Michael Marcus Trader:
Lessons from a Market Wizard
Courage, Strategy, and Timeless Trading Wisdom
Let’s kick off the year with some inspiration, shall we?
Ok – Michael Marcus… ever heard of him?
He’s one of the original Market Wizards featured in Jack Schwager’s book, and for good reason.
Marcus started his trading journey with just $30,000 and turned it into a ridiculous $80 million trading commodities.
Yes, $80 million….
However you slice it, that’s an incredible return.
COURAGE
Marcus sadly died in March of 2023, but left behind a ton of wisdom.
If you haven’t already, I highly recommend (re)reading the first Market Wizards book to get the full picture.
But two of his quotes have always stuck with me:
- “The best trades are the ones in which you have all three things going for you: fundamentals, technicals, and market tone.”
- “Being a successful trader also takes courage: the courage to try, the courage to fail, the courage to succeed, and the courage to keep going when the going gets tough.”
Why These Matter
The first quote is so underrated. Even on lower timeframes, if you can align yourself with:
- Fundamentals (higher timeframe trend)
- Market tone (sentiment and trend persistence)
- Technicals (trade timing and execution)
You significantly improve your odds of being right more often… and securing a handsome RvR for your trouble.
The second quote? Well, it speaks for itself.
Trading is tough. Success requires the courage to step up, take risks, learn from failure, and keep going when things get hard.
A solid reminder for us all.