Fri Oct 28 Trade Summary

20161028
Short 1 TF 1188.9, -0.2
Short 2 TF 1190.7, 1191.1, -0.1, +0.7
Long 3 TF 1189.5, 1188.6, 1188.1, -1.4, +1.1, +1.4
Long 1 TF 1188.1, +2.0
Short 1 TF 1190.4, -1.6
Short 2 NQ 4838.5, 4838.0, +2.0, -2.5
Short 2 YM 18156, 18155, +7, +2
Short 2 TF 1193.7, 1193.8, +1.5, +0.5
Long 1 TF 1191.4, -0.6
Long 1 TF 1191.1, +1.1
Total YM +9
Total NQ -0.5
Total TF +4.4

Thurs Oct 27 Trades and Journal

20161027
Long 1 NQ 4869.25, -1.0
Long 1 TF 1201.4, -0.5
Long 2 TF 1201.0, 1201.1, +1.2, +1.5
Long 1 NQ 4863.0, +5.0
Long 1 TF 1200.8, -0.7
Long 3 TF 1199.4, 1198.7, 1198.7, -0.0, -0.0, -0.0
Long 3 TF 1197.4, 1196.5, 1196.5, -0.0, -0.0, -0.0
Long 2 TF 1195.3, 1195.5, +2.3, +1.0
Long 1 NQ 4846.0, -1.0
Long 2 TF 1195.1, 1195.2, +0.7, +1.0
Long 1 TF 1293.8, -0.1
Total NQ +3.0
Total TF +6.4

'Price Action', as it is so called, can be very deceiving. It seems to say one thing while delivering quite the opposite. That my losses did not more equal my profits must fairly be admitted to luck more than skill. I entered too early on buy-stop's at critical structure and price levels, only to have those levels smashed by after-shocks once my price was filled. That a -1.4 stop-loss was enough to survive those initial aftershocks was surprising at the time. But always stick to plan. When filled, an auto-trade management platform should fill your protective stop some default distance from the entry level. Mine is 1.4 for the TF, 3 for the NQ, 1.75 for the ES and 12 for the YM. If price goes my way initially, I cut those stp's down. As I am usually buying in a falling market, a price reaction often favors such daring entries leaving a candle tail just below. I can then cut the stop to that candle tail and see if it holds. Exit one of two contracts at some default profit, say +0.7 to +1.0 for the TF, and you've paid for the trade should a more significant turn not come. But today, price didn't go much in my favor after entries in several critical places. ...but didn't quite stop me out either. Instead, the Trade Plan stipulates that if the entry did not produce a favorable reaction in my direction, and yet nearly-but-not-quite stops me out, bring your default target quickly to break-even and just step aside. If the structure and other trade entry model aspects are still in place after this initial price erosion, then consider re entering closer to the fresh price extreme on a retest for a better relative fill. If that retest fails, however, or if the after shock destroyed the wave structure needed for the model, then wait for another model altogether. Keep to the Plan. In the heat of the moment, that's all you actually have. Assuming you know what the market is trying to do based on your appraisal of 'Price Action' is the very worst thing you can rely on for trade entry.

Wed Oct 26 Trade Summary

20161026
Short 1 NQ 4854.0, -2.0
Long 1 TF 1207.5, +1.5
Long 1 TF 1208.6, +1.5
Long 1 TF 1206.9, +0.1
Short 1 NQ 4854.5, +2.0
Short 1 YM 18048, -7
Short 1 YM 18093, +6
Short 1 NQ 4873.25, -2.0
Short 2 NQ 4876.5, 4877.5, +3.0, -2.0
Short 2 TF 1213.9, 1213.9, -0.0, -0.0
Long 1 TF 1212.0, -0.1
PM trades:
Long 1 TF 1209.9, -0.1
Long 1 TF 1209.6, +0.2
Long 1 TF 1199.2, +2.0
Total YM -1
Total NQ -1.0
Total TF +5.1

Tues Oct 25 Trade Summary

20161025
Short 1 NQ 4901.5, +4.0
Short 1 TF 1224.4, +1.5
Long 1 TF 1221.0, +2.0
Long 1 TF 1217.7, -0.4
Long 1 TF 1217.7, -0.2
Long 1 TF 1214.5, -1.4
Long 2 TF 1212.4, 1212.5, +1.0, +1.0
Total NQ +4.0
Total TF +3.5

Mon Oct 24 Trade Summary

20161024
Short 3 TF 1230.5, 1230.9, 1230.5, +0.5, +1.5, +0.7
Long 1 TF 1227.3, -0.0
Long 1 TF 1227.5, -0.0
Long 1 TF 1227.2, +0.7
Total TF +3.4

Fri Oct 21 Trades & Journal

20161021
Short 1 TF 1207.4, -0.0
Short 1 TF 1208.3, -0.3,
Long 1 TF 1208.7, -0.7
Long 1 TF 1209.2, -0.2
Short 1 TF 1210.9, +1.4
Long 1 YM 17976, -7
Long 1 NQ 4825.5, +5.25
Long 1 NQ 4827.75, +7.0
Long 1 NQ 4831.25, +4.0
Short 1 TF 1216.2, -0.1
Total YM -7
Total NQ +16.25
Total TF +0.1

Trade where the signals occur. Too many beginner traders say things like "I'm only going to trade the TF", ....or the ES, or whatever. The market doesn't care what you want. The TF is certainly the more desirable candidate for any entry, and and if signals do not occur there but do occur in the NQ and one of the others simultaneously, the TF is likely to do the same, even if it's entry model is incomplete. But unless you're ready to take trades in any contract, many days' action will simply leave you stranded.....or worse, leave you pressing. Monitor real estate is cheap these days. Buy lots of them... enough to cover charting for all 4 major contracts and the price entry ladders to go with each. Trade where the market leads you, not where you want to go.

Thurs Oct 20 Trade Summary

20161020
Long 1 NQ 4823.0, +5.0
Short 1 TF 1218.9, -0.6
Short 2 TF 1220.4, 1220.1, +1.6, +0.7
Long 1 TF 1217.1, -0.1
Long 1 TF 1216.0, -0.4
Long 2 TF 1215.9, 1215.9, -0.4, -0.4
Long 1 TF 1211.7, -0.1
Long 1 TF 1211.0, -0.6
Short 2 TF 1215.2, 1215.0, +0.7, +1.1
Total NQ +5.0
Total TF +1.5

Wed Oct 19 Trade Summary

20161019
Short 1 NQ 4830.75, -0.5
Long 1 TF 1214.1, -0.4
Long 1 TF 1212.8, +1.8
Long 1 NQ 4827.0, +7.5
Long 1 TF 1209.8, +1.5
Total NQ +7.0
Total TF +2.9

Tues Oct 18 Trade Summary

20161018
Long 1 TF 1217.1, -0.3
Short 1 TF 1216.5, +1.0
Short 1 NQ 4844.0, -0.5
Long 1 TF 1215.4, -0.7
Long 2 TF 1214.4, 1213.8, +0.7, -0.3
Long 1 TF 1213.8, +0.7
Short 1 TF 1214.2, +1.5
Short 1 TF 1213.4, -0.7
Short 2 TF 1213.8, 1214.0, -0.7, -0.5
Short 1 TF 1217.1, -0.1
Short 2 TF 1218.3, 1218.7, -1.4, +0.7
Short 2 TF 1220.0, 1219.9, +0.5, +0.8
Total NQ -0.5
Total TF +1.2

Mon Oct 17 Trade Summary

20161017
Short 1 NQ 4804.5, +3.0
Short 2 TF 1211.1, 1211.6, +1.2, +0.7
Long 1 TF 1208.9, +2.3
Short 1 NQ 4797.5, +3.0
Total NQ +6.0
Total TF +4.2

Fri Oct 14 Trades and Journal

20161014
Short 1 NQ 4839.0, +5.0
Long 1 NQ 4830.0, +4.0
Long 1 TF 1230.1, +1.2
Short 1 TF 1223.0, +0.3
Long 1 TF 1220.5, -0.7
Long 1 TF 1219.2, +1.5
Long 1 TF 1217.1, -0.3
Long 1 TF 12.8, -0.0
Long 1 TF 1213.1, -0.0
Long 1 TF 1211.1, -0.0
Long 1 TF 1211.1, +2.0
Total NQ +9.0
Total TF +4.0

In trading, one mistake tends to compound into another. One instigator of this comes from exiting an otherwise good position too soon, sometimes by simply doubting it merits even before it shows you any pain, as I did on a short at a high fairly early in the frame, and again at the LOD at the end of the 1st frame. When you get close to your trading goal for the frame, you get protective and balk at any hesitation the market shows once a position taken. Then, when it exceeds your expectations for the excursion altogether--while you're now on the sidelines--a tendency to get some revenge creeps in and you enter the next trade too early. Although you'd like to pretend you're a machine. You are not. And once out of sync, a whole series of mistakes can be committed, and your profits can be given back quickly. Stay calm. Shake off the doubts. If the model was valid, it deserves the minimum risk afforded to Trade Plan. Accept your stop-outs. A stop-out on a valid entry model is trading according to Plan. Dumping a trade because you have misgivings about it emotionally is not.

Thurs Oct 13 Trade Summary

20161013
Short 1 NQ 4782.5, +4.5
Long 1 TF 1212.6, -0.5
Short 1 TF 1200.0, +1.0
Long 2 TF 1209.6, 1208.5, 1208.3, -1.6, -1.4, -1.0
Long 3 TF 1207.4, 1207.4, 1207.4, +1.0, -0.5, -0.5
Long 3 YM 17878, 17878, 17875, +20, +20, +15
Short 1 TF 1208.9, -0.3
Short 3 TF 1210.0, 1210.1, 1209.9, +0.8, -0.5, -0.3
Long 1 YM 17874, +20
Short 1 TF 1214.6, -0.4
Short 1 TF 1214.6, 1214.6, 1214.7, -0.8, +0.7, +0.7
Short 1 TF 1215.0, +1.5
Total YM +75
Total NQ +4.5
Total TF -2.1

Wed Oct 12 Trade Summary

20161012
Short 1 TF 1228.2, +1.1
Short 2 TF 1228.2, 1228.9, -0.0, +2.0
Long 1 TF 1226.2, +1.7
Total TF +4.8

Tues Oct 11 Trade Summary

20161011
Short 1 NQ 4880.00, +5.0
Short 1 TF 1241.7, +1.7
Long 1 NQ 4871.25, -1.25
Long 1 TF 1239.0, -0.0
Short 1 YM 18163, +45
Long 1 TF 1237.3, -0.0
Total YM +45
Total NQ +3.75
Total TF +1.7

Mon Oct 10 Trade Summary

20161010
Short 3 TF 1251.5, 1251.3, 1251.5, -0.1, +1.0, +0.7
Short 1 NQ 4898.5, +3.0
Short 1 NQ 4900.75, +5.0
Total NQ +8.0
Total TF +1.6

Fri Oct 7 Trade Summary

20161007
Short 2 NQ 4862.0, 4862.0, +2.0, +4.0
Short 2 TF 1239.8, 1240.0, -1.4, -1.4
Short 3 TF 1241.5, 1241.5, 1241.5, +1.4, +1.4, +1.4
Total NQ +6.0
Total TF +1.4

Thurs Oct 6 Trade Summary

20161006
Short 2 NQ 4861.25, 4862.25, +2.0, +6.0
Long 1 NQ 4855.5, -1.5
Short 1 NQ 4860.0, +1.0
Long 2 TF 1234.8, 1235.1, +1.0, +1.0
Total NQ +7.5
Total TF +2.0

Wed Oct 5 Trade Summary

20161005
Short 2 NQ 4872.5, 4872.5, -2.0, -2.0
Short 1 TF 1244.7, -0.5
Short 1 TF 1245.1, +1.5
Short 1 TF 1246.8, -0.5
Short 3 TF 1247.3, 1247.2, 1247.3, +0.7, +1.0, +1.0
Short 2 NQ 4883.5, 4883.5, +2.0, +2.0
Total NQ -0
Total TF +3.2

Tues Oct 4 Trade Summary

20161004
Short 1 YM 18217, -4
Short 1 TF 1244.3, +1.1
Short 1 TF 1245.7, +1.0
Short 1 TF 1243.8, -0.2
Long 3 TF 1241.3, 1240.3, 1240.3, -1.3, +0.9, +2.0
Short 3 TF 1243.7, 1243.7, 1243.8, -0.0, -0.7, -0.7
Short 2 TF 1244.6, 1244.6, -0.7, -0.7
Short 3 TF 1245.2, 1254.2, 1245.2, -0.3, -0.3, -0.3
Long 2 TF 1243.4, 1243.4, -1.0, -1.0
Long 1 NQ 4863.0, -2.0
Long 3 TF 1239.0, 1239.4, 1239.0, +2.4, +1.0, +1.0
Total YM -4
Total NQ -2.0
Total TF +2.1

Mon Oct 3 Trades & Journal

20161003
Short 1 NQ 4862.0, -1.0
Long 2 TF 1239.6, 1239.6, +0.6, -0.7
Long 2 NQ 4851.0, 4851.0, -1.25, -1.25
Short 1 YM 18129, -1
Short 2 YM 18146, 18146, -10, -10
Short 2 YM 18179, 18179, +20, +25
Short 2 TF 1241.6, 1241.4, -0.9, +0.7
Short 1 TF 1243.1, -0.7
Short 2 TF 1243.4, 1243.4, -1.4, -1.4
Short 1 TF 1244.5, -1.4
Long 1 TF 1242.6, -0.5
Total YM +44
Total NQ -3.5
Total TF -5.7
Second trend directions can be tricky. Disguised as pullbacks to the 1st trend direction, they often come accompanied by stutter-step action, which can draw you in as encourage to fade the dwindling strength. But 2nd trends are where the surprises often lie. A strategy when the entry models are ambiguous, and assume the roles both of pullback opportunities as well as inflection break-out opp's, is to use smaller stp-loos values, and lessen the pain if surprised by the short covering build. Today, I did not, and consequently paid the price of a full days' loss limit to bring my trading to a halt.

Fri Sep 30 no trades, away from the market