The Compleat Day Trader

Master Proven Day Trading Strategies from a Market Legend

If you’re serious about day trading, Jake Bernstein’s The Compleat Day Trader offers a timeless and practical roadmap packed with tested strategies, analytical tools, and trading psychology essentials. A widely respected trader and author, Bernstein reveals over two decades of professional insights into futures day trading.

This comprehensive guide demystifies high-frequency techniques, including moving average strategies, gap trading systems, stochastic and RSI signals, intraday momentum indicators, channel breakouts, and the “Critical Time of Day” concept. Unlike many modern books filled with fluff, this classic text is pure substance—each chapter delivers a specific method or system with clear rules, examples, and practical tips.

Whether you’re scalping the S&P 500 or trading currency futures, this book walks you through setups that stand the test of time. From understanding trader psychology to crafting your own system, Bernstein’s work is a masterclass in developing the mindset and discipline needed to thrive.

What You’ll Learn

• Core strategies for intraday trading with moving averages, gaps, RSI, and stochastics
• Techniques for managing risk, limiting losses, and trailing stops
• Scalping and high-frequency trading concepts
• Trading setups for different market conditions, including trendless days
• Psychological tools to develop consistency and discipline
• How to evaluate systems, optimize your methods, and avoid curve fitting

Key Benefits

• Learn directly from a pioneer in futures trading with 25+ years of experience
• Proven intraday methods explained in a practical, no-hype style
• Build a foundation in risk control and trader psychology
• Find strategies suitable for both beginners and seasoned traders
• Applicable across markets: stocks, futures, currencies

Who This Book Is For

• Day traders in futures, forex, or equities
• Intermediate traders seeking structured intraday systems
• Investors who want to better understand short-term price action
• Traders who value clear-cut, rule-based trading logic

Table of Contents

1. The Basics
2. What a Day Trader Is and What a Day Trader Does
3. The Illusion of System Testing
4. Day Trading with Moving Averages
5. Intraday Application of Stochastics
6. Gaps, Gaps, Gaps
7. Support and Resistance: the “MAC”
8. Using Wilder’s RSI for Day Trading
9. Using Intraday Momentum
10. Rate of Change in Day Trading
11. Intraday Channel Breakout
12. Traditional Methods of Technical Analysis and Day Trading
13. A Unique Oscillator for Day Trading
14. Scalping the Markets
15. Importance of Orders
16. How Seasonality Affects Markets
17. Intraday Spread Trading
18. The Consecutive Closes System
19. Sentiment Reigns Supreme
20. Critical Time of Day (CTOD)
21. Putting It All Together
22. The Psychology of Day Trading
23. The Impact of 24-Hour Trading on Day Trading
24. Twenty Keys to Success as a Day Trader
    Appendix: Formulae