"If I were to have placed the same exact trade on my live account instead of sim, it would have gone against me" Is perception everything?
Maybe it goes a bit against you on sim too, but you don't mind as much, because it's not real money. I think you trade too much size in your live account. (I only say so because it sounds familiar with some of my past experiences)
yes, it is just perception, like when we give meaning to a coincidence. But you are correct, it sure seems that way. The problem occurs when you are trading in paper and after you are sure it makes money, you switch to live. So you have gone live at the very top. Try losing a lot of money in paper and then putting the same strategy on live, most likely you will be getting in at the bottom. Most important thing is to realize that all these strategies have peaks and valleys.
Maybe considering reducing the number of contracts, widening your stop and thinking a little bit bigger picture?
My first question would be how does your sim model fills? If its just giving you the best bid or best ask, than that is probably your problem. Its already apparent that the typical players are going to show up to this thread and blame it all on those pesky algo's and the market being rigged.....
The only real value to "demo" is to reveal concepts which do not work. Just because some strategy appears to work in demo, doesn't mean it will work in real life. After all, there are no psychological pressures of money and reputation at work.
That is not necessarily true. That could be an optimistic fill. What if you are further back in the queue than the available depth of market?
true, but hopefully in paper you are making mental notes of when it was in your favor and when in real life it would have been against you. I don't trade that close, so one pip or one tick isn't going to make much difference as long as it is not always in my favor in paper.