Leaderboard

Live trading summary for week ending 9/20/19. My best score card week since I have been tracking it at 91%. I took 9 trades with a win% of ~44%. Since I don’t look at my P/L anymore I am unsure if I am positive for the week but I think I am. I will look at it at the end of the month. Again I had one of those trades that would make my month and I stopped out early by pennies. I also had an issue forgetting I can take 3 trades per day now (with limitations). Though my partial profit taking is still too often the 1/8 share sell/cover button has helped mitigate some of the damage. I took some SIM trades (5/10/15min ORBs) which were pretty good. My trades this week were with AAPL and BABA. Both of their daily charts look interesting so I think there could be another week of trading them at the open. Back test data shows AAPL, BABA, and MU all in play at the open. So I have ample good stocks to trade at the open. Here is my plan for this week: P/L will be closed and not looked at until the end of the month to help focus on process and score card, not on W% and P/L AAPL and BABA both look good at the open. Try to look at both at the open. Keep a close eye on the volume with BABA. Wait for the 100k to arrive before entering a trade. MU is also still in play at the open. It can be become a primary focus if PM volume is there. Keep $30 risk per trade. Even though my score card allows me to increase to $42. I need to keep my risk more constant until I fix my partialling issues. Remember to take an aggressive partial profit if the price reaches the target. Try to exit at B/E after a 1st partial. Don’t look for the rebound. Keep trading 5/10/15 min on SIM Don’t add to any trade, even winners. Continue with the Van Tharp’s Peak Performance Course for Traders. Remember you can take a third trade in a day. Try and take partial profits on the way down as well if you lose faith in the trade. Instead all out at B/E or exit too early. You may take a live trade on a 5/10/15min ORB if you see a good setup.

Hey -- so, its going to be really hard to imitate my ideas because by the time I call them out, the best entry has likely come and gone. In this trade, i was short at 99 so by the time you got in, i was already sitting up 3-4R. I'm happy to teach you my style of trading should you ever be interested though -- just give me a shout!

Hi all, My name is Zack, I've been a member of BBT (since June of 2018 - a little over a year) and have been slowly trying to integrate myself more and more into the community. As I'm going to the NYC meetup today, figured this is as good of a time as any to post here! I'm 32 and live in San Francisco. I studying music & business in college (B.S. in Music Industry from USC) and worked in the industry for several years. Eventually got fed up with the egos and lack of innovation and switched into tech. Worked in sales and consulting there for a while (first for startups, then for major brands, then for myself) and discovered, well, I don't enjoy being at the whim of clients and it's not how I want to live my life. I had been investing in stocks from a longer term perspective and got really interested in the markets. Eventually I found Andrew's book on Amazon, and it legitimately changed my life forever! I traded live at first, and made some money, then lost a lot of money. I wasn't ready. I switched into SIM for about 3 months, then went back live. I've grown my size and now been trading for a living for over 6 months. I've posted a few video recaps to the BBT channel sporadically but would like to get more involved. I'm basically on the BBT chat every day, watching the pre-market show and trading the open (provided I can get up on time), and often into mid-day. I've been reading everything I can - without trying to overload my brain - and a turning point for me was learning about trading psychology and understanding that a calm mind and patience leads to consistent green days. I am actively looking for more ways to get involved with retail traders (for one, to learn more, and two, because trading from home can be isolating at times -- I was surprised to find I do miss the office environment after enough time!). Also in reading through these posts, I realized I never have taken time to join the lifetime member sessions and I am looking forward to doing more of that! Thanks all and I look forward to meeting more of you! - Zack

Saw this on Twitter. Awesome!

Hi Rob, Thank you, Glad to be back again. Hope my time-off do wonders for me now.

Friday 9/20/2019 I had a well-being score of 7/10 this morning. I took 2 live trades this morning, with AAPL and BABA. So I am still long bias on BABA with its break out daily chart and good PM. I also have a small long bias on AAPL with its long steady move up in PM. Just before the open AAPL fell 50 cents on good volume. Then recaptured the 50 cents right after the open on enormous volume. The price broke the HOPM and stalled. I don’t take these trades any more at the open. They are essentially ABCD patterns using seconds instead of minutes. But the volume was so high I went long. My stop was an issue. There were two choices. 200MA-1min which was too far away or the 50MA-1min which doesn’t seem to have any strength in the first minute. So I did choose the 50MA but I went half shares because the stop is too tight and not strong. My target was the 222.50 level. The price did pop and I took two very small partial profits. I was waiting for the 222.39 daily level where I was planning to sell half my shares. The price just missed that level and retraced, just enough to stop me out. Then it sprang back and reached my target. Actually, with a little slippage on the exit I did get a tiny loss on this trade. As I said yesterday just a slight change in trade management would have made this slight loss into a solid win. What that change is and how do I get there I do not know yet. Though not right away, volume did arrive for BABA. The price moved up $1 and I was waiting for a pullback. It did arrive and I went long after the bounce from VWAP. There was no good target or stop. So I chose a long stop to the bottom of the previous candle since BABA usually doesn’t respect VWAP for a few minutes after the open. The price moved up and I took a very small partial at 183 and tried to take another partial at 183.20 but got a bad fill. So the third partial was just to make up for the bad fill on the second. But all 3 partials were very small. Then the price reached the 183.38 daily level where I took a large partial profit. Price dropped quickly after that. Then I saw a HUGE sell at the bid in the time and sales window and I exited immediately at 183, well above my entry. I took two SIM trades on MU. First one S/O and second one an OK win. So I am flat for the SIM trades. Score card (live trades). AAPL BABA 91% 96% What I did good today: Wow, really good score cards today. Good watching volume. What I am grateful from today? That time and sales signal on BABA really saved me from that big drop. What do I need to improve on: Nonlinear increase in partial size is working out OK. I just need to keep at it and improve on it.

20 Sep 2019 I took 2 trades today. CRC - I took this trade when I saw harmonious charts in different timeframe. Especially in 2 min chart where it crosses above the MA. I entered into the trade without enough time to put in a stop loss. I should be have been stopped out but in the end the stock moved back up and I took a small profit. Mistake : Trading into the MA on 2 min chart and didn't put in the stop loss on time. PCG - I took this trade when I saw it sitting on the MA and WWAP. I took a long but got stopped. I took a long again and this time round, the stock did took off and I took profit from the trade. MIstake : I experienced FOMO AGAIN and did not let the winners run. The movement of the candles can be really scary.

September 19, 2019 - Nothing I decided to trade live, but didn't find anything to trade. Nothing really met my pre-market scanner criteria, especially when $AMD only had 70,000 shares in the premarket at 5:30. I ended up with $MU and $X. I really don’t like SSR stocks at the open. I almost got short $MU at the open but it didn’t come all the way back to VWAP and I wanted it to test the 20 EMA before attempting to short it as it was really near a breakout point at 51.40. Sat the rest of the morning looking for a trade until having to go to work. Didn’t find anything. I didn’t think I would be able to trade the afternoon, as I had a meeting through lunch, but lucky for me it got canceled. Had some hotkey issues with trying to get into $SQ. I would have gotten a 1R out of and stopped out at B/E, but still would have been happy with the trade. Sample Set Results, P S S E 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Hey Vikram, glad to see you back.

Thursday 9/19/2019 I had a well-being score of 6/10 this morning. Little bit of a scratchy throat. Kids are sick, so probably fighting off what they have. I took 2 live trades this morning, with AAPL and BABA. It is interesting to see this month and especially today that just minor nuisances can separate you from being consistently profitable and being flat. I control my risk. I keep to my stops and choose appropriate stops. I am usually very accurate with share size. I have been pretty good lately trading good setups and getting good entries. I have tried to focus on the process, I haven’t looked at my P/L all month. But, I have been flat for over 7 months and I can tell, without looking at my P/L, I am flat so far this month. I just need to improve on the trade management. Psychology of course is preventing me to perform the correct management. I have two major issues: 1. It’s difficult to admit that I am wrong a. So I take partial profits to early and often. Thus locking in a win. b. I don’t bail out of trades quickly with terrible fills (R/R is destroyed). Can’t admit I am wrong until I hit my stop. 2. Self sabotaging a. Do you realize how difficult it is to remain exactly flat for over 7 months? It must be unconsciously controlled. b. If I see 4 good days of trading and it’s all given back on Friday c. If I see I am very green after 3 weeks and give it all back on the last week d. The one month I was actually green (+5.6R) I had to trick myself by suddenly choosing to stop trading the last two days of the month to lock in the green month e. Guess what, the next month after my green month was my first red month since January. Guess how red? -5.8R essentially cancelling out the previous month keeping me amazingly walking exactly on a tightrope of being flat. The journaling of today will read the same story. So finally, the setup that I have been waiting for the past two weeks, with BABA finally arrives. In the PM the price breaks through the resistance level creating a huge wedge on the daily chart. I was REALLY long bias on BABA today. Any sign in the long direction and I was going long with BABA. BABA almost immediately created a small hammer with large volume, a few seconds after the open and I went long. Since it was so soon after the open I kept a reasonably large stop at the 180.41 daily level. There was no target. All tech levels were no below the price. The price moved up a little bit and I took 2 very small partials. The price dropped to test VWAP again and stopped at B/E. there was some slippage so I think this trade was a small loss. Stopping at B/E is in my trading plan now. I was giving my stops some room, if there was a strong tech level below it, but after collecting data for awhile it was deemed unprofitable. Now I try to keep the stop tight on B/E. The price bounced and I could have gone long again. I am not sure why I didn’t. I guess self-sabotage. I missed a 7R move. Later, after my AAPL trade, I took a 5min ORBU with BABA in SIM. I am allowed to take a 3rd trade live now, once certain criteria is met. So I could have taken it live. I have a post it note on my screen reminding me of this. I read my daily trading plan a minute before the open to remind me. So did I do it? Nope forgot again….. I told myself it was too bad I am at my limit of two live trades and I took it SIM. I had a long bias with AAPL today as well. I like that it created a hammer on the daily chart with the PM price movement. I liked it was opening just under PDC. I went long on a 2min ORBU when it broke the 50MA-1min and the HOTD. My stop was tight, so I took a lot of shares. Stop was at the 222.39 daily level and my target was the 223.04 daily level. I took 3 partials, all really small. The plan is always take a substantial profit (at least half the shares) if the target is reached. I didn’t and took another small partial at the target. The price dropped quickly after that. I also planned to start taking partials on the way down as well. I didn’t. And with a majority of shares still left the price shot through my B/E for another small loss. Score card (live trades). It is surprising to see how high the score is on BABA trade since it was such a disappointing trade. But, the real mistake was not entering a new trade after the S/O. BABA AAPL 95% 87% What I did good today: Recognized good setups and entered the trade right on time. What I am grateful from today? Seeing the bright side, that I am almost there. Just need to get over this last hurdle. What do I need to improve on: 1) Need to get use to keep partialing as you lose faith in the trade. I seem to always want to take partial profit only on a new high. 2) Remember you are allowed to take 3 trades if the criteria is met. Don’t forget! 3) Take a large partial at the target. Don’t forget. 4) Deal with the self-sabotage 5) A losing trade doesn’t mean you were wrong. It was a statistical setup with proper risk.

19 september 2019 X trade 1 My first trade was on $X. I am trying out a new strategy. It is a 5 minute opening range breakout in combination with a V pattern move on the 1 minute. I see this move happen regularly. Gave this a shot and took a partial at 1:1 on a daily level. After that it squeezed up and got stopped out break even by the penny. Otherwise it would have been a nice 2:1 move. X trade 2 I made another trade on X, a descending wedge play. Now after reviewing it I realized it was not a good trade. On all the time frames were actually bullish signs instead of bearish signs. It had 5 higher highs on the 1 minute, on the 5 minute it engulfed and on the 15 minute it had formed a hammer. WLL I made another descending wedge trade on WLL. This stock was trending down the whole hour. I entered on a new 5 minute low. Not a bad setup, but unfortunately got an unlucky stop out by the penny. Otherwise it would have been really good move. Still happy I took this trade. MSFT Played a ascending wedge here. The same case as X trade 2 here. After reviewing it I realized it showed some bearish signs. It did move in my way, but was going for the HOD and it didn’t touch that. Not the best setup on MSFT. Ended this day with -2.5R. I’m down -4.5R now on the month.

9-19-19 Woke at 0735 with 4 hours of sleep and a bit groggy...... SSS and a coffee......... PAT: So much here...... Yesterday was terrible for me. I made a couple bad trades in a row and went into a tail spin when one of my good setups didn't work out as good as I wanted it to......... Get back to my sticky notes and journal....... I need to get back to my ORB setups with clear confirmation of an ABCD.............. After three loosing trades I need to walk away or journal MSFT........ I took 4 separate trades and on this review I realize I was trading my P&L by getting out too early on these trades and then reentering when I have clear confirmation again. This should have been one trade with less partials after the first three and add ins or just hold from there. I am happy with overall trades it just could have been a larger win if I would not have been thinking about yesterday still..... I also took too small of share size which also cost me...... first...... 1min ORB (A setup) with a .10 stop I was in 2/5 of a position..... The first two partials are the top two and all out on the bottom partial all in the 2nd 1min candle........... +27.76 second...... 2min ORB (A setup) with a .20 stop this time I still took 2/5 position.......... partial and all out way too early ......... +6.25 third....... 5min ORB with ABCD on 1min.......... I took full size here with a .30 stop took a partial and all out yet again before my stop...... +28.00 fourth............ PB#3....... Trend with bounce of 9ma on 1min and no new low on 5 or 15min........... took full size with a .30 stop....... took partials at key Rs and all out once I made a solid new 5 and 15min low......... +65.53 I know this is a could of would have should have but If I took proper share size from the beginning and kept to my normal stop losses with partials this should have been a 400+ trade +127.53 SNAP........ PB#2 (I feel this is an A setup but nervous from my many VWAP plays that have not been working out), took very small share size.... 4/1 projeccted .05/.20.... Below stop below VWAP and target 20ma..... actual was 4/1..... partial 50% at a little less than target, 50% a little above target and then all out....... +39.00 HUYA ....... Popped up on Turbo scanner...... PB#3 (A setup) without a great entry so I adjusted my size for the stop of .10.... ended up missing my target by .02 and price action changed so I got out with a small profit..... I should have partialed at 1R as I usually do.... +25.00 WLL ..... PB#2 (B setup) took 1/2 size...... tight stop of .05 and target of 9.25 for .22 below the VWAP and at a daily level...... I partialed at 1R then a smaller partial at 1.5R, moved stop to 9.10 a daily level and bottom of the new ABCD on the 2min .... all out on a SPY Spike which this followed.... +51.22 Cons: I took way too small of share sizes on setups I knew were good with little risk because I was nervous about yesterday and on the same note I got out of trades with MSFT which should have been one big trade....... Pros: I did have a much more clear picture in my head when I took these trades as what I expect if it went south or my way, I just let fear govern my fingers...... Favorite trade for Playbook: MSFT as on trade....... R = 50.00: +242.75

18Sep19 Green day. +1r. Kept it light today, as I am back after 3 weeks. Just one trade on $FDX. Watchlist: $FDX, $ROKU, $CHWY, $GIS. Trade1: $FDX. Gapped down due to earnings. Stock was selling off till the open. It offered the Rising Devil setup at the open. I took an entry after confirmation and got out at 2r.

Journaling is the best tool for learning what works and what does not work. Do not forget to review your journal at the end of each week. I have found many times that I found something to tweak during my weekly reviews of all my trades that I completely missed the day I was journaling. I highly recommend making sure you have a solid risk to reward plan and can manage stopping out before going live. It will only help you preserve your capital during the learning curve.

Thank you Blake! It definitely will!