Jack of all Trades, or Master of One?

I use Grammarly's plagiarism checker because I like to know the fact that I'm unique, no one is trying to be me, and it improves my writing for my readers' readability.

After last year's trading here and there, I have stopped forex trading for quite a long while. Partly due to the reason that I have busted my account, and my wedding proposal in April which added a doggy into our family (proposal gift for my wife), and then my 12 hrs job, which leads 12 hrs in a day working, 6 hrs sleep, 3 hrs taking care of the dog, and the remaining to job hunting. I can't explain how much I'm dying to leave the first trading firm.

my dog.

Finally after so much interviews, I landed into another trading firm, where people there appreciates work-life balance, and great opportunity to learn. And my wedding preparation began then, for my big day in mid-December. Blink of eye, I'm a married man. Our house key collection date was 31-December-2013, and now we're busy with the renovations and stuff.

 pic from HDB wiki.

In my country, many couples apply for a HDB flat first before the guy's proposal, which leads to women in my country complaining we're unromantic. (Because applying a flat together means both must be married by key collection date!) I admit the fact though, but what to do, we have to wait about 4 years for the flat to be ready after the application. By the time men in my country serve 2 years of national service (military) and then join the work forces, and by the time we save enough money to propose and then apply a flat, we would be 30+ by the time when the flat is ready.

 pic from mothership.sg

Even for my case, after my wedding and renovation, my savings will be *WHAM*.. back to ZERO. Property here costs about $300K SGD, for a 4-room flat 92sqm. Don't tell me about how much your country's property cost to make me feel depressed, don't tell me about how much your country's vehicle cost to make me feel upset. My wife and I planned for a very very basic renovation because we're hoping not to borrow renovation loan, and all in all still costs nearly $30K including furnitures, HMmmm.. where do we find the money...

So we gamble.

Two new casinos here in Singapore? No, I don't got the balls and capital to pay $100 levy for every entry. If they are so restrictive about local going to casino, they should do like South Korea do, ban the locals from going in COMPLETELY! I believe there are so much trouble brought to us than the economic benefits the casino has brought to us.

I gamble with them in another way, though. I bought Genting SP shares last year, I held for a year before selling them. Gaining about 10% of my capital invested in it. I have to say I am a lucky ass because the share plummeted right after my exit.

Yes, I have stopped forex but trading shares instead because of time commitment. Trading requires time to monitor but investing in shares does not require that much of a screen time. The time I used to use for screen time now becomes daily dog-walking routine haha. It is my responsibility but it really brings joy to the home.

I recently applied for an IPO and balloted two lot of shares for OUE Comm REIT. Not going anywhere but holding for long-term.

My latest paper win now is Suntec REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust).. currently up about 7.8% profit.

I have stopped forex due to time commitment but my appetite to gain financial freedom do not stop. I am not closing my forex account and just looking for good opportunity for a come-back, after my home renovation. And probably starting my own business after that. A come-back like in poker, which I now takes it casually. But do we still need to do all these if we're earning quite adequately in our full time job, like many of my friends do?

Great run this afternoon though.

To be a jack of all trades, or a master of one?

Black.

Eur/Usd, Aud/Usd - Buy Buy All Buy

Eur/Usd

Short trades today. Pulled Fibonacci retracement on 1-hour chart. Channelling between 1H & 15M chart. Looking at momentum I went mid-way taking the ride of the flow - screenshot of 15M below. At the middle bearish bar I went in another position at roughly the same price, making it two positions.

Unzooming to 1H chart. Price looked promising to next resistance fibo for my take-profit. Both positions hit take-profit +37 & +32 pips.

Aud/Usd

Not so smooth this pair. Same set-up. Had a limit order for a better price on support of fibo but also went in mid of fibo, which is a bad practice. Not so strong buying witnessed in Aussie pair.

Unzooming to 1H chart. Didn't wait for take-profit at parity. When US Consumer Confidence data was released, RED, which is worst than forecast, but better than prior month. Price went down to hit my break-even stop-loss.

Bought a REITs for holding, comes with quarterly dividends - Mapletree Industrial Trust. REITs are not as volatile as normal shares so holding long term should not have super-high risk and heart attack for me.

 Black.

Red Red Red & -200 pips

Went in Long on Gold XAU/USD two days back at 1.638.xx, hold overnight till 1.654.xx for about 100usd profit. But profits are short-lived, when I entered a 1.08 buy-limit into Aud/Usd. Adding on to losers and losers, now I'm holding out to about -200 pips loss. I had the chance to break-even all my Aussie trades this morning before going to work, but greed had me and I leave it there. It went 100 pips down before lunch. Another 100 pips down this evening. Well, cutting that gold trade at 1.654 and letting this aussie trade run, is a very good example of a cutting profit, and letting losses run - a truly opposite way of a profitable trader.

Sigh, things couldn't be worst. Shares dropped due to the train crashes in China, because I bought a manufacturer companies share that supply them the materials. It was a whopping drop. I had profits in the first two weeks until this accident happens. There is no what-if in such a unpredictable occurrence.

Poker was another red. I go multi-tabling again and account was near to busting. I think I am still not up to the standard of multi-tabling. I should focus on one first and start from basics. Learn the opponents and be patient for good cards. The problem is I hear about so much pro-grinder 20-tabling etc. and they play only premium cards. I thought that was that. But there are more in poker than merely holding and playing the premium cards. My cash-games profitable days were like one or two out of ten days. It sucks and demoralizing. It pushes me to the limit of giving up. But no, I guess there are much to learn, just like trading.

I don't know why I am not cutting out my aussie trade and subconsciously hoping for a miracle. Tomorrow is non-farm payroll. I have no plans but to get a drink.

Don't try these at home..

Casino, Shares, Poker cept FX

Been awhile since I have updated. Basically spending most of my June taking a break from exams, going out, playing basketball with Bottle and friends, went to Genting Highlands over the weekend for a short getaway. Genting is located at the top of the mountain in part of Malaysia. It has nice cooling weather, basically u're staying with the clouds. Interesting fact is that the hotels do not need cost for air-con, nature will do its work! Anyway, I went with my parents and girlfriend. We went casino and haunted mansion. Make sure you try the haunted adventure because it is nothing we expected.

In the casino, I lost 400 Ringgit, playing Sic bo, Roulette and Jackpot. Due to insufficient capital, my roulette system went busted in no time. I spent most of my time in sic bo. Interesting. At first I simply go for Big and Small, but always get killed by triples. So I played around the board. On our last night, I had about 50 ringgit left. I bet everything into small - and double up. Then another 100 (everything) into big, and double up. I wanted to break even. So I wanted a last double-up to win back my 400 ringgit with my current 200 capital. I waited and then put into BIG. It was a machined operated sic bo, the 3 dices landed one by one. First one FIVE... followed by second one FIVE........... WOW.. (BIG is as long as u have 11 and above).... lastly..... FIVE AGAIN!!! DAMN!!! everything slain by triple. hit the 1/6 loss!! (after first two dice appeared FIVE, for the last one, other than FIVE I would have won with any other numbers).

Simply fooled by randomness. I told myself never to "grind" in casino anymore. Casino are based on probability. At least poker are skill game, when you suck, you usually lose. When you're good, you win in the long run. As for trading, there are technical and fundamentals to learn and analyse. I didn't take the triple too hard, was interesting story to tell though. But I find that casino are simply based on probability and randomness, there is never a pattern even if you play for a 100 years.

Recently, I finally bought my first share. With some guidance from Bottle and my girlfriend, yeah. Decide to hold some shares for a longer term "investment". Not looking for some quick buck. I trade forex since 2009 and I know they are nothing for a quick buck. Quick buck leads to doom. Quick buck I can go to casino.

I have not traded forex for weeks.

Been playing poker. Had a live session two weeks back with Bottle and friends. Was so fun, although I didn't win, but I enjoyed it. I find that I'm so much more timid to bet in realife than in online. There is a HUGE difference in both game play.

But I find that I'm slightly better at reading. For eg. a case I was holding an A7. Was a two way pot. I called pre-flop raise about 2bb. Flop As Js 5d. I raise 3bb. He re-raise with 10bb. I had top pair mid kicker. Based on his past betting patterns, he was trying to chase anyone with straight/flush draw out. To chase someone out he may least have a top pair too although highly unlikely in such case when I already hold one too. I thought for awhile and muck my cards. He turn over aces.

Im still playing Causeway Freeroll but no results. Nowadays grinding Heads-up shootout 4-players. Although you risk losing in the final table but the reward for winning is better than play 2-player heads-up. Also found the Heads-up book recommended by Soma - Colin Moshman book. Still halfway reading but it indeed give some insights.

Hopefully to find time reading chart by next week. Have a great weekend and good luck people! :)

Black.

Lost Shares & Poker

BACK!! For a while.. I have been pretty busy with school assignments, basically for the past one month plus every weekend. Exams will be on mid-november after which I will have a short getaway for about a week.

I haven't been trading at all since. But.. I was into shares, for like the second time in my life. I was listening to others, hearing rumors. There was a new IPO REITs offering which came out two weeks back.

the IPO was bought at 0.96, I contra-ed with my frens for a very high number of lots, we thought we could sell it for just a few clicks up. On the day we entered, it was at 1.15, it went up 5 clicks to about 1.2 on the same day, and went all the way down to range between 1.06 to 1.08 for the next few days.

I learned a heavy lesson here. In less than a week, an equivalent of two forex account was busted for this trade. Damn foolish. There is no absolute shit in th

is world.

Im taking a break tonight before I continue mugging tomorrow onwards for my upcoming exams. Double or Nothing tourney earlier. I was having the worst hands all the way, and my only wins were bluff. I dont remember how many 7-2 I picked up. But nevermind I still lost at 8th place.

There was a funny incident inside though. BB and two callers checked when flopped A 3 3. They checked all the way thru' river and the floor was finally A 3 3 3 3 - quads. Obviously the players in the hand have a confirmed share of their winnings for that game. One player went ALL-IN and the BB folded LOL.

Someone in the chat said sth like that:

only1Pro: lol nice fold

only1Pro: 1000% split and he folds :)

only1Pro: was afraid of the 5th 3?

Black.