Today, I made one long trade that was OK, then a good long trade, then a bad long trade.

Trade 1: I scaled into and out of a long starting in the premarket and did OK.

Buy     1       1371.50 7/19/2012  6:15:32 AM Entry     1L

0635HRS Heat 1371.50 - 1369.50 = 2.00


Buy     1       1369.75 7/19/2012  7:00:44 AM Entry     2L


0715HRS Min 1366.00 Heat 1371.50 + 1369.75 - 2.0 * 1369.50 = 8.25


Sell    1       1370.00 7/19/2012  7:23:08 AM Exit      1L
Sell    1       1373.00 7/19/2012  8:35:38 AM Exit      -

The profit on the early trade was:
- 1371.50 - 1369.75 + 1370.00 + 1373.00 = 1.75

Trade 2: I went long again:
Buy     1       1371.00 7/19/2012  8:45:12 AM Entry     1L
Sell    1       1375.00 7/19/2012  9:25:35 AM Exit      -

The profit on this trade was:
- 1371.00 + 1375.00 = 4.00


I went long again with multiple contracts, but ended up being stopped out.
Buy     1       1374.00 7/19/2012  9:39:34 AM Entry     1L
Buy     2       1374.00 7/19/2012  9:39:41 AM Entry     3L
Sell    1       1372.75 7/19/2012  9:49:03 AM Exit      2L
Sell    2       1372.75 7/19/2012  9:49:03 AM Exit      -

Loss for this trade:
- 3.0 * 1374.00 + 3.0 * 1372.75 = -3.75

Total profit for the day:
1.75 + 4.00 - 3.75 = 2.00

In retrospect, it would have been a good trade to go long at exactly 10 AM. I could have bought multiple contracts, scaled out, then had a stop that would have been break even or better.