So, if I follow your logic, the reason I make money scalping is because my method is simple. This is what I've been trying to tell people for the last year. Thanks for making it so clear.

It's great that you're apparently profitable, but it's a waste of time telling those of us who do very well by "scalping" that it can't be done.



FWIW, I didn't trade 35 times, but Ninja shows as separate trades the fact that my contracts exit at different targets. Still, the percentage of win/loss is about the same.


mlm

I agree.

I was fortunate, my mentor (30 years experince) told me in 2004 that scalping was complete waste of time and to never go down that rathole.

Good advice Dan, Extend the timeframe, and keep it simple as possible. Sim doesn't prepare someone for what happen a few weeks.

I did not say that it can’t be done, reread my post. You don’t have to prove anything.

The best piece of advice I could give someone who wants to start trading is to not scalp, because let’s be honest here the vast majority I see post on here are undercapitalized and shouldn’t be scalping to begin with.

But that’s not what people want to hear, they want quick gains with no risk so scalp away!

@blb014

That is some impressive scalping! I, too, enjoy scalping, as I have a day job and can not focus for as long as I would like to on charts. Would you mind sharing how or where from you learned your techniques?

I did not say that it can’t be done, reread my post....

The best piece of advice I could give someone who wants to start trading is to not scalp, because let’s be honest here the vast majority I see post on here are undercapitalized and shouldn’t be scalping to begin with.

that I believe learning is easier on a wider time frame. Folks get sucked in to tight time frames for all the wrong reasons. Mostly because they lack the initial capital to cover overnight margin on their one lot ...

Scalp is not an entry level trade type.

My point is that we all come at trading from different angles, different histories, different outlooks. Telling people that one kind of trading is a waste of time versus another kind of trading is, in fact, a waste of time, in that neither of us knows the psychological makeup of the person asking the question. That person will have to find out on his own.

mlm

I agree in different ways with all the above.

I swing traded, and longer term than that, for quite a long time. It was not difficult if you kept your head about you and paid attention both to the trend and to whether you were still making money () -- that is, if you cut your losses, which is good advice anytime.

My opinion about the difference is simply this: everything about that sentence is true about scalping, but decisions about price are coming at you at a much faster clip -- and you probably have more leverage -- and that means that keeping your head about you is much harder, as is managing the money, particularly the losses.

I could take a leisurely walk down an empty basketball court, take some shots, maybe make some, and have a pleasant afternoon. If you put me even in a competitive high school game, I would just get run over by people who knew what they were doing.

That's the difference.

(And some people should be doing one, some should be doing the other....)

Bob.

Uhhh.... those are @michaelleemoore's results, being quoted by @blb014.

You could ask Michael, or you could go to his thread, The Scalper's Journey, here:

The Scalper's Journey Well, it's time to step into the light. I've lurked around BMT and futures.io for a couple of years now, wandering through the journals of others, sampling indicators, hearing stories of gains and losses and feeling quite at home. I came here …

However, it is an Elite thread, as many of the good ones are (small plug ), so it requires Elite membership (1-time fee of $100, cheap.) Seriously, it is worth the money to go Elite, but it's obviously your choice.

Bob.

I'm not here to argue, as I've spent much of my time on FIO helping others. I did reread your posts, and I see that you noted that some people might make money scalping, but that otherwise it's a complete waste of time. You're certainly entitled to your opinion, as am I. I think people can make money all sorts of ways in the market, and I don't feel the need to tell people that one approach -- in general -- is superior to another. I've found that trading is mostly a matter of mindset, of finding an approach that fits your personality, your brain's ability to adapt and your willingness to act when the time comes. To me, those traits will lead to success, regardless of "how" you trade.

I think that most people will not succeed at trading, and the numbers support that. But that's a much bigger issue than the approach people use. I've been an outdoor athlete my whole life, and take part in a lot of risk sports -- rock climbing, ice climbing, base jumping, kayaking, etc. Those sports have made me good at determining and dealing with risk. They've also helped me hone the "edge" that keeps me alive in dangerous situations. I've learned to react quickly in the face of trouble, a trait that has also made me good at short-term trading. On the other hand, I'm awful at swing trading, as my brain does better determining what happens in the next five minutes rather than the next five days.

My point is that we all come at trading from different angles, different histories, different outlooks. Telling people that one kind of trading is a waste of time versus another kind of trading is, in fact, a waste of time, in that neither of us knows the psychological makeup of the person asking the question. That person will have to find out on his own.

Thanks @blb014, and sorry if I was too quick to take offense at your comments.

mlm