Trend's TCG Story

I started trading in 2018 not long after the 2017 Bitcoin $20,000 hype cycle. I had acquired some bitcoin through online poker and like many others watched it climb to $20k only to come all the way back to $6000 while I still held it. It was then I decided I didn’t want this to happen again. Nothing is more motivating in life than living through experiences we don’t want to experience again. These experiences can force us to build up the skills and familiarity to be confident and comfortable to push through the next time we are faced with a situation. This is what I wanted to do with trading. 

I started my research online and came across a video from ChartingManDan about the similarities between poker and trading. Given that I was already immersed in the poker world, this really clicked with me. So I joined the Chart Guys community determined to be just like Dan.

It was definitely not an easy road at first. I didn’t know much about trading, but I knew I loved it. I loved the game, I loved the idea of working on this craft, spending time with it and honing my skills. 

It took several years before I started really making money. I started out trying to trade altcoins for more bitcoin, but we were in a bear market, and I ended up losing some of my bitcoin instead. So I went back to the drawing board and decided to build from the ground up using a small account with leverage. I blew up a couple of $500 accounts early on, but the leverage was keeping me tighter in my trades and forced me to become far more discerning in my setups. On the third attempt, I managed to start to grow my account. Then I almost blew it up again. This was the second gut punch feeling that forced me to grow as a trader.

I was in a pretty dark place; I remember trading in my greenhouse and not wanting to even meet my family for dinner. It wasn’t the dollars, or the money lost that I was angry about, it was the feeling that I let go of my game plan, got too aggressive focusing on growth, and missed the signals that I actually wanted to trade.

I don’t really remember my biggest dollar losses or gains. I remember the times that forced me to grow and adapt as a trader. The ones that left a mark knowing that I wasn’t being the trader I wanted to be. The ones that forced me to be more discerning in my process. 

Through the ups and downs, and the focus on process over money, I started to desensitize myself to the money and numbers, and really just kept focusing on improving my craft. That’s when I was able to separate myself from the money and think of it more for the game.

I still have these breakthrough moments. Those are by far the most exciting moments for me in trading. The trades, whether good or bad, force me to continue to grow as a trader…

TCG Trader Chat with Devin & Trend