Michael's (zlabis) Journal [The Magician]

[immy]

Yes
I've concluded based on my research that keeping us to quality fruits and classic breakouts would be a better choice. We need to focus on adding more and letting them run. Next step is to progress towards increasing lot sizes and employ reverse pyramid technology... More on this in time... All the best

[zlabis]

Wed. Jun 10, 2015

Screen time FO + LO-session 8:00 - 11:00 (GMT+2) M1 DAX only - LIVE

Today was plain, effortless and joyful trading. No forced entries, no over-trading, only fun by taking valid signals (valid to me).
Trades are self-explaining, IMHO.

Trade 4/20-14: DS = 1, SL = 11.0, Result = - 11.0 Pips
Trade 5/20-14: DS = 1, SL = 15.7 + 25.1, Result = + 4.9 - 4.6 = + 0.3 Pips
Trade 6/20-14: DS = 1, SL = 23.5, Result = - 23.5 Pips
Trade 8/20-14: DS = 1, SL = 18.5 + 25.0 + 17.3, Result = + 33.6 + 13.7 + 22.8 = + 70.1 Pips
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Today's result: + 35.9 Pips , DS = 4 / 4 , 2.00 hrs

[zlabis]

Thu. Jun 11, 2015

Screen time FO + LO-session 8:00 - 11:00 (GMT+2) M1 DAX only - LIVE
After some research of FO-sessions, including period January 2014 until today, I decided to trade only the FO breakout reversal and very small-risk entries a few minutes before London Open for being prepared to LO breakout although I will not force entries there - smooth, easy and effortless. In future, I will leave the mid-FO-session alone.

Trade 8/20-14:
So I took that counter-fruit today which seemed to work out nicely as it went through gator pretty easily. I didn't add on because AIMS level was old even pre-FO. Unfortunately it didn't go higher after that up push and I exited it as it closed below green with a tiny rent. Next.

Trade 9/20-14:
2 minutes before LO I braketed AIMS box and it triggered PO-long with 3 or 4 Pips slippage as it broke upper AIMS level only to return immediately and hit init SL on opposite side of gator and to hit PO for SAR-short into Trade 10/20-14. All within one single period. Rent, Next.

Trade 10/20-14:
SAR of Trade 9/20-14 due to previousely placed short-PO below box. It didn't work out again and got exited at init SL at opposite side of gator => SAR again. Rent, Next.

Trade 11/20-14:
SAR of Trade 10/20-14. Was my last planned attempt to catch proper LO-breakout. This time it worked out well. It retraced a bit once but not enough to form a new AIMS level, so I didn't add on to that campaign. I got exited by trailing AIMS levels with some profit.

Trade 12/20-14:
Was somehow a continuation of last trade. Setup was a beautiful S2 after AIMS-box stepped down and good M5 up-move. It turned out to be a big winner with nearly 70p. I should have added on at least once but I had the feeling that the move had already gone rather far so I didn't do it - unfortunately, so DS = 0 for that ;-)
During that last up-push, price moved away from gator strongly and showed big angle with red/green gator, so I decided trailing candles. As it pushed through M5 TZ1 level, I placed Stop-level below M5 TZ1 where the trade got exited with very good result for a single-position trade.

Trade 13/20-14:
While previous long-trade was still running I took that promising down fruit. It was promising because price moved up and away from gator too far, too fast and formed big angle with red/green gator. Although it was a good setup it simply didn't work out and gave me some rent, Next ;-)

As conclusion I can say that it was effortless and fun trading again. In addition, in Skype group Immy and fellow AIMSters gave us good lessons and insights into their ways of thinking according to trading - thanks guys ;-)

Trade 8/20-14: DS = 1, SL = 14.0, Result = - 2.8 Pips
Trade 9/20-14: DS = 1, SL = 11.4, Result = - 11.4 Pips
Trade 10/20-14: DS = 1, SL = 12.4, Result = - 12.4 Pips
Trade 11/20-14: DS = 1, SL = 12.0, Result = + 26.7 Pips
Trade 12/20-14: DS = 0, SL = 21.4, Result = + 69.8 Pips
Trade 13/20-14: DS = 1, SL = 18.9, Result = - 20.0 Pips
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Today's result: + 49.9 Pips , DS = 5 / 6 , 2.00 hrs

[immy]

Hello the Magician

Just wanted to say, great trade today. well managed. Well watched. and well done. i often over complicate things. You seem to make it look so easy.

may the pips be with you!

[zlabis]

I often over complicate things. You seem to make it look so easy.

Believe me Immy, I often fight with myself not taking too much information into consideration, but it happens anyway. On some days I'm in tune with market and everything is running smooth and easy on others I'm not that much in tune and trading is not that easy and simple.

But most knowledge about trading I've got from you, not least simplicity of charts and analysis. I'm sure you remember the time a few months ago, when I wanted to confirm my decissions with trend-lines, support- and resistence levels, pivot-levels, trend-channels on variouse time frames and so on. With the time all these "tools" got thrown away and now I'm trading from a plain fruit-template chart on M1 with a short view on M5 and H1 for larger trend situation at the beginning of my session. Only tools I'm using now is standard indicator set of fruit template, FTM and Fibonacchi retracement and extension due to Elliott Wave analysis, espacially to recognize a possible w1-2 (retracement at 50.0-61.8%), end of wave 4 (retracement at 38.2-50.0%) and end of w5 (61.8-100.0% fib ext). That's it and everything learnt from you!

You're the master of trading simplicity, Immy ^:)^

[zlabis]

Fri. Jun 12, 2015

Screen time FO + LO-session 8:00 - 10:00 (GMT+2) M1 DAX only - LIVE

Today, DAX didn't deliver "our" reversal signal at the first few candles after FO, so I stayed out for the rest of the session until around 15 minutes to LO, according to my new, my slightly modified trading plan.

The beautiful AA-Fruit a few minutes to LO worked out nicely (Trade 14/20-14 + add on) as well as reversal after first bigger move after LO (SAR of Trade 14/20-14 into Trade 16/20-14).
Then I've lost sync of market and missed a lovely down fruit with big angle at top of the swing. That fruit showed up right at the next candle after I had added on to Trade 14, so my mind was completely locked onto longs so I didn't even realize the signal for opposite direction. Typical situation of not being in the zone anymore when "old" parts of brain (fight-or-fligh, pain avoidence,...) are taking control, filtering out informations which unconsciously are considered unneccessary. At the moment I realized it, I took a break.
After a while, I was ready to take trades again. A few minutes before my session was over, I took a very strong down-fruit with one add on (Trade 17/20-14). I trailed candles after a good down-push because my time was already over and I needed a reasonable exit. I don't like pulling trades out manually and prefere proper exit signals even if is only simple trailing candles like here with some nice profit.

Trade 14/20-14: DS = 1, SL = 9.8 + 18.6, Result = + 24.3 + 15.4 = + 39.7 Pips
Trade 15/20-14: DS = 1, SL = 9.5, Result = - 9.5 Pips
Trade 16/20-14: DS = 1, SL = 19.6 + 29.8, REsult = + 22.1 - 11.5 = + 10.6 Pips
Trade 17/20-14: DS = 1, SL = 19.4 + 23.0, Result = + 28.3 + 8.9 = + 37.2 Pips
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Today's Result: + 78.0 Pips, DS = 4 / 4 , 2.00 hrs

Result of week 24 - 08.06-12.06.2015 - M1 live:
Mon. 08.06. + 40.6 Pips, DS 8/8, 2.00 hrs, M1
Tue. 09.06. - 28.9 Pips, DS 8/8, 2.00 hrs, M1
Wed. 10.06. + 35.9 Pips, DS 4/4, 2.00 hrs, M1
Thu. 11.06. + 49.9 Pips, DS 5/6, 2.00 hrs, M1
Fri . 12.06. + 78.0 Pips, DS 4/4, 2.00 hrs, M1
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Result ...... + 175.5 Pips, DS 29/30 (96.6%), 10.00 hrs

[zlabis]

Mon. Jun 15, 2015

Screen time FO + LO-session 8:00 - 09:15 (GMT+2) M1 DAX only - LIVE

Today FO started rather spectacularly with a 100 Pip gap and further 100 Pips down move in a few minutes. After that FO session was dead but braught up a nice AA-Fruit a few minutes to LO.

Trade 18/20-14:
A few minutes to LO there had formed a pretty, small AA-Fruit which was a good opportunity for great R/R ratio if LO breakout would have gone in direction of it. I added on at LO breakout which was promissing as well. Unfortunately right at the next candle it went into erratic up-and down which kicked me out at init SLs with a rather high rent. Next, I thought and took SAR into Trade 19/20-14.

Trade 19/20-14:
similar situation again, right after it had been triggered, price reversed immediately and it was closed at init SL with rent. Next and SAR into Trade 20/20-14.

Trade 20/20-14:
SAR of previous trade which didn't work out either.

At least at that that time it was clear that we were in choppy period but my daily SL got hit so I had to quit trading actively but I stayed in AIMS skype room for some lively conversations where Immy and other allowed us to participate from their knowledge. The skype AIMS trading room is such a valuable resource, where issues are discussed and clearified when the take place.

Today showed up a small weakness of my money management with fixed lot sizes, if box or signal bars at LO breakout are big. Then it can happen that my daily Stop Loss is hit after only 3 failed attemps. But anyway, it works out much more often than not, so it's fine for me and there's no need to change anything at the moment ;-)

Trade 18/20-14: DS = 1, SL = 8.8 + 24.2, Result = - 8.8 - 24.2 = - 33.0 Pips
Trade 19/20-14: DS = 1, SL = 29.2, Result = -29.2 Pips
Trade 20/20-14: DS = 1, SL = 24.3, Result = - 24.3 Pips
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Today's result: - 86.5 Pips, DS = 3 / 3, 1.25 hrs

[immy]

Good Job You Stopped! otherwise, if you stayed like me it could have gone worse. Though i did catch something later that brought me back to normal. Your approach was better. We cannot and will not and must not allow ourselves to destroy a week worth of work during a single day of choppy markets! thats the key!

[Hill]

The best journal; and great reference.

[zlabis]

Good Job You Stopped! otherwise, if you stayed like me it could have gone worse. Though i did catch something later that brought me back to normal. Your approach was better. We cannot and will not and must not allow ourselves to destroy a week worth of work during a single day of choppy markets! thats the key!

Yes, Immy, agree!!! Because I'm not very good at judging if market conditions are good for trading or not, I'm really depending on my 75 Pips daily stop loss. And I've learned to respect it strictly for the reasons, you've mentioned above.