%% And he did not mean perfect=100% all the time-no such thing.Perfect also means mature; B111 hinted about that. Like target shooting, ''dry firing'' helps some. But live game with live ammo is much, much different. Hit rate on gamebirds which can fly about 75 mph is about 20% , on average . Trading is harder than that, mostly.
It is most certainly risky, but get used to it... investing is loaded with endless risk! Sooner or later you have to grow a pair and put some real money down. I believe that sooner is better: get in and pay your dues asap. Just don't make big bets; start small; 100 shares of stocks less than $5. Livingston said it like this: "I have heard of people who amuse themselves conducting imaginary operations in the stock market to prove with imaginary dollars how right they were. Sometimes these ghost gamblers make millions. It is very easy to be a plunger that way. It is like the old story of the man who was going to fight a duel the next day. His second asked him, "Are you a good shot?" "Well, said the duelist, "I can snap the stem of a wine glass at 20 paces," and he looked modest. "That's all very well," said the unimpressed second, "But can you snap the stem of a wineglass while the wineglass is pointing a loaded pistol straight at your heart?" [Reminiscenses of a Stock Operator, III]
%% That's one of the better ways; LOL, maybe why so few do.Any market pattern can show up in the stock market. Apple sellers flood the market with red apples, any color apples, usually late SEPT,[ good harvest time.......]good time to buy, usually, if one likes good apples+ i do Most of us should have started with one stock share+ a plan. But as they say in Chicago, ''the smarter you are , the longer it takes.'' I read in a trading mag, Oakton Community College has some help; i got some ideas from them , but never attended. Most like red apples; me too, but i also enjoy green Granny Smith, what they call '' a good keeper.'' Many apples rot quick unless you cool them..........................................................
If you are looking for consistent profits trading options, you got to find a strategy that fits your goal. Try it on paper for a while then trade it in a real account with money you can afford to lose. From an amateur perspective, I find the broken wing butterfly strategy that is placed as a credit on BOTH the put and call side as a very attractive set up. The holy grail will be what to do if the underlying is approaching one of your short ends. If you can consistently master what to do to profitably adjust the threatened side, you win every time. May be this will be a subject for a good thread.
I've read over 100 books on trading. My #1 recommendation is this $18 book (with a funny title): 12 Habitudes of Highly Successful Traders. Ms. Roosevelt, the author, is a traders coach.