I dont think that those asian guys that get the money of the other people that have lost in gambling machines are gambling. They know when they can win. (and also they do)
You do not have a clue about futures do you? Complicated? There are NO CONTRACTS that track "many different indexes and commodities". Leverage? Yes the contracts are leveraged and if you are uncomfortable with that then don't trade. 90 to 95% of people that attempt to trade lose no matter what they trade. I agree with you that futures contracts aren't a good idea for people like you. I don't know what inspired you to post this "public service announcement" though.
Futures are cross-correlated with ETFs, other futures markets, currencies, commodoties, stocks, etc. This electronic sub-second correlation is hypothesized as a major contributor to August 2015's Black Monday crash.
Yes other markets influence futures contracts. As a matter of fact there is NOTHING traded on this planet that is not influenced by other markets. I stand my assertion that there are no futures contract that "tracks so many different indexes and commodities". Name one. Is it something a guy reading the order flow should be worried about?
I like what you said but to be clear...trading or investing of any kind is gambling if you don't understand it, if you have no method, if you don't understand the risks involved, if you abuse your margin/leverage or any other gambler like behavior. Yet, there must be something said about real gamblers. Maybe its me but it seems like every time there's one of those TV shows covering a big card game on TV...there's a few usual names sitting at the table. Therefore, due to their consistent ability to win and then get into the big show...is gambling really gambling to those particular folks or they just consistently lucky year after year ?
yes, just about anybody can win WSOP just like anybody can win the lottery. But to make it to that final table two times in your life makes you a real player.
If you understand trading you may be trading. If you are trading based on carefully considered strategies you are a gambler. If you don't know what you are doing you are a fool.
Is trading Futures gambling? My definition of gambling may differ from that found in the dictionary. I see gambling as that based on gut feeling, tips, guessing, advice, and the like. And then again you can trade based on the proven fact that under a given set of circumstances you know what the price movement is most likely to do and/or continue doing(=true TA). This is based on computed probability and is what I would call speculation(my dictionary). So, I would say that approach determines if trading is gambling or not.
Man, start reading smth. "Options Futures and other Derivatives" by Hull is a classic. Just use the Indian edition. GL!