Many people try to solve the wrong problem.
They think they have:
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A psychological problem.
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A patience problem.
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A discipline problem.
But if you're more disciplined working on how most people trade, you're more consistent in achieving poor performance.
You see:
Above are consequences of an incomplete understanding of the game, sound expertise and refined execution.
So let's start with understanding the game
"Having worked with many traders and trading firms over the years--and especially having participated in the recruitment of traders at those firms--I can say with confidence that distinctively successful traders view markets in distinctively unique ways." Dr Brett Steenbarger
Why is that?
Because trading's a competition in which the overwhelming majority lose. But...
You give yourself a real chance when:
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You look where the competition isn't looking, or.
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You look at what the competition is watching through a different lens.
Do this and you shift to unique.
Example to illustrate using AUD/USD
For context:
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upside moves occurred each previous day this week.
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reversion to downside during HKE lunch a thing.
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"hole" in value to the upside existed.
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*prior day demonstrated greater internal strength over other days.
*from game planning notes: "less flashing on the DOM, didn't need to grab profits off the table quickly before they vanished, sloppy long entries not penalised". Conclusion: internal strength but not evidenced by price moving up. But most are unaware of the last two points. So something unique was discovered!
But how do you turn it into a trade idea?
If internal strength continues but people are not aware of it - they'll keep entering into short trades.
Price could ultimately rip to the upside to force the short sellers to cover - their buying fuelling a move upwards.
But to force a short covering move, the time to execute is when:
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liquidity is down (HKE lunch).
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traders are expecting reversion.
Problem?
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How will the idea's integrity be maintained without giving away the game?
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What will this look like in the hours prior?
Solution
*from the game planning notes: "Likely have to outlast the competition as starting point. Hole in value above relative value after an already strong move up. Shorts need time to gain confidence to initiate. Longs need be irritated, causing them to cover and/or reverse."
Here's what that looks like on a chart. You can see why short sellers are attracted to this market. Right?
How did it play out? You'll see in a minute.
First?
Question: What's a problem behaviour people aren't aware of?
Answer: How often have you heard people say "I knew it was going to do that"?
But why's it a problem? Well...
How do you monetise that? Agree?
You see:
Your idea isn't a trade.
You still need a mechanism to monetise it. Make sense?
The wrong way.
You see trade executions on a chart.
You conclude the trader was trading chart price action. Right?
But that's not the case for unique trading.
What do you do? You use a multiple-evidence approach. But rather than speak gobbledygook here's a professional trading setup using a multiple-evidence approach to be unique.
See all the different windows?
You combine to uncover multiple evidence points.
Imagine it as you having many ducks in a row.
Dont't have all your ducks? No trade!
And trading the idea?
You can see how monetising it looks on a chart bearing in mind many points of evidence were combined for each execution.
Watch the competition through a different lens
There's a correlation between how many unique opportunities you uncover and your knowledge of the game.
No giving it away before hand...
Watch catching out the competiton below.
Forex and derivatives trading is a highly competitive and often extremely fast-paced environment. It only rewards individuals who attain the required level of skill and expertise to compete. Past performance is not indicative of future results. There is a substantial risk of loss to unskilled and inexperienced players. The high degree of leverage can work against you as well as for you. Before deciding to trade any such leveraged products you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite. The possibility exists that you could sustain a loss of some or all of your initial investment and therefore you should not invest money that you cannot afford to lose. You should be aware of all the risks associated with trading on margin, and seek advice from an independent
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD clings to small gains near 1.1750
Following a short-lasting correction in the early European session, EUR/USD regains its traction and clings to moderate gains at around 1.1750 on Monday. Nevertheless, the pair's volatility remains low, with investors awaiting this weeks key data releases from the US and the ECB policy announcements.
GBP/USD edges higher toward 1.3400 ahead of US data and BoE
GBP/USD reverses its direction and advances toward 1.3400 following a drop to the 1.3350 area earlier in the day. The US Dollar struggles to gather recovery momentum as markets await Tuesday's Nonfarm Payrolls data, while the Pound Sterling holds steady ahead of the BoE policy announcements later in the week.
Gold stuck around $4,300 as markets turn cautious
Gold loses its bullish momentum and retreats below $4,350 after testing this level earlier on Monday. XAU/USD, however, stays in positive territory as the US Dollar remains on the back foot on growing expectations for a dovish Fed policy outlook next year.
Solana consolidates as spot ETF inflows near $1 billion signal institutional dip-buying
Solana price hovers above $131 at the time of writing on Monday, nearing the upper boundary of a falling wedge pattern, awaiting a decisive breakout. On the institutional side, demand for spot Solana Exchange-Traded Funds remained firm, pushing total assets under management to nearly $1 billion since launch.
Big week ends with big doubts
The S&P 500 continued to push higher yesterday as the US 2-year yield wavered around the 3.50% mark following a Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cut earlier this week that was ultimately perceived as not that hawkish after all. The cut is especially boosting the non-tech pockets of the market.
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