Day Trading

My experience has been that a "trade" is considered to be the order ans all of its fills. In the attached link, the SEC makes it very clear that a pattern day-trader is supposed to be a real day-trader. Counting each fill would snare too many customers in the net.

From Rule 2520:
"The term "day[-]trading" means the purchasing and selling or the selling and purchasing of the same security on the same day in a margin account"

"The term "pattern day trader" means any customer who executes four or more day trades within five business days. However, if the number of day trades is 6% or less of total trades for the five business day period, the customer will not be considered a pattern day trader"

It's pretty clear to me that to "execute" a trade. I place an order and get fills. The order and the fills are a "trade". Now, if your two "buys" are based upon two separate orders, then the pattern you ask about would be two day trades.

Further info:
Interactiveborkers gives clear examples of day trades on their website. Another reason why I like that firm so much. Looks like your two buys and one sell example is just one day trade.

You better know what you're doing and have been doing for a while. and thay you understand the maket and the rules governing it.

Here are four rules you must have, if you don't you will loose money
1 – A written sound trading/investment plan with rules that will not only help you but more importantly protect you, mostly from yourself.
2 – Sufficient trading/investment capital. Use your own money, there’s no need to go into debt so that you trade/invest.
3 – A written money management program in place. Remember never invest 100% of your capital into any one security and never have 100% of your capital invested.
4 – A full and complete understanding of the rules & regulations of the industry.

Here are some of the rules that I follow, in additiona to the four cardinal rules above.
Never buy or sell based on anyone's, including your own, market predictions.
Stick with up-trending stocks.
Never buy stocks in danger of filing for or actually in bankruptcy.
Never average down.
Always sell when management cuts sales or earnings forecasts.
Only buy stocks with real sales and real earnings.
Always diversify between industries.
Don't buy stocks just because they've gone up.
Never sell a stock because an analyst proclaims it is overvalued.
Always look for companies with new ideas, new styles or new products.
Orders after an execution – a “stop loss”
No security is to be purchased at a price that is below the 50-day moving average price.

Good luck, based on your question, you're going to need it

Yes you day trade BUT you can not buy/sell the same security four or more times in five business days.

And it is a Fed rule that when you buy a security it must be paid in full prior to its sale, if you sell with out making payment in full your account is restricted for 90 days or until payment is received and you can not use the proceeds of the sale to cover the purchase amount due.

The $25,000 item that every one talks about is that if you day trade the same stock 4 times in 5 five days you will be considered a pattern trader AND you must
1-open a margin account
2-maintain equity of $25,000 at all times, The 25,000 is NOT a balance but equity and you must have that much in your account at all times.

It is a good way to make a small fortune — if you start with a large one.

Actually, day traders MAY qualify to do that, but you have to be a certified investor, which means experience and plenty of cash to cover trades. What that essentially means is you have enough extra cash that the surplus cash is buying and when the trades clear that then becomes the surplus cash. Think of it as a different kind of "margin" that the government requires you keep to do this.

No. A bank will not, as you need something to legal tie the funds too…even with a signature loan, you need to explain the reason for the loan (this is to prevent money laundering). Your only option in this case is a Margin Account through your broker. But since you trade options, you would already have a margin account, which means you know you do need to maintain equity in the account.
There is an alternative. BUT, I wouldn't recommend it.
You could engage in a Carry Trade. Again!! I do not recommend you do this for Day-Trading options or stocks!
You short a currency (the JPY is pretty popular). Just like shorting a stock, you get a credit. Since Forex is not regulated by the same Margin Rules as Equities, you can get 50K for a simply $500 account. With that credit, rather than buying Bonds with a higher interest rate than the rate of the shorted currency (Fed rate is 4.25, so you could get a bond around that rate, which JPY rate is .5%..you profit from the difference) you put that money into your options account. You need to be careful that you leave some room in your Forex account, as you do not want a Margin Call on this. And you need to make sure you monitor the currency market to make sure that the JPY's flat…although if it is dropping, you have the added bonus of making money there too.

I am not suggesting you do this, but just saying that there are possibilities out there. Just don't use this one, as it you need to be aware of what you are doing.

Most people loose money bacause they do not have a strategy and money management rules in place

if u dont have disipline dont even start u will loose all your money

many people do trade and have become very very rich so it can be done

The best way to get started: LEARN as much as you can about the market. And then start trading on a paper trading account to gain experience.

If you are new to trading, then you should definitely take a look at trading systems.

Here's why:

Every minute more than 150 Million Dollars change hands in the electronic index futures markets like the e-mini S&P and e-mini NQ. You can win or lose thousands of dollars in a few minutes; the futures markets can make you rich in a few weeks or months or wipe out your account with no mercy.

If you want to compete in the “game of games” and play against the best traders in the world, then you need to get ready. Too many gamblers are entering the arena without any plan or strategy, completely unprepared, and that's why they lose.

Trading a system will dramatically increase your chances to succeed in trading, because it eliminates five of the top six reasons why unprepared traders fail.

Here are the top six reasons why traders fail,
and how a trading system eliminates them

Let's take a look at the reasons why traders lose money:

1. Lack of a Trading Plan
2. Lack of Discipline to Follow the Plan
3. Failure to Control Emotions
4. Failure to Accept and Limit Losses
5. Lack of Commitment
6. Over-Trading

By all means you have to avoid these mistakes if you want to win.

Here's how a trading system eliminates 5 of the 6 top reasons why traders fail:

Solution #1: Having a trading plan

Having a trading system means having a pre-defined set of rules you have developed to guide your trading. Therefore you HAVE a trading plan, eliminating the No.1 cause for failure.

Solution #2: Following the trading plan

The easiest way to follow a trading plan is to automate it. Almost every trading system can be automated, and you could let the computer trade for you. You won't have to worry about your discipline any longer, as the computer mechanically trades every setup for you.

Solution #3: Controlling emotions

Trading with a system removes emotions from trading. If you don't have a strategy and you try to make decisions when the market is moving, you are liable to become emotionally attached to positions. You may experience panic and indecision when the market does not move in your favor, as you do not have a prepared response. That's when most traders lose their money. If you follow a system you will know what to do no matter what the market does.

Solution #4: Controlling your losses

You probably have heard the saying “Let your profits run”. Unfortunately most traders let their losses run. A trading system will get you out of a position when the predefined stop is hit. Unless you override the system to “give the trade a little bit more room” it will stop the loss and therefore limit your losses.

Solution #5: Commitment

You won't believe how many traders show a lack of commitment and therefore lose money. Lack of commitment means that they stop trading after the first loss, and don't give their system a chance to make back the money they lost. Trading is not a one-way street, and losses are part of our business. If you can't accept the fact that there will be losses, you shouldn't trade. Fortunately a trading system can help you to overcome this problem; an automated trading system continues trading according to the rules, and therefore adds much more consistency to your trading.

As you can see, five of the six top reasons why traders lose money in the markets are simply eliminated when you start trading with a system.

Without any guarantee, your chances of making money rise incredibly when starting with a profitable trading system.

Hope that helps.

This is just a couple of paragraphs a copied and pasted from the bottomm links ( this is a fairly long article). They helped me a lot when i was researching about short/long term forex strategies and tips. All the rest of the helpful articles are in the 'forex resources' section on http://www.forextradinghq.com

In order to profit from the forex market, you will need strategies and also the will to change these strategies. Traders who lack a well thought out trading plan are prone to panic and confusion, when unexpected swings in the forex market occur. Many traders will tell you that trade driven by emotion is the fastest way to deplete your funds. Whether or not you are using a technical or fundamental style, it is still essential that you have a proper view of the market.

Developing your own trading style is a time consuming process and is often acquired through trail and error. It is unfortunate that there is no ‘golden’ rule’ to trade in the forex market and technical and fundamental styles of trade won’t be successful all the time. Successful traders often have a unique style of trading and take up various strategies during a trading session. Only continuous practice will help you gain a feel for the movements of the forex market.

SEC rules apply to broker/dealers, if you trade using a US Broker/dealer you are subject to the SEC rules and regulations.

All customers using US Broker/dealers would have to follow the rules that dictate policy & procedures to that broker/dealer.

If you going to play in the US, directly or indirectly, you have to play by the rules