Chapter 4
The Coolest Guy
in the Room
Chuck Hays
Of all the traders we’ve interviewed, Chuck Hays is one of the
coolest guys around both in temperament and in style. He makes
his living in the highly chaotic world of e-mini stock index futures
where the difference between fortune and failure can be measured
in seconds. Yet Chuck rarely loses control and he often wins by
violating some of the most sacrosanct rules of trading. Brutally hon-
est, Chuck believes traders should first understand their individual
strengths and limitations and trade accordingly. A very generous
trader, Chuck has counseled and coached scores of futures traders
in his own free time. Due to his natural Midwestern modesty and
nonchalance, Chuck tends to downplay his accomplishments. He
is, however, one of the best risk takers in the retail trading game.
We had the pleasure to interview Chuck from his home office in
Minnesota.