If I had to describe trading in 2 words, I'd say "A Game". Plain and simple. Trading is a game that is just as fun, intense, exciting, encompassing, and addicting as Chess, Poker, Craps, Football, or Basketball - you name it.
Just like these other games, the top professionals get paid boat loads of money to play and win those games. And just like those other games, most of us wont become a Top Professional. But that doesn't mean that we can't become a pro - and it doesn't mean that we can't make good money doing it... We can.
Like most games, those that develop a Love for it, and dedicate themselves to practice and becoming the best they can be, will be better than most other players - And this is exactly the category I want you to be in. Just like a game of hoops at the park or a poker game at a friends house - we love to play, and we play to win. We are competitive, we want to get better, and even strive to be the best.
The biggest difference is that in the trading game, as soon as you place your chips on the table you are up against the top players in the world.
Imagine being at the local park playing pick-up games because you love to and it's a nice day outside. You're playing 3 on 3 and your jumper is really working today - you vanquish your foes and you are ready to take out the next guys that want to step up and play.
Out from the other court you hear "Next" and up steps Lebron James with 2 of his boys. You are thinking "Oh Shit, but OK, lets do this - once in a lifetime chance." Winner starts with the Rock, and you are ready to showcase your sweet jumper to LBJ.
So you raise up to take a NBA 3, but seemingly like he's holding a broom in his hand, he easily closes the distance & slaps your shot away.
Now he has the rock and he starts banging into you, backing you under the hoop like you might a kindergartner, and throws down a backwards jam. The locals quickly form a crowd and start hooting and hollering, but it's only one bucket and you're still gonna give him everything you got. He's got ball though, and proceeds to drain three 26 footers in a row - Damn, how can someone this big, have these types of skills you wonder?
Next possession, LBJ's boy, a short fat kid that looks like C-Lo Brown throws this terrible pass that's going way out of bounds. Your thinking.. "man, that little fat ass sucks.. if I had LBJ on my team I'd be winning too." While you are day-dreaming & trying not to hear the crowd's taunts, you catch something out of the corner of your eye.. It temporarily blocks out the sun and it feels like a Jetliner just buzzed by your head...
Oh Shit..That terrible pass isn't going out of bounds at all - LBJ is taking flight, catches it out of the sky & windmills it on your head with such ferocity that you get knocked on your ass.. There is a explosion from the crowd but you can't even hear it because 6'8 of steel is standing over you roaring like a man possessed.
"I OWN YOU!!"
A bunch of kids in the crowd got the whole thing on their phone & you look over at C-Lo who's nodding his head in disgust at you.
"You a Bitch!"
The crowd mobs Lebron and you crawl away & decide to sneak out the back of the park - There is only so much humiliation a man can take.
This is exactly what a day of trading can be like...If YOU Let It.
So...do you still want to play?
Lesson Learned
So what is the moral of the story in this tale of woe for the over-confident, aggressive, weekend warrior?
We will answer that with a rhetorical question, which is as follows:
How can you expect to beat an All World Professional Player, who is much bigger and stronger than you, has infinitely more money and resources, training and experience, and who practices 15 hours a day their whole life? On top of this, both the refs and crowd favor him over you, so they will do everything to ensure it's not a fair fight and give him an even greater edge than he already possesses.
The answer is you can't... So don't even try!
Instead, focus on the easier opponents, the ones you have a higher probability of beating.
If you want to challenge a "Lebron", do it in a game of H_O_R_S_E instead.
In that game, you control the rules, and via those rules you negate the majority of his very size-able advantages, while being able to utilize your strengths.
This approach gives you a chance of winning, but most importantly, eliminates the potential of you being knocked out on your a$$, while the pros are laughing about it all the way to the bank.
Trust us on this one, and heed this advice. You'll save yourself a lot of money and heartache.