The Best Loser Wins (Trader Mindset)

FinancialWisdom
May 17
6 min read

Updated: Sep 7

How to Acquire the Best Trading Mind - Tom Hougaard

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The best losers wins book review

Video Transcript Below:

Best Loser Wins - How to Acquire the Best Trading Mind

Most traders start with the belief that success lies in charts, patterns, and indicators. They think that by finding the right setup or perfect moving average, they can attract profits effortlessly. However, the truth is more complex. The real issue usually isn’t the trading system; it’s the trader behind the screen.

In his enlightening book, Best Loser Wins, Tom Hougaard exposes this hard truth. This isn’t just another guide on reading financial indicators like RSI or Bollinger Bands. Instead, Hougaard argues that these tools often keep traders stuck. They become crutches, distracting from the essential work of mastering one’s psychology.

The Myth of Technical Analysis

In the early stages of his career, Tom was just like many other traders. He poured over technical analysis, printed endless charts, and over-analyzed patterns until exhaustion set in. He sought every indicator available—from Fibonacci ratios to obscure theories with mystical names. In a poetic opening, he describes this early obsession as a love affair with the market, convinced that a secret formula was awaiting discovery. But none of these methods yielded sustainable or profitable results.

The market is indifferent to how many chart patterns you know. It doesn’t reward education, hard work, or passion. The only thing the market values is your ability to manage your emotional responses effectively.

Control Over Emotion

Hougaard doesn’t claim to be the best technical analyst; he admits that his skills are average. However, he stands out because of his mental strength. He has trained himself to accept loss without descending into fear, frustration, or revenge. He remains calm when trades turn unfavorable. Instead of resisting the market, he flows with its rhythms.

This is why he asserts, “The best loser wins.” Every trader experiences losses; however, very few can handle them with grace. Most traders panic, hesitate, or overtrade. They might see a stock plummeting and think, “It’s cheap now.” Alternatively, they may see a breakout and declare, “It’s overbought.” They view the market through emotional lenses rather than objective reality.

Misinterpretations Lead to Failures

Most traders falter for this reason. The market is not a discount store. A stock dropping by 50% doesn’t indicate clearance pricing; it could signal an impending collapse. Tom learned this tough lesson the hard way. After warning clients not to invest in Marconi stock—which had plummeted from 1,200 pence to 450—he called it “garbage” on live television and subsequently lost his job. Later, the stock became worthless, resulting in significant losses for his clients.

This tendency to find what they want to see is what often drives traders astray. They rely on indicators, believing they will predict future market movements. In reality, these indicators only represent data, reflecting past activity.

Consider Hougaard's story about a student who purchased the Dow Jones after a particularly rough day. Why? Because stochastics indicated it was “oversold.” However, the market continued to decline without any significant bounce. This trader wasn’t attuned to market conditions; he was pursuing a false sense of hope.

And remember, hope should never be mistaken for strategy.

The Internal Battle of Trading

The true conflict in trading lies not against other traders but against your own biology. Your brain is naturally wired for survival, aiming for comfort, certainty, and control. Trading offers none of these; it presents risk, randomness, and emotional turmoil.

Most individuals behave as evolution intended: they avoid discomfort, often leading to poor trading decisions. They cut winning trades too soon to lock in profits while holding onto losing positions longer than necessary. They trade more when they are losing and less when they are winning—thinking like regular humans rather than effective traders.

Embracing Discomfort

Hougaard challenges this mindset. Rather than avoiding discomfort, he seeks to find comfort in being uncomfortable. Instead of fleeing from fear, he trains himself to operate effectively amid it. He likens himself to a Navy SEAL—maintaining composure under pressure and delivering results when instinct urges escape.

This perspective becomes critical during slumps, which are periods filled with uncertainty where everything seems to go wrong. Hougaard devotes an entire chapter to this experience called “Trading Through a Slump.” This section is one of the most candid and poignant in the book.

A slump isn’t solely about financial losses. It impacts your identity, prompting you to question everything: your strategy, your skills, and even your self-worth. Tom articulately describes this anguish—complete with self-doubt and the temptation to change systems, increase trade size, and chase after new setups. Unfortunately, these actions usually create a deeper hole.

Redefining Your Approach

His guidance during such times is both straightforward yet incredibly challenging: stop trying to improve trades, focus instead on improving your mindset. Reduce the trade size. Return to the basics. Keep it small. Journal your every thought. Concentrate on execution rather than outcomes. In a slump, the true enemy isn’t the market—it’s yourself.

He openly shares that during his worst slump, the temptation to quit was real. Yet he didn’t succumb. Instead, he examined his own behavior more closely than ever before. He recognized slumps as ultimate tests of discipline rather than skill.

Hougaard takes the radical step of asserting that “normal” thinking will not succeed in trading. Why? Because what is considered “normal” often involves being emotional, reactive, and hopeful. Traders might approach the market wishing it to behave in a certain way—rather than facing its realities.

Reprogramming Your Mindset

Thus, Hougaard believes that true trading success starts with learning to unlearn instinctual behaviors. The ultimate goal isn’t about finding the perfect edge; it’s about becoming the kind of person who can execute any edge with discipline, detachment, and consistency.

As Charlie DiFrancesca, a renowned bond trader, states, “Good trading means combatting the emotions that make us human.” Success depends less on analytical tools and more on a trader's psychology.

A striking statistic from Hougaard’s book reveals that over 60% of trades are winners. However, many traders still end up losing money. This paradox occurs because traders often incur larger losses than they gain from their winning trades. The core issue isn’t about strategy; it’s about mindset.

The Gap in Trading Success

Brokers constantly attempt to arm their clients with winning tools—tight spreads, robust education, and advanced resources. Yet, despite these efforts, 80% of retail traders continue to lose money. Many brokers would benefit from having successful clients, as winning traders tend to trade more frequently. Yet the statistics remain unchanged, proving that tools alone cannot amend a flawed mindset.

Tom’s conclusion is simple: to achieve success, abandon “normalcy.” Build mental models that defy everyday standards. This involves:

Holding onto winning trades longer than what feels comfortable.
Cutting losses before they escalate into larger issues.
Adhering to your trading rules, even when your instincts suggest otherwise.
Trading small enough to ensure that losing trades do not disrupt your emotional stability.
Journaling not only trades but also emotional states.

Moreover, he incorporates breathing techniques during trading sessions to maintain calmness. He reviews not just his entries and exits but also the rationale behind his choices. Building self-awareness is just as vital as crafting strategies.

The Power of Mindfulness in Trading

Demonstrating the effectiveness of his approach, he describes a moment when he achieved 39 consecutive trading days without losses, netting over £300,000. This wasn’t due to foresight but his meticulous control. He didn’t need to be infallible; he just needed to execute his strategy with precision.

Ultimately, the lesson isn’t to become robotic, but to remain mindful. You may feel fear, but do not act on it. You might experience greed, but don’t allow it to dictate your decisions.

Trading is inherently simple, yet it is anything but easy. The rules are clear, yet implementation can be brutal as it pits you against your own instincts and programming.

That is why Best Loser Wins is a transformative book. It goes beyond indicators and market secrets; it centers on personal transformation—reshaping not just your trading strategies but your entire self.

Tom asserts, “I win because I’m really good at losing.” In the world of trading, unlike most careers, mastering loss equates to winning. Imagine if a dentist or a doctor operated with only a 60% success rate; they wouldn't succeed. Yet, traders can thrive with similar performance if they prepare mentally for losses. Most do not.

While Tom Hougaard excels as a high-stakes day trader, his insights on trading psychology extend far beyond rapid-trade setups. The mental hurdles he addresses are universal, affecting swing traders, long-term investors, and options traders alike. Emotional challenges like fear, ego, hesitation, and overconfidence resonate across all trading styles. What makes Best Loser Wins impactful is not just the identification of these mental pitfalls, but also the valuable advice Tom provides to combat them. From breathing exercises to journaling routines, his practical tools reshape internal responses. Ultimately, no matter what asset you trade, your mindset will significantly influence your success or failure.

As always, thanks for watching.

For those interested in enhancing their trading knowledge and techniques, resources are available through the links below.