

Line Your Own Pockets
Dave Mabe and Michael Nauss
A weekly show for systematic traders who want to make more money from their trading strategies.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 10, 2025 • 42min
You Missed a Trade - Now What?
You didn't get a fill on your original entry. The trade would have been profitable for a bit, then it comes back to your original entry price. Do you take the trade? We go in-depth, answering this common dilemma.Your default should be to take the trade if it still matches your systemThere's more information to decide on - what can you add to your backtest?What are post-entry columns, and how can they help?How deep thinking about the issue can help you create brand new strategiesHere's the original article Dave wrote on this topic.
---Before you go!If you're a trader and interested in backtesting and automating your trading strategy and don't know where to start, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to davemabe.com to sign up for my free backtesting email course.I hope to see you there!

Nov 3, 2025 • 51min
NASDAQ's Announcement on Tokenization of Stocks
Michael and Dave discuss NASDAQ's initiative to tokenize all securities and the implications for traders. They discuss:What tokenization is and what that means for equitiesHow it affects settlement and paves the way for 24/7 tradingPrediction markets and positive externalities of betting ("Betting is a tax on bullsh*t.")Dave proposed a bet to Michael based on the volume traded in the opening and closing crosses in the futureAnd much more...
---Before you go!If you're a trader and interested in backtesting and automating your trading strategy and don't know where to start, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to davemabe.com to sign up for my free backtesting email course.I hope to see you there!

Oct 27, 2025 • 33min
What To Do When a Strategy Flips

Oct 20, 2025 • 47min
Stopped Out by a Penny? Good.
We've got news for you - there's nobody who cares enough about your stops to go "hunting for them."And getting stopped out by a penny is frustrating, but it's actually a good sign.Blaming an algo or anything else for your trade getting stopped out is counter-productiveWhy most traders are completely wrong about placing stopsHow to select stops for your strategy in a data-driven wayMuch more...
---Before you go!If you're a trader and interested in backtesting and automating your trading strategy and don't know where to start, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to davemabe.com to sign up for my free backtesting email course.I hope to see you there!

Oct 13, 2025 • 31min
Is Trading Gambling?
In this episode, we tackle this popular question. Dave polled several traders he coaches and got some surprising answers.How much is trading like, say, poker, or something that is even more up to chance?Even starting a business can be called gambling if defined purely as "risking money on uncertain outcomes."Does having an edge make trading less like gambling?In a casino, is the house "gambling" because it has a strong edge?What's your take?
---Before you go!If you're a trader and interested in backtesting and automating your trading strategy and don't know where to start, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to davemabe.com to sign up for my free backtesting email course.I hope to see you there!

Oct 6, 2025 • 42min
Using Alternative Data in a Backtest
In this episode, we discuss the best way to use alternative data in your backtest.What is alternative data and how can you use it in a strategy?Examples of alternative dataUsing it in real-time versus a backtestHow to automate the process for backtesting and real-time tradingOther episodes mentioned: Using News in Your Trading Strategy
---Before you go!If you're a trader and interested in backtesting and automating your trading strategy and don't know where to start, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to davemabe.com to sign up for my free backtesting email course.I hope to see you there!

Sep 29, 2025 • 37min
A Different Way to Go Live
In this episode, Dave discusses a conversation he had with John M. from SMB Trading and his unique approach to taking a strategy live.We discuss:John's 35+ strategies he runs liveHow he quickly gets a strategy running in productionHis approach to collaboration with other tradersWhat is "strategy taste" and how you can improve yours over time
---Before you go!If you're a trader and interested in backtesting and automating your trading strategy and don't know where to start, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to davemabe.com to sign up for my free backtesting email course.I hope to see you there!

Sep 22, 2025 • 43min
Follow Up On Quant/Discretionary Collaboration
Follow-up discussion on quant and discretionary trader collaboration.We discuss:How Dave first connected with BellaThe cultural DNA of SMB CapitalThe challenges of quant/discretionary collaborationThe importance of being a giver, not a takerRelated episode:Mike Bellafiore and Nick Coutrakon from SMB Capital on Trading TeamsCreating a Trusted Trading GroupBooks mentioned:Give and Take by Adam Grant|The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann
---Before you go!If you're a trader and interested in backtesting and automating your trading strategy and don't know where to start, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to davemabe.com to sign up for my free backtesting email course.I hope to see you there!

Sep 15, 2025 • 52min
Mike Bellafiore and Nick Coutrakon from SMB Capital on Trading Teams
Mike Bellafiore and Nick Coutrakon join the podcast to continue a discussion Mike had with Dave on the makeup of trading teams at SMB Capital, a proprietary trading firm in NYC.What's the best way to include a quantitative trader in a discretionary trading team?
---Before you go!If you're a trader and interested in backtesting and automating your trading strategy and don't know where to start, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to davemabe.com to sign up for my free backtesting email course.I hope to see you there!

Sep 8, 2025 • 44min
Baby Steps Towards Automating Your Trades
Are you a profitable trader but hesitant to automate your trades?In this episode, we discuss multiple steps to take towards having a computer make trades without fully automating.
---Before you go!If you're a trader and interested in backtesting and automating your trading strategy and don't know where to start, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to davemabe.com to sign up for my free backtesting email course.I hope to see you there!


