video games and trading

S

spectastic

Based on what I've seen, there seems to be a clear correlation between really successful traders who come from video gaming backgrounds. Supposedly, video gaming trains you to stay calm and focused when shit hits the fan, and because trading is so much psychology oriented, I can see this being a huge advantage. I saw on youtube kristjan kullamagi losing $1.5m on a kodk short and brush it off like it's nbd. I guess to these guys, trading is a video game, just like life, and maybe they just don't give a fk. Would you say this is an accurate assessment? Or is there more to this?

Sometimes, I find it crazy that I'm somewhat frugal in real life, but at the same time a gambling degenerate in trading. While it sounds absurd, would you say that this separation of trading from reality is as crucial, if not exactly the same as separating emotion from trading?
 
Used to be addicted to video games.
50 hours no sleep / no shower.

PathOfExile_x64-2020-12-01-19-32-49-22.png


Then moved that addiction of solving puzzles into markets, to change your aproach/re-invent, to regroup & not give up.

Your ,,liabilities" (based on others judgement e.g family : ,,You play too much" or ,, nothing else matters to you") - can become your assets.

If this addiction lands on the right person & if that person lands in the market, things might turn out positive.

spectastic said:
, if not exactly the same as separating emotion from trading?
More...

Takes time to learn.

E.g my games would freeze/crash (server side), - at first you get p off, but later on - get used to it.
(can't change the market).
As not to do something stupid when fightin the boss.
(When in the trade).
Got killed ? Try new spell
(lost money ? -reinvent)

Yup. Long story short. It helps.
 
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I used to be a big gamer and still play video games but not as much as I used to. When I come home from work I'll play for about 2 hours before bed. But I see no correlation to trading. In fact I sometimes get very heated when I have to do something in a game over and over again to get ahead. It's even worse when I'm playing others online who I think are cheating.

The only advantage I see with video games is focus and hand eye cordination, and I think it makes dealing with your emotions worse than someone who doesn't play at all. IMO.
 
VG is more like paper trading. Everyone has a different risk-damage threshold so when real money is at stake, is really the only measure of one's "emotional" grip.

That being said, there is a lot more going on, for instance,
  • How long does it take to get "leader board" good at a video game. How many hours playing the same type of FPS or whatever type. Assume 5x to get even proficient, at trading.
  • There is a lot more to trading than games. Risk management, execution tactics, hardware stability, Software stability, instrument selection, hedging.
  • Then there is software usage. In a game you limited to what you can do. Trading software is wide open. So one could be "playing the game" and using the software in such a way there is NO possible way to "win".
  • Games are, well games. Trading is for keeps and real money. It has been going on for centuries. People have staked their "leader board" position for decades. There have been over a dozen newbie posts about people getting burned recently. They all have one thing in common, they think trading is like retail purchases at an APPL store. They want refunds, give backs, cancelation etc. Trading is not like any other type of transaction. It is NOT a game. No body regulates games like the financial markets.
  • Trading is a 24 hour deal. Even when the market is closed, things happen. VG, end when they end (a few games are exceptions). So the stress level never ends if you are in the market. No breaks, on some level.
Trying to "fool yourself" (no insult intended here), that you are emotionally separate from your trading is a stop gap measure. Deal with the pressure, deal with the stress, deal with the reality. That is the long term solution. Once you can do that for a few years, you are in a much better shape.

What you described is more like a "button smasher" playing a game, hoping for some combo to save them. Typically one wins for a while on the easy setting. A Bull market like this is setting = easy. But then one starts scaling up, going bigger, taking more risks until they get hammered and loose all the earlier gains. I hope that is NOT you.

Lastly, I would advise ignoring what other people win or loose. It is pretty much irrelevant and allowing that to influence you is a sign of rudderless control.

PS: Have not even gotten into what makes a trading strategy viable versus a gaming strategy.

LOL: Here is an experienced copper traders saga. Yes there is more to trading than games. Trader Buys $36 Million of Copper and Gets Painted Rocks Instead - Bloomberg
 
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Nobert said:
Used to be addicted to video games.
50 hours no sleep / no shower.

View attachment 254121

Then moved that addiction of solving puzzles into markets, to change your aproach/re-invent, to regroup & not give up.

Your ,,liabilities" (based on others judgement e.g family : ,,You play too much" or ,, nothing else matters to you") - can become your assets.

If this addiction lands on the right person & if that person lands in the market, things might turn out positive.



Takes time to learn.

E.g my games would freeze/crash (server side), - at first you get p off, but later on - get used to it.
(can't change the market).
As not to do something stupid when fightin the boss.
(When in the trade).
Got killed ? Try new spell
(lost money ? -reinvent)

Yup. Long story short. It helps.
More...

Is this Path of Exile hardcore or softcore mode?
 
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