What, exactly is Scalping?

[Supermech21]

Originally Posted by Alchemist

If you don't know what scalping is, then you must be a newbie, and you should forget about scalping for now. Start off by learning to trade on longer term charts. Don't even think about scalping until you are an experienced trader.

Great info, when a clear newbie asks a simple question jump on him and tell him not to even think about it....

What a pal, .

[Fxpipper]

No one's jumpin' on anyone and reading between the lines, that's actually sound advice. And for what it's worth, if a trader has no idea of what scalping is and still wants to go ahead and try scalping a few pips, chances are he/she is going to blow out their account.

[angelnish]

Scalping is like those high action thriller movies that keep you on the edge of your seat. It's fast paced, exciting, and mind-rattling all at once. These types of trades are usually only held onto for a few seconds to a few minutes at the most! The main objective for scalpers is to grab very small amounts of pips as many times as they can throughout the busiest times of the day.

Because scalpers basically have to be glued to the charts, it is best suited for those who can spend several hours of undivided attention to their trading.
It requires intense focus and quick thinking to be successful.
It is not for those looking to make big wins all the time, but rather for those who like raking in small profits over the long run to make an overall profit.

[Peter Brandley]

Personally, I don't use indicators to base my trading decisions. However, I do monitor SMA(50) for no other reason that that it's widely followed by others.

On that note, is there any scalper who trades without charts? I come from the PA camp and I cannot even fathom trading without the aid of charts. But I also keep my eyes on T&S window. Although difficult, I don't believe it's impossible to score a few ticks solely by using the T&S alone.