rodney

I found this post on "CouldaWouldaShoulda (The Wyckoff Forum)" interesting and have nominated it accordingly for "Topic Of The Month June, 2009"

Db , Can you be more precise about the "go" part on these charts-- a preferred entry level? When trying to find a balance between what you call "information risk" and "price risk," 1 Is entry taken at the open of the bar following the retest? 2 Or, at the point where the bar following the retest moves above the close of the re-test bar? 3 Or, at the point where the bar following the re-test moves above the high of the re-test bar?

Thanks Db You answered extremely well.

Hi Db I have quoted above from 2 different posts you have made - and could have picked a couple more. There is something you are saying that I would like to focus on - if you are willing to elaborate. First, in what specific ways are you " monitoring traders' behavior when those keys levels are approached." ? Second, if I hear you correctly, you choose again and again to focus on market flow, and not dwell on a particular bar interval or bar close. That makes sense. If I interpret VSA correctly and can oversimplify VSA, then "market flow" is composed of a balanced interpretation of what is happening in the background as compared to what is happening as the current bar forms. Can you elaborate some more on how you read "market flow" as price approaches support and resistance? I don't want to over complicate this. On the other hand, I don't want to miss what you are saying. As you approach a "decision point," is there some over-riding anchor point from which you are interpreting this constant flow of new price information? When you say to yourself, - based on this new flow of information - my earlier expectation is not developing. Or when you say to yourself, my earlier expectation is developing. What are the decision-time "signs of flow" that you are looking at ? Are there specific signs that must be in place? Is your "decision time" interpretation of flow any different than the classic VSA signals - such as volume, range, close, prior swing highs, etc that are discussed so much on this board? Picking up on on one of Eiger's recent posts, our brains [ emotions ] are "hard wired" and vulnerable to odd behavior at "decision time" - and especially vulnerable when facing a constant assault of new information. Rodney

BearBull I have the BootCamp CD and Master the Markets.. Did you find that the "Undeclared Secrets" added new value to the more recently published CD and Book? Well said. As a beginner, I too am leery of the many gurus who are so eager to exploit a beginner's need to learn. Hmmm... does this form of salesman exploitation sound a bit like the manner in which deep pocket investors exploit the sheep in the live market - with patterns such as shakeouts, holding the bag, etc ? At any rate, I am deeply grateful for the owners of this website, and especially the VSA thread. It is the only place i visit. One of the things I especially appreciate about this VSA thread, is that the same concepts as taught in the original books and Cd's are discussed in this thread with so much more clarity. So many contributors here are not only doing an outstanding job at explaining VSA, and patiently giving so much of their time to us. But, these master contributors also seem to enjoy helping beginners like me. I follow along [stumble along ?]. Studying their examples over and over, I feel that I am tracing their hard-won footsteps through a steep and winding learning-curve. Like learning to ski from a master skier. Rodney

Thanks. On my real time simulator I am making great progress, and importantly consistent progress. I now have a small account ready to trade live - as well. Just have not pulled the trigger there. Juggling the concept of immediate "back ground" with "what is now developing", and then add to that what might be anticipated is kind of like surfing. I know what is in my immediate background - the size and shape of the wave swell which is pushing me forward. I know what is now developing - as I can feel beneath my feet and the board things like the current strength ,current speed and angle. And, of course, I must anticipate what is straight ahead. So there's my crude metaphor. However, the part of VSA that I find most elusive to master is the relationship between the background [and background volume] in comparison to the newly developing action in the current bar, and current volume. Sometimes it seems that a small change in the current bar action being made on relatively lower volume than the huge volume found in the background, can bring a sudden end to a significant turn that recently formed in the background and that so recently occurred on huge volume. This can be such a subtle shift to detect. Does this observation make any sense?

Thanks Seb. amazing what can go through one's mind in such a short time bar. Just wanted to be sure I was basically on the same page as you intended. I like your silent videos. But I also liked a video in which you spoke about what you might "anticipate" - not predict - what the next bar will be. That anticipation - with price action background as the foundation - helped me to focus on what I would anticipate. A helpful eye opener for me. Thanks again, Rodney

Thanks Seb Just want to confirm what might have been going on in your analysis when you closed out the trade at that specific bar. I might have continued the trade longer. I saw a high volume down bar closing at the lows, followed by the exit bar -- a low volume bar with a narrower spread. And, I note this bar spent much of its time near or above the midpoint. Is it the narrow range and midpoint activity on that bar that triggered the exit?