Uploaded December 2023 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
Kevin Davey won the Robbins World Cup Trading Championship three years running by engineering a strategy to hit a specific return target - not by getting lucky.
► Full article: bettersystemtrader.com/trading-triumphs-kevin-daveys-journey-to-success-part-3
In this episode:
• How Kevin researched 10 years of contest results to set a realistic 100% annual return target
• Why Van Tharp dismissed his win - and what that critique actually meant
• How luck is built into every backtest, and why that should change how you design systems
0:00 Introduction
1:16 Kevin's approach to the trading contest
4:50 Researching historical contest results to set a target
8:30 The role of luck in contest performance
10:30 Van Tharp's reaction - and the real lesson
14:00 Goal-first strategy design in everyday trading
18:45 How to think about luck in backtesting
21:00 Closing advice for aspiring traders
Related episodes:
• Kevin Davey on system development and the best systems: youtu.be/TpmDzRFIu0k
• How to detect when a strategy is failing: youtu.be/_dMbZfALIAQ
Kevin Davey entered the Robbins World Cup Trading Championship in 2005, 2006, and 2007. He returned over 100% all three years - finishing second twice and winning in 2006 with 107%. The discipline behind that result, setting a concrete target based on historical data and designing a system to hit it, is the same process that works in regular trading.
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► Better System Trader: bettersystemtrader.com
► Follow on X: twitter.com/bettersystrader
#TradingStrategy #SystemTrading #AlgoTrading
Disclaimer:
Trading in the financial markets involves a substantial risk of loss. All content produced by Better System Trader is for informational or educational purposes only and does not constitute trading or investment advice.
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Kevin Davey won the Robbins World Cup Trading Championship three years running by engineering a strategy to hit a specific return target - not by getting lucky.
► Full article: bettersystemtrader.com/trading-triumphs-kevin-daveys-journey-to-success-part-3
In this episode:
• How Kevin researched 10 years of contest results to set a realistic 100% annual return target
• Why Van Tharp dismissed his win - and what that critique actually meant
• How luck is built into every backtest, and why that should change how you design systems
0:00 Introduction
1:16 Kevin's approach to the trading contest
4:50 Researching historical contest results to set a target
8:30 The role of luck in contest performance
10:30 Van Tharp's reaction - and the real lesson
14:00 Goal-first strategy design in everyday trading
18:45 How to think about luck in backtesting
21:00 Closing advice for aspiring traders
Related episodes:
• Kevin Davey on system development and the best systems: youtu.be/TpmDzRFIu0k
• How to detect when a strategy is failing: youtu.be/_dMbZfALIAQ
Kevin Davey entered the Robbins World Cup Trading Championship in 2005, 2006, and 2007. He returned over 100% all three years - finishing second twice and winning in 2006 with 107%. The discipline behind that result, setting a concrete target based on historical data and designing a system to hit it, is the same process that works in regular trading.
---
► Better System Trader: bettersystemtrader.com
► Follow on X: twitter.com/bettersystrader
#TradingStrategy #SystemTrading #AlgoTrading
Disclaimer:
Trading in the financial markets involves a substantial risk of loss. All content produced by Better System Trader is for informational or educational purposes only and does not constitute trading or investment advice.
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