bluemele 

I am not sure this is real. I think he really isn't from AZ and is really from New Mexico! haha... Yes, great work! Keep it up!

Actually I am from California but AZ is my adopted home state.....

"Breakouts suck in my opinion on CL! Stops too large and it could just be a nice head and shoulders pattern.

If it is an ascending triangle, then the place to buy is at the trendline bounce right. Stops can be much smaller.... Not a great safe trade though, so I think my answer for me is to just sit them out unless the market is exploding up and just crawling down etc..."

Do not want to hihack AZT's thread here, so just a quick comment...

Keep in mind I am a beginner with beginner thought processes!



Concerning a breakout...

So a possible scenario is lows getting higher with price testing resistance once again; however, this time even though traders are hitting into the bids, others just keep bidding it. Bid never goes offer. Offers pull, buy stops are triggered just above resistance and BAM you are up 20 ticks instantly. I feel this is a MUCH higher probability trade than drawing a trendline with an entry.

Things I like about this setup:

1) Buying before the breakout thus maximizing tick accumulation.
2) Entering with momentum
3) Immediately getting an edge.
4) I know within a short amount of time and tick loss if I am wrong.

"The downside to this is if the short signal I just took is now invalidated by a long signal, what do I do? A rules system says exit short, enter long correct? Where is discretion in this? Is the short really the valid trade and the long is a fake? Or did I manufacture a short when a long is the real one? Who knows."


Have been reading your journal and am a bit inspired to start one of my own, but most days getting up to trade and then working all day exhaust me by day end enough not to inaugurate a project.

I assume the premise to trading is entering with momentum. If I see a setup to short and the momentum I thought was there is not (ex. offer goes bid immediately after entering), there is no need to question for too long: "Maybe I should just give it a little while longer?" +1, +2 ticks down. We shorts are now looking to bail with each + tick. Scared money is looking to reduce pain. Money sitting on the sideline sees this and bids price further. So new money is arriving. What better setup could there be? That $hit is going to pop.

aztrader9 

Well not quite....but I stated I wanted to try for a 100 tick trade.....There were two of them today. One short and one long. I got a piece of both and ended +75 ticks today. Today I made an error in execution but I did it on purpose. I used a limit order to get in a trade as opposed to the normal stop order I use. This resulted in a quick stop out as price just plummeted through my position. So I went back to the normal stop order I use to get taken into a trade vs having the trade trade through a limit order. I also had a couple of non plan trades as I was testing some theories regarding S/R. Both these trades worked out well. I may add them in a week or so to my trade plan if they pan out. I also had a break out/down trade after the short trend had gotten started. It was the first time I used this method on purpose. The idea is this, if price retraces a bit in a trend BUT not enough to come back to the MA, take the break out of that small pull back. I did and it was successful. Thank you to my trading friend from yesterday for this bit of advice. What I did wrong today: 1. I used a limit order instead of my normal stop order. I won't be doing this again any time soon unless I figure out how to use them appropriately. What I did right today: 1. I was much more focused today even after another late night at my mother in law's house for a mini family reunion. This is three nights in a row I have gone to bed hours after my normal bed time. Sleeping in tomorrow! 2. I did not second guess myself with regard to entries. 3. I was stopped out on a CTT but I never got a signal to go the other way and so I entered that same trade again but this time I used the break out idea from my trader friend to get back in. Plan for Monday: 1. Continue with the idea of having fun while trading 2. Take my signals and only my signals. I will test the SIM ideas later. I found doing this kinda interrupted the flow of what I was doing. Cheers

Great Read Brioni! A+ on the g Wrong list. Really happy for you hitting your stride and getting out and having some fun too.... This week you are getting a split finger fastball coming at you, right down the middle bro, f'n hit it!

Aztrader:

I am fairly new to the forum and I have been reading to catch up with your journal. I commend you for trading and hanging in with the CL, however, have you thought of moving to a more stable instrument? Trading the CL on the 6 range is tuff. I cant blame you as you had said that some days you just cant read price action. That is because the action on the CL has no rime or reason on some days. I know traders that trade it on the 20 range chart with a 21 tick stop and they go to BE+1 after 12 ticks. CL just does not really work well with small range bars and tight stops. Unless ofcourse you hit the perfect trade that takes off. However, it does not really seem consistent enough for me.

I left the CL myself for the 6E. It is much more stable and when it comes out of chop it trends real well. You can move your stops to BE +1 fairly quickly and trade it on a 4 range chart with a 8 range or 5 min confirm chart. It is also $12.50 per tick and more bang for your commission buck.

I think it would be worth your while to at least try your setups on SIM with the 6E. It will be a much calmer trade and you will be more consistent with your wins and overall trading outcomes. The CL can move to stop you out and then run the way you wanted it too in the blink of an eye...lol.... I was frustrated, until i moved to the 6E. I also put up the 6S and the 6C when the 6E is in chop with the possibility of trading them.


Just my 2 cents.

Joules360

ugh....nasty day on CL. I hit my daily stop today. -49 ticks

What I did right today:
1. Today was really tight. I was really patient. It did not help.
2. I limited my trades to 5.

What I did wrong today:
1. I did not adjust my targets based on the ADR
2. On trades 3&5 I did not follow my price action rules
3. I let a couple winners turn into losers

Plan for tomorrow:
1. I noticed a pattern today in my journal...that of not adjusting the targets based on ADR. That mistake will not happen again.

Cheers

AZ - man, I've just caught up with your journal - what a ride trading is, eh? THanks for sharing all this, its been helpful to read another's struggles and successes.

After the discussion a while back about Topstep, I looked into it a bit - I wasn't sure whether it made sense to get funded by them but it did look like a good way to practice in a more structured way and possibly get some coaching. I think you've been with them for a while now - could you share your thoughts on your experience and whether you'd recommend it as a structured practice program? (I think you're still with them, no?)

thanks again - this journal really has been helpful.

Surly

Another boring day in CL....at least until I decided to check out and watch Rodger Feltons webinar...then it picked up a bit....oh well

Only two trades today. Net +2

There were of course, other trades, but the pace of tape so early this morning did not inspire confidence at all. So no trades even though they worked out. I took a break out trade that felt somewhat legit....but it was an instant stop out.

So I went to have some coffee and then back for Rodger's presentation. I learned a few things, most of which do not fit with my style and so probably won't implement at all but I attended to expand my horizon. Thanks Rodger.

So no list of rights and wrongs today. Did not do enough trading to warrant a long list.

Cheers

az,

why do you use 12 R?

torroray 

az, why do you use 12 R?

It tends to quite the noise from the smaller range bars....and I don't just use the 12R. I change the setting depending on the ADR....and I use a five minute bar to help....