Ok, I just made my first real trade with real money. It isn't anything to write home about. I sold short 100 SPY (how can I get margin on a cash account -- I'm probably in deep shit) at 86.16 and covered at 86.09 for a net gain of 5 dollars. This was my first trade to get my feet wet. I must admit that being in the market with real money is totally different from paper trading. I am now going to attempt an option play on INTC using a high delta ITM option. Again, this is getting my feet wet here.
What the? not to rain on your parade or anything, but spy trades? intc options? to get your feet wet? is that what all the ES FUTURES preparation was for?
First future's trade -137.50 This is not paper trading. This is much more intense. Hopefully this journal starts off backwards from everyone else's! Shit my heart was pounding, too. Is that normal?!
Aphie, a written plan detailing the instruments to be traded together with some trading rules would not go amiss. Good luck with your journal. If at anytime you feel the need for some disciplining, tampa has Madame C's number. Edit : It's a bit ambitious posting "real time" at this early stage, IMHO, especially with something as wild as the ES. Concentrate on your trading, not your journal.
Second trade in futures ... total for the day -237.50 I'm stopping for the day. I was very confused by IB's entry system. Apparently it keeps a running tally of Profit and loss and I thought it was for my second trade -- very confusing. Well, if I have learned one thing today, I just paid $200+ to realize this is very different than paper-trading. I am not upset, although I must admit that money can come and go extremely fast in futures. The market just gave me what I deserved. I have a lot more respect for it than I did an hour ago. 3 trades -- Spy was a winner and two hard losses in futures. My spirits are very high, though.
perfectly normal. slow down there tiger. sure, you've got your account funded now, doesn't mean you've gotta make 50 trades a minute. i don't think it's too useful to be posting every trade as soon as it occurs. why not patiently wait for a setup YOU recognise (you have some i assume), rather than just pulling the trigger simply because you now can. log out of ET sport. do your trading, concentrate FULLY on that (don't mind us poster/traders, that takes a while to develop - when you can calmly watch your position work its magic without sweating profusely over every tick.) THEN come back and let us know how u done. all the best.