Any suggestions for good online games in between setups...not so hypnotic that one loses focus, but fun or smart enough to be entertaining...?
Yeah, I know one you could try one: it's called "find another opportunity". But, if you want to try a game then you should play a game that uses a different set of skills then required for your trading style. If your trading is mostly visual then that will limit the number of games that could make sense. Perhaps something left-brained, a cross-word puzzle or maybe program your strategies or run studies.
http://www.gamesforthebrain.com/game/colorlines/ It may sound silly but before the reg market opens, sometimes I play a game or two of this (or others) to see how alert I am. If I'm sluggish, I make a mental note to check market decisions 11 times instead of 10
Exactly. I watch and trade basically 5 different futures markets. No I don't catch every setup in each one, but I prefer to wait for the most ideal setups to trade. So having a handful of markets to watch gives me ample opportunity to find ideal setups, in addition to keeping me plenty busy when any one market is dead.
I trade equities and when I'm not in a trade, I am looking for trades. Though, Yahoo Pool is one of my favorites. I also like the action over at TypeRacer.com You can go beg for money on Runescape, which is free.
Depends on what kind of games you like. Angry birds is a big hit, or check out any of the "match 3" type of games, like Cradle of Rome 2 or Jewel Quest.... Card games are also good for sharpening your mind...
Distractions during the working day? This is not a professional viewpoint. The market is not a game. It is not appropriate to play "other games" when your market game is not entertaining you. How do aspirants expect to make consistent profits in their chosen market if they do not study the characteristics of their market every day from open to close, with additional time spent preparing before the market opens and reviewing after the market closes. Those who treat this business as a hobby get what they deserve. Doing something else is "losing focus" on what you should be doing. If you trade on such a long timeframe that trade decisions are generated infrequently you may not be making the most of your potential. For those with limited capital, frequent trading of a volatile market is the most effective way to grow trading capital quickly and with minimal drawdowns. Such trading does not allow for distractions or games during the trading session. When you are flat, it is because you do not understand what the market is doing, or you understand that conditions are not right to participate. In the former case you should be working to understand the condition in force, not playing games. In the latter case, you should be working on whether there is structure you could learn to understand and make profit from. You would say that there isn't a setup according to your strategy or your timeframe. That does not mean that there are not more proficient traders making profits from the same gyrations you dismiss as "noise", "chop", or not worthy of participation. Why limit your potential? Playing a game to assess your alertness before beginning a market day is valid. There was a program developed for long range truckers. Before clocking on, one had to keep a small dot inside a white box by adjusting a knob. As the session progressed, this became more difficult to do. A baseline was established for each employee. If you were suffering from insufficient sleep, stress, illness, or the effects of some drugs you would be unable to concentrate sufficiently to reach your baseline, and would be required to see a supervisor and miss the shift. I would be interested to see if something similar will be developed for traders. When you have been at this long enough, you "know" when you should take time off. However, it would be good to have an empirical measurement too.