tampa's "short skirt" trades...

[tampa]

Originally posted by dottom
Tampa,

From your description of your "pants" strategy, if you look at smaller-term MA rolling back towards a long-term MA and then resuming in the direction of the trend, you are essentially looking at a form of MACD. .

Awh gees, did you really have to tell me that!?!

I hate those squigly little lines, and all of their cousins.

(I really hadn't thought about the MACD connection - but you are right)

I know what you mean about the trend/non-trend situation. That's where the seat of the pants part comes into play.

 

[tampa]

Originally posted by traderkay
that's true dottom, but it seems he's more of a "seat of pants" trader (discretionary)... they all seem to find something empirically and then they forward test it, by actually trading it or papertrading it in real-time.. works too i guess

You tell em', traderkay - it's seat of the pants all the way.

I'm tired of some silly little lines telling me what to do!

And as for that backtesting stuff - it would take at least a day and a half to get all the dust and crud off my copy of TradeStation!

( spent three grand on that sucker - and left a lot more behind trading tested ideas! )


Can't we open the market a little early - me and my "short pants" are ready to go - go - GO!

( I'm sorry, I get a little carried away on Sunday nights )

 

[tampa]

Originally posted by easyrider
Tampa

Lol. I have spent all my weekends for the last couple of years tweaking, rearranging and experimenting so I know what you mean.Lately I have been looking for a new hobby. We seem to be on parallel pathes. It will be interesting to see how it pans out.

The LOL part pleases me.

I had no real idea where to go with this "journal" thing when it first came up. But as it has evolved, I have tried to write more about feelings, fears, greed, and just the ordinary day to day things a "trader" has to deal with. (just wait for the installment on days with too much time on your hands)

So I figured if I do it, or experience it, some other poor soul out there probably knows what I am talking about.

 

[tampa]

Originally posted by dottom
Even subjective/discretionary techniques can be backtested to a limited degree, either with mostly objective filters or honest paper back-testing one bar at a time.

There has been a lot of that, because I fully approve of that method.

As for the "machine variety", I ain't so sure. Maybe that Bill Gates character programmed some weird stuff into this machine ( that rarely does what I want it to do anyway ), just to play with my head.

God knows that TradeStation and this computer were ALWAYS at odds.

So there ain't gonna be ANY backtesting. No matter how much sense it might make - no matter how persuasive you may be.

It's seat of the pants, baby, all the way!!!

 

[nitro]

Originally posted by easyrider
Tampa

Lol. I have spent all my weekends for the last couple of years tweaking, rearranging and experimenting so I know what you mean.Lately I have been looking for a new hobby. We seem to be on parallel pathes. It will be interesting to see how it pans out.

Learn to play Bridge! It is a great game, and lots of traders play it, particularly option traders.

nitro

 

[tampa]

...But just a little bit.

My system/method is designed for nicely trending markets – this morning ain’t been one.

But let’s cut to the chase:

9RT/ - 1 Point
3 Winners – 6 Losers

So how do I feel about it? Happier than a pig in do-do.

Admittedly my enthusiasm to put this baby to the test was very high, and I used more “SOMP” than “Skirt” in my trade decisions. But without exception, without exception I allowed each and every trade to fully play out – with minimal distress. And that is a landmark for me. It’s also what this exercise is all about.

Granted, I pushed the entry signals to the limit, but in retrospect only one of the nine was clearly a mistake. It was just a tough morning for trend trading off of pullbacks. (At least in my opinion, and remember that mine is the only one that counts).

I will try to be more selective this afternoon, but even with a small loss, I consider the morning as a good experience.

 

[nkhoi]

with a little tweak, a filter here and there it should be good as gold.

 

[tampa]

Originally posted by nkhoi
with a little tweak, a filter here and there it should be good as gold.

I like that kind of thinking!

Probably because it fits right in with mine.

 

[tampa]

Oh, Hi there!

I was just working on my journal – you can read over my shoulder, if you’d like.


Dear Journal.

What a fantastic day! The morning saw me trade as I rarely do. Discipline! All the way! The market was difficult for my style, but I did it the way it should be done. You would have been proud.

In reality, I lost a point, but all but one of the trades were entered properly, and of the three winners, all (yes ALL) met my profit objective. It was a hoot! I sat there calm, cool, and collected.

It was a sight to behold!

This afternoon saw three opportunities, and they all reached my profit objective!

Not a bad day, all things considered.

So that’s it, dear Journal – see you tomorrow!



The problem is that I am lying through my teeth. The morning report is the gospel truth, but nothing is after that.

The lunch period saw a series of wild and crazy scalps that had nothing to do with the way I am supposed to be trading. The trades lead to a reasonably acceptable 4 ½ point loss on the day. But then it really, really got ugly. Pissed that I had traded during lunch, a series of revenge trades ensued and at much larger size than normal.

The bottom line?

114RT / -37 Points.

What else is there to say. This morning’s optimism has faded somewhat – to say the least.

 

[dottom]

Originally posted by tampa
The bottom line?

114RT / -37 Points.

Tampa,

Were these 114 individual trades, or did you start trading multiple contracts per trade?