If anyone has taken the trading class / seminar offered by Mr. Mark Cook, I'd like to hear your opinion of it. Please respond to this thread, or if you prefer in private, to tomham@ameritech.net. Thanks !
Did you get any reply on how it is? I corresponded with him a couple of times thru emails and he seems like a good guy. I did not go to his seminar at the farm... thinking about doing it maybe two years from now if I want to diversify into another program.
I have been to two of his seminars, one at the farm and one with Linda Bradford Raschke in Las Vegas. Both were informative. Do you have any specific questions? Dave
Thanks for the reply(s). I (briefly) met Mark Cook at a conference last week. He does seem to be a very down to earth guy & has the credentials to match his classes (interviewed in the Market wizard book). His "Cook cumulative Tick" indicator is of interest, as well as his classes on his farm. My question is related to anyone who has attend Mark's classes, and do they feel that it was of "great value" (easily worth the $3,500 tuition). I also noted that he does have a video seminar. Again, wondering if that is of similar value. Since Mark trades in all time frames (day & position), it sounds like his techniques are of solid value. I would be interested in first hand info. though.
Hi TomHam, Repeat. I HAVE BEEN TO 2 MARK COOK SEMINARS. His Cook Cumulative is a long term sentiment indicator. It is useless for intraday trading and is really an incomprehensible formula. He will give you the CCT formula with some prodding but you will never consistently be able to keep up with it's calculation, it's just too weird. What do you mean by easily worth $3,500? Do you mean will I be able to trade once I complete his course? Short answer....NO! Even Mark will admit it's just a starting point on a very long path. I have the video seminar..it's O.K. probably about 1/2 - 3/4 of his farm seminar. Mark Cook trading style is counter trend trading and unless that style fits your personality,your stomach, or your pocketbook, you may not want to attempt it. Unless his style has changed, his trades revolved around his TICK, TIKI, and Prem trades...some of them accompanied by time stops. If you don't know anything about these exchange calculated indicators you can probably use the search function on Elitetrader and ask questions. There are still many good traders here willing to help. BTW, TICK, TIKI, PREM all important, but not to be traded in a vacuum. You need other confirmation. Save the $3,500 for trading. Learn a simple system. Get real time quotes if you don't already subscribe. Study price action for a while and ask more questions. Good Luck Dave
Thanks for the summary Dave. That tells me basically what I wanted to know. Counter trend is not really my style, and the "Cook Cumulative Tick" indicator sounds alittle obtuse for me. I shall press on.
Hi Martys, Yes. On a scale of 1 to 10 I'd rate Linda Raschke an 8.5 and Mark Cook a 5. Linda knows everything Mark does and then some. The seminar was held over a 3 day period. Two days of textbook instruction, with the final day of study spent in live trading. I recall Linda made 15-20K that day (pre FOMC day) with sub par conditions. One monitor, a cell phone ( can you hear me now), an unstable DSL connection, and 200 attendees asking numerous questions. The seminar was held in a conference room at the MGM hotel in Las Vegas. (Mark cook made 1 tick in the Bonds and 1.25 pts in the S&P on very small size). She is a consummate student of the markets. Always trading, always testing, always seeking an edge. Watching her trade was like watching a skilled surgeon with scalpel. At the time, is was not only a thing of beauty to watch her trade, but also an eye opener. Simple knowing the fact that success comes to those few traders with skills equal to or greater than Linda's, gives one pause. If you want to make money, you must be that good. Linda's Minuses are highly discretionary Technical Analysis trading. Large stops (3pts+) on small scalps off her short skirt system (minor bull or bear flag continuation formations in the direction of the trend). So, if you don't like Technicals, this is not a seminar for you. Will Linda's seminar allow you to be a profitable trader? Again and unfortunately as in Mark Cook's seminar the answer is still ....NO! But for me at least, it was something sturdy which I was able to build upon, and I do not regret her tuition costs. With that said, Mark Cook, Linda Bradford, and Marty Buzzy Schwartz (yes, we met in Florida once) were my initial mentors and market foundation. In the business of trading seminars and empty Stock Market Guru's I think I did O.K. Many here have either spent more $ or wasted more time on a lot worse. Be careful when spending seminar dollars. Few are worth it. Best Regards, Dave Scott