Please show me where it says that gambling, by definition, entails "all or nothing." Forgive me, but you are attaching your own personal biases to the term. As I suggested, look the word up. It is what it is. Further, I suspect that the market landscape is littered with a fair number of relatively short-lived all-or-nothing trading careers. Risk-taking and gambling are fairly synonymous. Is there an arbiter who decides where one ends and the other begins?
You can argue semantics. Simply stated Trading can be "not gambling" and time can be on your side. hint: no limits on time or amounts.... ok the sky can fall... Since you like the dictionary, then note the exact wording throughout this thread on how I phrase this. Trading can be "NOT GAMBLING" Michael B.
The reason it's important is because many people think that buying stocks is investing. Or worse yet, they think playing with options is investing. If the average schmuck knew it was gambling they might make better choices. Investing implies some useful application of your money to produce something that ultimately generates a profit. Tell me how giving my money to the last sucker who owned that piece of paper called a stock is producing anything? Don
way way off topic...there are tangible affects. it does not have to be 'in your face" reality. the reality is...that trading can be "not gambling" for you purests of the human language and the definition of life...I suggest you suffocate yourselves...as your next breath is a gamble Michael B.
Forgive me, ES, as I mean no disrespect. However, I think it is you who are engaging in semantics. But, in deference to you, it is your thread, so I will be on my way. As an aside, I think that the only time trading can be "not gambling" is when the outcome is certain. I am just going by the actual definition of the term.
Thunderdog...I am having a lot of fun...just now..life is good. my friend ...do not give up so easy... you know how I feel about you...I consider you a friend... interpret "not gambling" and its preconceived assumption... Its funny I could agree with just about every post in this thread that takes both sides...but that would not be any fun! ElectricSavant⢠trading can be "not gambling"
A professional gambler calculates probabilities and doesn't care if his next bet is a winner or a loser as long as it represents good value... sound familiar?
OK, how about a compromise? I cannot regard trading as "not gambling" for the simple reason that I, personally, have never been able to extract all of the risk from the activity. However, I have encountered periods where I found trading to be "not profitable."
I could put a regression model on your equity curve that would place time on your side if you could trade in one unit increments and not larger increments (now... could you identify this, when you are gambling?). I could identify the amount of capital needed and the time neccesary. now would this be labor effective?...maybe not...(I made 4 bucks an hour counting cards in Blackjack in my younger years...not very good...but I paid for my hotel rooms and nice meals and kept an exremely cautious profile, but could only net 4 bucks an hour after transportation, meals and lodging were paid..and after I was paid a modest wage...yes I treat gambling as a business...lol) Now... if you have unlimited capital then definatley trading can be 'not Gambling" and can be the opposite of not profitable Did anybody really read every post in this thread ? Do you guys realize how old this thread is? Did you vote? Michael B.