it live as well with very little size for a very long time, until you understand how the flow goes.
there are some theoritical models about this and important research done.
but most people doing that (including floor traders or locals and market makers) learn by doing. either get it or not.
I learned with a combination of both.
also I spent quite some time trading NYSE before I moved to futures for scalping market making style.