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When I started trading, I did it on 5 min candle patterns on S/R zones with stocks, with a fixed money management system, with scaling out at certain points, from zone to zone. I wasn’t profitable.
Maybe it was because the lack of experience, or because I used zones someone else calculated, maybe. But I think it was because it wasn’t my style. I tried many times, maybe I will test some similar method in the future, but right now, I’m good with my method.
For some – like you - it may sound strange: why don’t I go for the big bucks, if my zones mostly work?
I tried to find an example, with a good-looking setup on 5 min chart, where I also entered with my method. (As I wrote to you PM, while trading I use tick charts, but also a 5 min chart is open.)
Here it goes, the first one I found: 2014.10.13, trade 5, at 13:21.
So, I could see something, which told me it’s gonna go down. But the question is: how much? I didn’t know, how should I? A hotshot fund manager said once (I forgot the name, but his words stuck) when he was asked what the market will do tomorrow. He said: „It’s gonna fluctuate.”
As you can see, if I’d trade this to go back to the zone, I’d scratch, or be stopped out. And the stopping out was 40 minutes… Instead of this, I was in and out in 15 seconds.
I saw the youtube video, which you linked yesterday. (Thanks again!) The guy reasoned from my heart: what would you choose, man who gives you 25c in every 15 minutes, or the man who might give you 1 dollar in an hour? I take the first one, I’m not ashamed to pick up the change.
Of course, on an other example the system you wrote about can work, but I think there are no absoultes in trading. Sometimes one method works, sometimes other. I stick with mine, and if someone uses my zones for zone-to-zone trading profitably, the better.
One more thing: I realized that the word stupid is in an apostrophe, but it still sounds offensive. I know you didn’t mean it, no offense taken, but I wouldn’t use that on someone’s trading style.
Can you help answer these questions from other members on NexusFi?
Overnight the price went lower with one point from yesterday’s close, but I wouldn’t commit myself in any direction. All eyes on the crude inventories at 11:00am, I’m ready for anything
The chart is pretty crowded with really wide acceptance zones, so I’d be cautious anyways.
Maybe I was too cautious, but I was looking for really good, high-probability opportunities. I just traded one, with a scratch.
Now I’m definitely finished for today, because of the madness started from 12:45. These are big guys, I don’t want to be stomped.
Trade 1:
Time: 10:30
Buy 5 @ 81.02
Sell 5 @ 81.02 P&L w. commissions: -23.1
I rarely trade breakouts, but this looked pretty nice: at exactly 81.00, the price stopped five times, with huge buying imbalances on 81.00. The last one was three times bigger than the common big ones, so I gave it a shot. It started to chop, instead of flying at least 20-30 ticks, so I scratched.
P&L for the day: -23.1
P&L for the month: 508.5
P&L from 09.24: 773.7
If you like my journal, please help me win the journal contest. All you have to do is push a ’Thanks’ on the #14 post (daddy) on this link:
At the beginning of the day, the price bounced within the 80.22-80.86 zone, then broke out to 81.24-81.35, but it came back to the open. From here the bulls pushed the price to the 81.53-82-prev. close-ONH combo, pulled back, and after the second test, there was a really huge breakout at 82.
The bulls ran over 3 tiny zones, burned through all the selling orders, finally the 84.26-85.26 zone stopped the buying frenzy. I wrote I’m ready for anything, but I wasn’t ready for this huge spike, so I stayed out
From the 84.83 high the price was pulled down slowly to the 82.2-82.31 zone and pivot point.
I’ll be off today for a small vacation, so I can’t post the zones, back on track Monday.
If you like my journal, please help me win the journal contest. All you have to do is push a ’Thanks’ on the #14 post (daddy) on this link:
I’m still bearish long term, but I haven’t got the foggiest what might happen today. On Friday on the daily chart there’s a doji, which suggests that today the downward trend might continue, but there’s also a big room for a bullish correction after the last four month’s big drop.
Actually, from 80.6 to 82.6 it’s nearly a whole big acceptance area, so I’ll be very cautious here.
So I’m using my zones with my eyes wide open
Note that the Dec. contract is active!
No trades today. I couldn’t find a really good setup, then, as the price just fell in the first two hours, I began to feel the urge to trade. If I feel I have to trade, I usually (always ) lose big, so this time I sat on my hands.
I only had one, imaginary trade, of course it was a winner. Imaginary trades are always winners
If you like my journal, please help me win the journal contest. All you have to do is push a ’Thanks’ on the #14 post (daddy) on this link:
The market was as insecure about the direction as I was.
Just after the open the bears took over, pushed through the ONL and 81.6-81.85 and 81.2-81.35 zones. I thought, okay, the bears will win today, but finally the 80.61-81 zone stopped them. After the second test of this zone the bulls pushed the price all the way back, nearly to the open, but stayed under. Then the price moved sideways till the close.
The price stayed between 80.6- 82.6, as I wrote it was nearly a whole big acceptance area, so we still don’t know about the direction. Maybe overnight will tell…
How the predefined zones played out today:
If you like my journal, please help me win the journal contest. All you have to do is push a ’Thanks’ on the #14 post (daddy) on this link:
Overnight the price tried to break yesterday’s ONH, which is the third time, and the top of the big acceptance area from 80.6 to 82.6 (it contains more areas, but in practice it behaves like one).
I’m still a bear for longer term, but if the price can get over 82.73, we might see some correction, the next resistance is at 82.95-83.07.
I think it’s gonna be a choppy day again.
A choppy day, but with big runs in either way.. I love these kind of days!
Done for the day.
Trade 1:
Time: 9:06
Sell 2 @ 83
Buy 2 @ 82.91 P&L w. commissions: 170,76
It was really streched, although the delta was choppy. I pulled the trigger because of the round number. The drop happened so fast, that only 2 contract filled out of five. Closed in target, too bad I didn’t get filled the whole order
Trade 2:
Time: 9:13
Sell 5 @ 82.88
Buy 5 @ 82.96
P&L w. commissions: -423.1
It looked really good, but turned out to be very sour. Took the order to 82.89, believing that it’s gonna break down because of the double top at round number. It moved fast in, then really fast upwards, so I lost a big deal of slippage as well, 8 ticks instead 5. It happens.
Trade 3:
Time: 9:39
Sell 5 @ 83.19
Buy 5 @ 83.09
P&L w. commissions: 476.9
Well, the signs were mixed, but after a huge bullish delta came a bearish imbalance, and the bulls’ volume dried out. I gave it a shot, closed in target.
Trade 4:
Time: 10:21
Sell 5 @ 82.58
Buy 5 @ 82.47
P&L w. commissions: 526.9
Now this was a beauty. Although it was ranging between two zones, 6 333tk bars marked the buyers’ activity. The price tried to broke down 3 times, the 4th succeeded. Instead of my usual trailing stop I used a fix one, believing in a big breakdown with some chopping, so I followed candle tops with my stop.
P&L for the day: 751.46
P&L for the month: 1259.96
P&L from 09.24: 1525.16
If you like my journal, please help me win the journal contest. All you have to do is push a ’Thanks’ on the #14 post (daddy) on this link:
Choppy it was, still no direction.
After the open the bulls did break above ONH, but the first resistance stopped them. From here the bears could only pull back to the ONH, where the bulls entered again, and tried to break the (now widened) resistance area, but only could make 83.26 the day’s high.
From here the bears pulled back the price to the 81.6-82.1 area, which also contained the ONL and prev. close.
There was one attempt by the bulls, but the 82.3-82.46 zone with the open stopped them, from here the price moved sideways for a while. Before the close, the bulls showed some strenght, and break 82.3-82.46 zone with the open.
How the predefined zones played out today:
If you like my journal, please help me win the journal contest. All you have to do is push a ’Thanks’ on the #14 post (daddy) on this link: