Experimenting

With the markets being a little mad around this time of year, It's given me a chance to experiment using different techniques and trying out things I haven't tried before. When i say this it's sounds as though I've being planning out secret methods over xmas that will make me more money in the future, then implementing them when I dabbled in the markets again. But I assure you this is not how I am improving as a trader. It has come from a natural process of being active in the market and experimenting new things while it's all happening live. Mistakes will come on the way, especially when you are upping your stakes and trying to reach new levels. If you have a very hands on approach to change like this, you can tackle subtle differences in new market conditions.

The real work and idea process of experimenting comes from a very practical side I believe. You can think all day of new strategies and approaches to make you your fortune, but you simply have to evolve your own trading styles whilst your actually trading. The markets are constantly changing and no one can try and predict with positive certainty what will happen. When your looking at the markets day-in day-out, your brain picks up on slight changes in the market. Such as recent trends and adapting to how new players choose to behave. My advice is to not think too much about your trading style/methods/ideas or however choose to word it. Try and tune in more with your subconscious while your trading and really listen to your instincts. I'm beginning to get more aggressive in the markets and it's paying off for me, although I'm still taking some big losses on the way.

Week's Analysis

I started off on Tuesday this week and it was the first time I had a proper dabble in the markets in weeks. I was amazed to have such a good day on the Tuesday and my new found aggression seemed to work in my favour.

My discipline let me down at crucial times on the following few days which led to poor decision making and over trading. If your head isn't 100% focused when the markets are a bit twitchy, then small errors turn into large losses surprisingly fast. Ask yourself what you could have done differently if you could replay the day over? Address the issues where the losses came from, try and understand what went wrong and how you can change your style into stopping these mistakes happening again. I know exactly what I've done wrong if I've struggled on the day, and if you're willing to evolve you have a great chance of succeeding on Betfair. Camtasia is awesome! Record and watch everything back, you can't hide behind excuses when its staring back at you in your face :) Saturday came with a boom, but it was far from straight forward. I started terrribly and tried a bit too hard early on forcing a few positions which didn't go as expected. But an hour later i turned a -230 into a +230 on the day which was boosted my confidence.

Antepost

Saturday was a solid day's trading and it gave us all a chance to see some of the Cheltenham hopefuls. 1 of the horses I really like and I've been very impressed since seeing it run around 4 races ago is a horse named Diamond Harry. I have been looking to back this for a Cheltenham race for a while now, so when I saw it going for a chase debut I had to back it antepost for the RSA chase at 14.0. To me this was a great trading opportunity that was almost certain to shorten after an impressive jumping performance. This horse I believe could be something special so keep an eye out, and I think he's more physically suited to chasing rather than hurdling.

My antepost selections have worked out great this year for Cheltenham and I can't wait for March now. Big Bucks will take the world of beating in the World Hurdle and I was fortunate to get a tidy £500 on at 2.2 a few races ago. I might be very tempted to leave it all on, even though this was not my intention when I placed the bet.

This week's p/l from Tues-Sat:

Trading Courses

I'm really looking forward to getting back to teaching after my time off over xmas, and the first course of 2010 starts on Tuesday for 3 days.

I have had a lot of interest over the coming few months and to make it easier for all I wanted to set up specific dates I can teach groups.

I am still offering other packages, for instance if you wanted to come out to Madrid with a few mates or even a 1-1 course. But these types of courses will have to be booked up on certain dates when I'm free. Simply offer some dates and we can sort something out.

The dates are as follows for the organised group packages:

Fully Booked up until -

February -
23rd - 27th

5 - day course: 2 spaces available

March -
2nd - 4th

3 - day course: 3 spaces available

23rd - 27th

6 - day course: 3 spaces available

April -
1st - 6th

6 - day course: 2 spaces available

28th - 30th

3 - day course: 3 spaces available

May -
10th - 15th

6 - day course: 3 spaces available

25th - 27th

3 - day course: 3 spaces available

I have to stress that although there are most of the spaces still available. Many people have shown an interest and could be booking up on all courses over the next few weeks. I am only reserving the spot when the course is fully booked with me. I am filling up my packages very quick so feel feel free to reserve a spot.

Many thanks

Back In Madrid!

2010 here we go! Happy New Year to all (a bit belated agreed) and apologies for being a little quiet on the blog and the emails recently. I promise to get back to everyone who has sent me an email over the last few weeks after this blog post. So expect a reply by the end of the day :)

First I'd like to thank everyone for showing an interest in my courses, or simply enjoying the read of the blog. I'm not going anywhere in a hurry and plan to help as many budding traders as I can in years to come. I have a few ideas lined up this year which I'll announce nearer the time and as the interest has come mainly from the UK, I have made rough plans to move back to London come the start of 2011 :)

Little Break

I've taken some much needed time off from the world of trading, and trust me from late Dec - late Jan is the best time of year to take it. Regardless if we have crazy amounts of snow on the ground or not. It's been a great time catching up with friends and family but time for me to get back to it. As a full-time trader you have to look at the year like a marathon, and be willing to fight through the tricky times to be rewarded when the good times come around again. From late Dec - end of Feb Is without a doubt the trickiest time of year to trade, and it's mainly down to the weather. I wished to see snow when I arrived back in the UK and wow I was not disappointed! I saw it everyday I was in the country haha! Crazy indeed and it's completely thrown the markets out of sync. I'm gonna be careful what I wish for in future!

You have to know when to immerse yourself in the markets though, and know when to take a step back from them. Everyone who has traded even a few weeks on the markets, quickly realise it grabs u by the balls and leaves you wanting more. A kind of addictive game of wits and money where your in a constant battle with yourself to improve. But having time off is a massive part of being a consistent winner on Betfair. Go and jump off a bridge with a bungee strapped to your ankles, go and swim with dolphins or simply sit in front of the box watching back to back films sipping on 10 cups of tea. It really doesn't matter what you do, just enjoy it! But don't beat yourself up about taking some time off, you will thank yourself when your trading 7-8 hours a day in summer when there's an overload of opportunities. Ask yourself this....would you prefer a job where you don't have a choice if you work or not?

All About The Money?

When you first start learning the black art of trading, it's all about money money money. But ask yourself what you want the money for? My goal is to make money for a life of freedom and enjoyment. So really the true benefit trading has given me is being able to experience life as I choose to live it, and long let this continue. We are trained from a young age to search for a safe, secure job offering a nice pay-check at the end of the month. Without realising you are numbing your thought process in looking for freedom, flexibility, and new sources of wealth. As human beings we are scared of failure and this forces us to search for security. So in turn we live below our means and live by the pay-check we have worked so hard for. But working crazy hours a day we don't have the time or energy to enjoy it. As consumers, when we get a pay rise all we do is spend more and wonder why we never have any spare money...and the viscous circle continues. This is called the rat race, and over 95% of the population is in this system. But instead of thinking 'oh this is just how it is, think how can I get out of this'. Trading is 1 alternative and there are many more, so I hope you see where I'm trying to go with this. It's not the search of more and more money that is important, it's how the money you make changes your life for the better.

This time of year is a time to remind yourself why you are a trader, or why you want to become one. As its the drive inside you that makes us successful, not how long it takes or how many losses you occur in the process. You have to find your own drive that will keep you going and ultimately make u prosper in this competitive game of trading. For me it was the drive for freedom that led to my success, and it's still the drive that keeps me going today. Having the flexibility to do what I want, when I want to do it is so important to me. I hope all that are learning can look beyond the potential monetary gains, and seek another drive within them that will make 2010 a fulfilling and enjoyable year.

Bring It On!

After a long break away from the markets I'm itching to get back to it all. Gonna have a look at 2moro's card and fingers crossed I'll see some kind of action to get my teeth into. I plan to take it very slow and probably will drop my stakes down a bit. I'll be very patient and won't expect much from the remaining week. See how it goes though and I'll do an update after Saturday's card. Now's the perfect time to expand your trading into other ideas and plans for the coming year. Mine will be trying out the tennis which should be fun, although I need to get Sky sorted out before I tackle the tennis madness :)

Other Blogs

In the world of blogging, we are always going to have people come and go, and we've lost some good ones unfortunately. But I've noticed so many new blogs appear in the last few months which is great to see! I think there's a mini buzz around trading in general even though the weather has taken some joy out of things of late. So if anyone wants to be added to my blog links simply send me a request and I'll happily add anyone. A lot of mine on my list haven't updated in a while so please feel free to get in touch.

Please check back over the last few comments made on earlier posts. I've responded to them all. Many thanks!

Stay positive, its the calm before the storm :)

December Already?

Today I've had to remind myself it's December! The last few months have flown by and it's crazy to think I've been in Madrid nearly a year now. Due to the Spaniards not blinging out the shops like the English do with xmas decorations, the festive build up has caught me by surprise. I have a lot planned out for 2010 in my own trading and other ventures and I'ts an exciting time.

I've now trained 10 people who have attended the courses (some 1-1 and a few groups) and I've got 2 more seperate courses with 3 people left in 2009. Then I'm flying back to my home town for a lovely xmas roast. Wow it's been too long without some yorkshire puddings and gravy. Can't wait!

Denmania!!

November threw up some crazy markets at times and everyday you are reminded of how tricky this time of year is. With the amazing amount of variation in the markets it makes for a rollercoaster ride. Stay positive, cut your losses quickly and don't try and force your profits is the best advice I can give you. The highlight for me in November was seeing Denman back to his scintillating best. After years of trading the pre-race horse markets, I've become quite fond of horse racing as a spectacle. With the odd little flutter now and again to keep things exciting :) Denman has been a horse I've followed ever since it's first run and was very happy to see his impressive performance in the Newbury Hennessey Gold Cup. It was simply awesome in my opinion carrying top weight, and when he's in a flow like that and pinging the final 5 jumps he is just unstoppable! It's going to be one hell of a gold cup I think as there is a chance that both horses could be the best they have ever been come March. I know who I'll be on, or maybe I already am ;)

It's great for horse racing in general to have superstars like this to keep generating an interest in the sport. As traders we need top class animals to attract the much needed money in the markets to trade effectively all year round. I have backed Denman most times he has run and couldn't resist leaving all my money I traded on him that day. Even though i took a hit from £525 to £255 late on, but it's impossible to complain. And thanks to Julian for cheering him on with me hehe.







I feel I have made the jump I was looking for this year in my profits, and have definately pulled in some great results on days that I simply wasn't producing this time last year. After a nice 3-day break Sun/Mon/Tues I've had a very solid 3 days being in the zone......bring on Saturday!

New Trading Vid With Audio

I have created a new video on camtasia that is made exclusively for the members at www.betseventytwo.com People with an account can now see a 1 hour video of 5 different races I've traded. With narration over 4 of the races and a few audio tracks to finish off with a great race in the market before the Breeders Cup. This will show various techniques on how to make money on the pre-race horse racing markets. Scalping/Swinging/Trading 2 horses simultaneously/When things go wrong, and how to minimise losses. It's a complete video with on-going commentary throughout my thought process. Hope you enjoy!

The Main Man

Last but most certainly not least I'd like to announce who I trade with on a daily basis. It's someone I've been working with for years and u'll keep hear me saying how much of a benefit it is to have a trading buddy you can take on your trading journey with. I made a post on how this is a great edge to have and something I would reccommend to anyone. 2 brains are better than 1. Cheers dude and let the adventure continue!

Sam Wilson @ http://samwilson82.blogspot.com/

We have a few ideas for 2010 so keep an eye out for some interesting news in the new year.

P.S I'll reply to your kind comments made on the last 2 posts v soon.

Change Of Lifestyle

No I haven't decided to give up trading and work at McDonald's over the winter, the title was more referring to how much of a change to my lifestyle the courses have given me. I forgot what it was like to work more than 4-6 hours a day hehe, and I'm doing my best to keep up with the personalised emails so please bear with me. It was a strange thing for me at first having people surrounding me while I trade, answering questions and talking through live what I was doing. Being stuck in a room in solitude for years, then trading in complete opposite surroundings has taken me a little time to adjust. But the more people that have attended the courses, the more comfortable I am with being able to deal with doing 2 things at once. I'm definitely not female and multi-tasking wasn't in my toolbox a few months ago :)

Staring at the markets for double the length of time from analysing the markets with clients is definitely an eye strainer. So I'm not going to lie about it being a challenge for me to still being able to trade successfully whilst training, but its a challenge I'm enjoying right now.

I'd like to thank all the people who have attended up till now and I really do appreciate the kind words that people have given. I hope the clients have enjoyed the experience as much as I have, and I'm very happy to have met some great people. I'm now feeling very positive that I've boosted their ability to be able to read a market more clearly, and hopefully opened there eyes up to a lot of new angles to make money on Betfair.

I'm trying and get my website up and running soon, but unfortunately my flatmate who's building it keeps travelling around Spain working so fingers crossed it shouldn't be too long until the launch. The website will explain everything in detail instead of having me send out the word document to people who are showing an interest. The website will have a members section where people who have attended the course can chat openly about their trading with other like minded people. Having seen my style and techniques gained from my course, clients will be able to talk in detail whilst still being on the same wave length with everyone else. Discussing their everyday experiences on the markets, and possibly having Skype buddies to talk to on a regular basis - like I currently do with a mate.

Some of the people attended have happily given out their email to ask any questions about the courses from their point of view, explaining their experience and what they got out from the course.

Here's a few of there emails for now, but when the website is up I will have a testimonial section where people can easily see what previous attendees thought.

• Nick Darlington - ndarlington@gmail.com

• Gary Dufley - g.dufley@sky.com (http:/itwouldbeeasierhavingajob.blogspot.com)

• Pascal Costa - pascalc23@gmail.com
  

• (http://aboutdiscipline.blogspot.com)
  

Bit Of Paradise

The first guy who attended my courses told me about a property he's selling on the East coast of Spain. It's in-between Valencia and Alicante on a little mushroom coming out of Spain. The views are jaw dropping from the top of the mountain and there is nothing else to see for miles apart from the sea and the smile on your face.

Showing an interest he kindly invited me to stay out there for 5 days to check it out. I got back Friday and the place was paradise. I'm going to check it out again in Jan to have a second look and to have a place like this to escape to 3-6 months of the year is something which I've thought about for a while. I'll make a post if I take the plunge and get the place. Here's a few pics:

NFL

2 clients on my course told me about the potential NFL/american football has for trading. It doesn't attract massive amounts in all the boxes but the swings are just massive! I thought I would try it out tonight with the 2 guys on Skype and things went very well. I didn't have live pictures but was simply making money off the over reaction in a price move. Where people chased the price up in desperation, like I have mentioned before what happens in the horse racing markets. But the over reaction seems to happen in amazing frequency! 1 move I saw went from 1.25 to around 1.62 in about 10 seconds. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to work out on small stakes that comes to a nice return. Also the gaps in the prices all over the price ensures so many opportunities. Here's my surprisingly good profit made on my first NFL game. Something I'm going to look at a lot more seriously in the coming months.

Trading In General

I've had a lot of time off recently from actually trading on my own, and I've noticed I've been a little rusty. But I believe when you can make money consistently, you won't easily forget how your money making finger brings in the £££. Riding a bike for example where you just need a little warm up before things feel normal again. I know I'm back to being sharp as I took a bad in running loss of -434 on Saturday the second race, and clawed most of it back by the final race. Finishing on -38.55 which a fightback like this feels just as good as a big profit on the day. It's quite hard to have the confidence to comeback from such a loss, as you are forced to push a bit to make it back. So some losses crept in at the end when I knew I was close, but also It's amazing what positive thinking and the right mindset can achieve.

I'm also going to add another trading video from 1 of my races on Saturday which a quick £68 was made from being aggressive and jumping in front of a real bet. As races are going off so often, opportunities like this occur frequently when people are chasing out their positions. Click the link below:

LiveBetfairTrading Vid - 3 Minute £68