No matter where the idea comes from, the entry point matters. You can do all the technical analysis in the world, but the consistent gyrations of the stock market do not care. Put your stop too close, and you may very well get stopped out only to watch the trade go in the exact direction you were betting.

When day trading, or even getting ideas from a newsletter, you have a day trading robot idea that you need to monitor for entry. While robot trading systems will give you the exact entry point, there are some obvious times where paying attention to a few details can improve results. If you come up with the idea on your own, the same rules apply.

1. Even if you have a great day trading robot idea, watch for a pattern of behavior in many similar stocks. Often times if the market has a definite bias up or down, a lot of stocks will push through resistance some (enough to stop shorts out and suck some longs in) then reverse, or vice versa. Pay attention to stocks you are not intending to trade, but are a major component of an index the stocks you follow are in.

2) Note key areas intraday, 5 minute, 15 minute and hourly (including prior 2 or 3 days) where the price had trouble pushing through. There will be no “IRON CURTAIN” with an exact price. Look for areas where the high pushed through but it pulled back the same bar, or the very next bar without pushing further, then that pattern is repeated again. This will be a good resistance or support area. You will want to make not of this before entering any day trading robot idea. Also the area is relative, there is no “exact” resistance, only an area. One should also realize that the first push through sometimes will fade back to shake out weak hands, then go for the bigger move.

3. Have reasonable expectations based on todays market action. If the market is really headed lower, you cannot expect to press and add long on a stronger (relative) stock and hold it very long. Sellers control the market, and buyers, unless compelled by a very good reason, will not chase. So if a stock normally (that you have noticed) can move about 1 point before a potential reversal may happen, on days where you are bucking the trend, take 60% of that on most of the position then trail the rest until completion.

All this will help with any sort of day trading robot idea, and make you a better trader overall. Adhering to an overall trading plan is a very important part of making consistent money in the stock market.

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