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- From: pearson_steven@tandem.com (Steven R. Pearson)
- Subject: Commodities NOT zero-sum game (was: Re: Ken Roberts)
- Message-ID: <1993Jan22.020231.21904@tandem.com>
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- Organization: Tandem Computers Inc., Cupertino, CA
- References: <C12Ky8.4oD@news.cso.uiuc.edu> <11256@vtserf.cc.vt.edu> <1993Jan20.194942.19033@mobil.com>
- Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 02:02:31 GMT
- Lines: 13
-
- In article <1993Jan20.194942.19033@mobil.com>, etpeters@dal.mobil.com (E. T. Peterson(Eric)) writes:
- >
- > 95% of the TRADERS lose, not 95% of the MONEY is lost. Commodities are a
- > break even (zero-sum) game. The 95% who lose are the small traders with
- > little accounts and the 5% who win are the huge traders with millions of $,
- > so it averages out to zero profit.
-
- Well, to pick a nit, albeit I think an important one...
- All so-called "zero-sum" markets (options, futures) are actually
- what I would term "negative-sum" games. For the participants,
- that is, due to commissions. For a talented broker, of course,
- it's a risk-free road to riches...
- -steve p.
-