Quote from Dan37a:
For background, I'm coming from the world of Forex, and my experience has consistently been I get filled with little or no slippage. Frequently, I am filled with no spread from the bid-ask midpoint price.
I only use market orders. I hope that, to give an example, if I put an order to sell crude oil when the market is at 84.25 that I won't be filled any worse than 84.24. Naturally, I'm not talking about flash crash or weekly report situations, just normal day-trading activity.
Thanks for all the responses.
Are you allergic to Limit Orders?
Do you set money on fire for fun?
Firstly, I don't believe the first part...
Where Forex Market Orders results in "little or no slippage"...
There's no ECN on the planet where that would happen...
Since you are trading against Pros that make a living by providing liquidity...
You are paying 50% of the Forex spread plus anything else they can take you for.
CL spreads average about 1.5 ticks on near term contract...
And about 2.5 ticks on a 3-4 month out contract that is still very liquid.
You will pay > 50% of that with Market Orders = you are total screwed in Long Run.
Stop using Market Orders except in an emergency...
This has nothing to do with Automation or Algos.
Instead, simply park a Limit Order 2 ticks outside the NBBO...
You may get only 70-80% as many fills...
But (w/price improvement) you will be CAPTURING 50% of the spread...
Instead of PAYING > 50% of the spread.
You gotta be the Casino, not the Gambler...
Irregardless of the strategy you employ.