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Today i decided to start my futures.io (formerly BMT) trading journal. I have maintained a journal for the last year but my entries have been very sporadic and i am hoping that making my journal public will help me feel more accoutable and force me to keep it better up to date.
I discovered the markets in August 2011 as i was getting bored at work (working from home) and looking for investment ideas. I quickly got hooked on trading and started trading stocks live, without a plan, shortly after. I luckily loaded up right before the Oct 4 2011 low and made good money quickly. I thought there was nothing easier than trading and started playing with Options, which quickly took care of all my profits and more.
Anyways I then started actually learning something about trading and have been trading futures (ES and CL) since last summer (live since last winter). I now and then go back to SIM, after a bad period (when money management rules tell me to) or when i am trying something new.
Until recently i was trading using multiple time frames and a bunch of indis but recently decided to get rid of them and focus on price action. Today I mainly trade based of Mack's trading manual and follow his videos and well as Vince Virgil's market recaps.
I welcome and appreciate any comments, good or bad about my trades.
First post coming up shortly
Thanks,
Reno
Can you help answer these questions from other members on NexusFi?
I marked with a number the trades i actually took, and circled other trades which i found valid but didnt not take.
1. This was a 2nd entry short after prices had a 2 legged pullback to the trendline and the EMA. i got a little worried on that one because price went back up after i entered and i was concerned with having been trapped. Overall it worked out pretty quickly and gave me my 15 tics.
2. This was also a 2nd entry short but this time the trendline had been broken. As per Mack and Vance i was still looking for a new low so decided to enter and got another 15 tics.
3. This was a another 2nd entry short, which happened to fail on me. In retrospect it looked obvious that prices were bottoming and since the trend had been broken and the low retested i should have been looking for this second entry short to fail and go long.
4. This was a 2nd entry long, which took a while to get going actually. Since i only trade singles, and already had some profit for the day i decided to try and let that one run. It took me out by a tick and then ran for over 100 tics.
Emmotions got in the way of me seeing a nice trap shortly after, which i marked but was not able to take.
5. Here i was trying to buy the bottom of the range. The trade worked for 16 tics but instead of taking it i moved my stop to BE+1 and got taken out. At this point i am really questioning the concept of letting my winners run
6. I took a break to do some gardening and came back to look at the market. The trend was down in a very strong way and I decided to enter on that 2nd entry short, at EMA, and after the first break of the trendline. Tired of giving my profits back i decided to take the 15 tics, and sure enough the market kept dropping this time.
Didnt have time to log in my trades yesterday so i am doing this now.
Today was not a good day. I was not able to read the market properly and i beleive i took some lesser quality trades due to the overconfidence generated by prior day as well as the first trade of the day.
1. This was a 2nd entry short in a weak but confirmed DT. I dont think i ever made 15 ticks that fast. i was in and out in less than 5 seconds, despite the 3 tic slippage. +15
2. 2nd entry long after a double bottom at what appeared to be strong support. I moved my stop up after it looked like resistance was giving up and took a 9 tic loss. -9
3. Another second entry short after 2legged PB to EMA. On CL i always move my stop to BE+1 after the first 10 tics. So i got stopped out for +1 on that trade. +1
4. That was a stupid trade because i didnt pay attention that the FOMC minutes were being release at 2pm and i entered long after what looked like a BO pullback. My rules tell me to stay out right before and after news release so that was clearly a mistake on my part. a 15 tic mistake that is. -15
Today i decided to trade one of my old favorites, NQ. The main reason i did that was that CL furstrated me yesterday and i really want to trade 2 contracts. I think it will be a while until i have the stomach to trade2 Cls so i had to think of a different alternative.
Today was a very strong day. I am definitely happy to have traded NQ as most of the tics were taken from the 1st trade runner.
1. This was pre-market, which i usually dont trade, but the set-up was just perfect. The market was very strong and a nice pull back to trendline and EMA was taking place. I entered with 2 contracts, took profit at +6 and let the runner go for 16.5 points, to the top of the channel line (i had removed the lines when i snapped the screenshot). I was originally looking for a measured move which would have given me another few point but when the market started loosing steam i decided to take my profit just in case. +72 tics
2. This was a BE pullback from a range we had been trading in for over 1 hour. It was also a 2nd entry so it looked pretty good to me. This 1 got me my scalp for 6 tics but came back and took my runner to the tic before running for a few points, unfortunately. +7
3. The trend is now down and i am looking for a PB to trendline / EMA which i enter short on a 2nd entry. 6 tics of the scalp and runner taken out at +1. +7
Total for day: +86 tics
Very happy with today's trading. I think I will stick to NQ for a while and keep and eye on CL on another screen. I just cant help watching CL.
There was no trading on Friday 08/23 b/c i was out of town.
Today was an ok day but i could not concentrate as much as i wanted too because my other work was keeping me very busy.
1. This was a Breakout pullback 2nd entry long. Prices had pulled back to the EMA and the previous trendline. First contract was good for 6 tics before i could blink an eye but unfortunately the runner got stopped out because NQ took off for the rest of the day. +7 tics
2. This was another 2nd entry long as prices had come back to the trendline and close to the EMA. I took quite a bit of heat on that one as prices came 1 tic from my stop before i had even taken out my scalp. This made me nervous and i exited the 1st contract at +2 tics instead of the usually +6. Second contract was taken out at +10 tics b/c i was trailing to closely. This was not good trade management, i should not let emotions dictate the way i trade. +12
No trades for the last 2 weeks because i was out of town for vacation and work. did trade yesterday but did not record trades. lost about $120.
Today i decided to trade CL again and had a pretty good day with it.
1. that was a breakout pull back , i entered on a lmt order and was lucky enough to get filled several tics back. i was gonna let this one run but got scared as it almost came back to my entry so i took the next opportunity to dump it at +17
2. this was a failed 2nd entry short. i was going to wait for the bar to close and enter on the 2nd bar but it moved so fast that it got me in on the signal bar already. My strategy moves my stop to BE+1 once i have 10 tics, so i got taken out of that one for +1
3. this was a 2nd entry long at the trendline, my lmt order got filled as price was pulling back but it never receovered and took me out for -10
4. 1st entry short on strong DT, the channel was tight and the trend strong so i did not wait for a 2nd entry . +15 tics
5. 2nd entry short...i realize once i was in the trade that i had overlooked the EMA that would be acting as support, and luckily i got out at +1
Scary day today, i started out a little over confident and took 2 losses in a row. Decided to let the 4th trade run a bit to make up for losses and end up in green.
1. 1st entry long but PB to TL and EMA in pretty strong Up trend. When prices pull back to both the ema and the TL and then rebound very fast, i find it ok to take the 1st entry b/c often the 2nd entry never happens. Standard target reached. +15
2. 1st break of the TL and PB to ema so i was looking for a retest. Entered on a 1st entry here again but the set-up didnt look good enough for a 1st entry. it was too close to the top and the TL had just been broken on a very bearish bar. -12
3. Prices were coming down and over shot the TL after the numbers came out at 10:30am. I was really impatient and should not have entered that trade. when prices overshoot one end they overshoot the other as well, prices hadnt made it to the top of the channel, the signal bar was very bearish. i had plenty of reasons to stay out, i should know better. -16
4. Prices bounced strongly of support and it appears that an up trend is starting now. i saw prices consolidating, and all of a sudden drop and rebound to break out of consolidation. I waited for the breakout PB on the next bar and dropped a limit order that got filled. it took a second to get going buyt once it did it moved fast. i had my target at 107.86 (previous major swing high) but got impatient and took 25 tics, just to be back in green i guess. +25
1. This was pre market. 1st entry short on strong DT with PB to TL. Though it worked i should have waited for the 2nd entry on that one. This could be viewed as a BO PB too i think. took 1st contract off at 6 tics and trailed the second for 15 tics. Total +21 tics
2. I was supposed to be done for the day but that set-up just looked too good so iwent in with 1 contract. 2nd entry long after pull back to TL and close to EMA, text book Mack trade +6
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