Fri Aug 31 Monthly, Weekly Trade Summaries

20120831
Long 2 TF 809.4, 808.8, +0.2, -0.5
Long 1 TF 806.6, -1.0
Long 1 TF 803.1, +3.0
Long 1 TF 807.5, -1.2
Long 1 TF 806.7, +1.4
Total TF +1.9

Weekly Trade Summary 20120831-20120827
Total ES -0.0
Total YM +27
Total NQ +1.5
Total TF +2.8

Monthly Totals Aug 2012
Total ES +7.25
Total YM +142
Total NQ +26.75
Total TF +36.3

Thurs Aug 30 Trade Summary

20120830
Short 1 YM 13037, -0
Long 3 TF 810.4, 810.5, 810.2, -0.4, -1.0, -0.9
Long 2 TF 809.5, 809.6, -0.4, +0.7
Long 2 TF 808.4, 808.2, -0.3, -0.6
Long 2 TF 807.6, 807.5, +0.5, -0.7
Total TF -3.1

Wed Aug 29 Trade Summary

20120829
Short NQ 2789.0, +3.5
Short TF 814.2, -0.3
Long 2 NQ 2784.5, 2782.5, +0.25, -1.75
Short 1 TF 815.1, +1.2
Short 1 YM +7
Short 2 TF 812.3, 812.9, -1.1, -0.5
Short 1 TF 813.3, -0.6
Short 1 TF 816.2, -0.6
Short 1 YM, 13094, -0
Short 2 TF 816.7, 816.7, +0.6, +0.8
Total NQ +2.0
Total YM +7
Total TF -0.5

Tues Aug 28 Trade Summary

20120828
Long 2 NQ 2775.0, 2775.0, +1.0 -1.5
Long 2 TF 808.2, 808.4, +0.7, -0.7
Long 2 TF 808.1, +1.0, +2.0
Short 2 YM 13120, 13123, -0, -4
Short 1 TF 814.4, +1.0
Long 1 TF 810.4, -0
Total NQ -0.5
Total YM -4
Total TF +4.0

Mon Aug 27 Trade Summary

20120827
Long 2 TF 807.4, 807.3, +1.0, -0.2
Long 3 YM 13107, 13106, 113105, +8, +11, +12
Short 1 TF 812.9, -0.3
Total YM +31
Total TF +0.5

Fri Aug 24 Weekly Trade Summary

20120824
Long 1 TF 602.1, +1.0
Short 1 TF 803.4, +1.0
Long 1 TF 801.4, -0.5
Long 2 TF 801.1, 801.2, +1.3, +0.5
Total TF +3.3

Weekly Trade Summary 20120824-20120820
Total ES +1.25
Total YM -15
Total NQ +3.0
Total TF +11.1

Thurs Aug 23 Trade Summary

20120823
Long 2 TF 806.1, 806.2, +0.5, +1.5
Long 2 TF 805.1, 804.7, -0.7, -0.4
Long 2 TF 804.5, 804.6, +0.7, +1.0
Short 1 NQ 2728.75, -3.0
Short 1 TF 804.4, +1.0
Total NQ -3.0
Total TF +3.6

Wed Aug 22 Trade Summary

20120822
Short 1 TF 812.2, -0.5
Short 1 ES 1410.0, +1.25
Short 1 NQ 2772.75, +5.0
Short 1 TF 813.8, +1.0
Total ES +1.25
Total NQ +5.0
Total TF +0.5

Tues Aug 21 Trade Summary

20120821
Short 1 TF 818.8, -0.7
Short 1 TF 818.7, -0.6
Short 2 TF 823.3, 823.6, +0.4, +1.0
Short 1 TF 824.0, -0.6
Short 1 TF 824.8, -0.7
Short 2 TF 826.5, 826.2, +1.3, +0.2
Long 2 TF 824.9, -0.3
Long 2 NQ, 2790.0, 2790.0, +2, -1.0
Long 1 TF 824.5, -0
Long 2 NQ 2786.5, 2786.5, -0
Long 1 TF 821.3, -0.7
Long 2 TF 818.6, 818.8, +0.5, -0.5
Total NQ +1
Total TF -0.7

Mon Aug 20 Trade Summary

20120820
Short 2 YM 13223, 13223, +1, -6
Long 1 TF 819.9, +1.5
Short 2 TF 813.3, 813.3, +0.4, -0.5
Long 2 TF 812.2, 812.4, -0.5, +0.5
Long 2 TF 810.8, 810.8, +0.5, -0.7
Long 2 YM 13217, 13217, -5, -5
Long 1 TF 810.0, +1.1
Short 1 TF 811.7, -0.4
Short 1 TF 812.8, +0.7
Long 2 TF 812.0, 811.6, -0, +1.8
Total YM -15
Total TF +4.4

Fri Aug 17 Weekly Trade Summary

20120817
Short 2 TF 811.7, 811.8, -0.2, +0.5
Long 2 TF 811.9, 811.9, +0.4, +0.7
Total TF +1.4


Weekly Trade Summary 20120817-20120813
Total ES -0
Total YM +75
Total NQ -1.5
Total TF +11.7

Thur Aug 16 Trade Summary

20120816
Long 2 TF 799.6, 799.8, -0.2, -0.4
Short 1 TF 799.4, -0.6
Long 2 TF 799.5, 799.9, +0.8, +1.0
Long 2 YM 13127, 13127, +5, +20
Long 2 TF 798.5, 798.5, +0.5, +1.0
Short 1 NQ 2753.75, -1.5
Total NQ -1.50
Total YM +25
Total TF 2.1

Wed Aug 15 Trade Summary

20120815
Short 2 TF 796.7, 796.7, +0.6, -0.6
Short 2 YM 13158, 13158, +6, -6
Short 2 TF 798.3, 798.1, -0.6, +0.5
Short 2 TF 799.0, 799.1, -0.7, -0.1
Short 2 TF 799.1, 799.1, +0.8, +2.0
Short 2 TF 798.2, 798.3, -0.6, +0.5
Short 2 TF 799.8, 799.6, -04, +0.4
Short 1 TF 800.5, -0.3
Total YM -0
Total TF +1.5

Tues Aug 14 Trade Summary

Mon Aug 13 Trade Summary

20120813
Short 1 TF 797.5, -.6
Short 1 TF 798.2, +3.0
Short 2 YM 13158, 13158, +10, +20
Short 2 TF 796.2, 796.2, +0.4, +1.0
Total YM +30
Total TF +3.8

Fri Aug 10 Weekly Trade Summary

20120810
Short 1 TF 795.8, -0.6
Short 1 TF 798.2, +0.1
Short 1 TF 796.6, +1.0
Short 1 YM 13068, +8
Short 1 YM 13062, -8
Short 1 TF 796.6, -0.4
Short 1 YM 13075, -6
Short 2 NQ 2713.25, 2713.25, +1.0, -1.0
Short 2 YM 13117, 13127, -5, -14
Short 2 YM 13112, 13112, +40, +40
Total NQ -0.0
Total YM +55
Total TF +0.1


Weekly Trade Summary 20120810-20120806
Total ES +6.0
Total YM +69
Total NQ +13.75
Total TF +7.3

Thurs Aug 9 Trade Summary

20120809
Short 1 YM 13121 -7
Short 1 TF 799.6, -0.6
Short 1 TF 799.8, -0.6
Short 3 TF 801.2, 801.2, 801.5, +0.7, -0.7, -0.5
Short 1 ES 1401.75, +4.0
Short 2 NQ 2721.0, 2720.75, +5.0, +1.0
Short 1 TF 801.6, -0.6
Short 2 TF 802.4, 802.4, +1.0, -0.7
Short 3 TF 803.0, 802.9, 803.3, +2.8, +0.2, +1.0
Total ES +4.0
Total NQ +6.0
Total YM -7
Total TF +2.0

Wed Aug 8 Trade Summary

20120808
Long 2 TF 796.0, 796.1, +1.0, +1.2
Long 1 TF 797.5, +1.0
Long 1 TF 799.0, -0.4
Long 1 TF 798.0, -0.4
Long 1 TF 797.7, -0.4
Total TF +2.0

Tues Aug 7 Trade Summary

20120807
Long 2 TF 798.1, 798.1, +0.4, -0.4
Short 3 TF 798.7, 799.2, 799.2, -0.0, +1, +1.5
Long 2 NQ 2698.75, 2698.5, +2.0, +4.0
Short 2 YM 13132, 13132, +7, -5
Short 1 TF 800.0, -0
Long 2 TF 800.3, 800.3, -0.4, -0.4
Short 1 TF 800.7, -0.1
Long 1 TF 801.4, +0.6
Short 1 YM 13147, +11
Long 2 YM 13121, 13118, +3, +10
Total NQ +6.0
Total YM +26
Total TF +2.2

Mon Aug 6 Trade Summary

20120806
Short 2 YM 13098, 13098, -7, -7
Short 2 TF 791.1, 796.6, -0.8, -1.3
Short 1 ES 1395.25, +2.0
Short 2 TF 792.2, 792.2, +0.8, -0.9
Short 2 YM 13119, 13119, +10, -1
Short 2 TF 795.0, 795.4, +1.5, +1.0
Short 2 NQ 2691.75, 2691.75, +1.75, -0.0
Short 2 TF 795.1, 795.0, +0.7, +0.9
Short 1 TF 793.4, -0.5
Short 1 TF 794.9, +1.6
Total ES +2.0
Total NQ +1.75
Total YM -5
Total TF +3.0

Frid Aug 3 Weekly Trade Summary

20120803
Short 1 TF 781.6, -1.0
Short 2 TF 783, 783.1, +0.5, -1.0
Short 2 TF 783.7, 783.9, -1.2, -1.1
Short 2 TF 786.2, 786.3, +0.9, +0.5
Short 2 TF 785.4, 785.2, -0.2, +0.5
Short 2 TF 787.3, 787.2, -0.5, +0.1
Short 2 TF 789.1, 789.1, +0.4, +1.3
Total TF -0.8

Weekly Trade Summary 20120803-20120730
Total ES +0.0
Total YM -16
Total NQ +16.75
Total TF +12.6

Thurs Aug 2, Behavior Stops

Early action today was in a bull breakout mode. I took the YM contract as the TF leadership was already getting away. But trading a laggard does not usually yield good results. YM failed to follow on the early breakouts.

Then at initial resistance, I made the mistake of thinking that the lagging YM should help turn the NQ and TF contracts when they hit initial resistance. That didn't work either. So I compounded my mistake in taking the laggard long instead of using the leader, and fading leadership as if the laggard would hold it back. Although this strategy can, and often does work the the leadership roles are reversed (YM leading and TF lagging), it seldom pays to fade the Russell Index leadership.

When I have three losing trade calls in a roll, I put myself in the penalty box. I don't stop making trade calls, but my trade plan requires I make profits on two of the next three calls. Today, both those paper trade calls were good winners, allowing me to take the sixth and last trade call with real money again. But since I used the simulator for the paper trades, my account actually suffered a loss today, even though
my trade calls in total were profitable.

Why do I do this? Several reasons. It takes me out of the tendency traders lean towards of trying too hard to get their money back after losses. When three losses become five in a row, mostly likely I have lost more than my daily profit quota. It also forces me to focus very carefully on only my next signals, not 'which way I think the market is supposed to go', and thus helps separate my trading from any trend prejudice I may be suffering from at that time. Nothing is worse for results than 'trying to get even'. Valhalla Futures believes there is simply no way to survive and prosper trading futures without a precise trade plan, incorporating rules and setups. And behavior governors are part of that plan. Also included in a those governors are a limit to how many trades can be taken, and how much gross loss is tolerated before trading with real money must be halted.

20120802
Long 2 YM 12840, 12840, -7, -7
Short 2 NQ 2615.0, 2617.0, -5.0, -2.0
Short 2 TF 767.1, 767.1, -1.2, -1.2
Short 2 TF 768.2, 768.2, +0.5, +1.2
Long 2 NQ 2625.5, 2625.5, +2.0, +10.0
Long 2 TF 768.9, 768.9, +0.4, +1.4
Total YM -14
Total NQ +5.0
Total TF +1.3

Wed Aug 1 Trade Summary

20120801
Long 1 YM 12999, -0
Long 1 NQ 2641.25, +5.0
Long 1 TF 783.3, +1.4
Long 2 YM 12993, 12995, -5, +5
Long 1 TF 781.7, -0.3
Long 2 TF 781.5, 781.8, +0.9, +0.6
Long 2 TF 779.8, 779.8, +0.5, -0.2
Total YM -0
Total NQ +5.0
Total TF +2.9