The principal aim for scalpers is to achieve as many small profits as possible, rather than long-term trading strategies that aim to achieve a small numbers of wins but on a much larger scale. This way, they are able to dip in and out of the market more flexibly.
Scalpers trade derivative products such as spread bets and contracts for difference (CFDs) on the price movements of an underlying asset, whether this be a currency pair, share or commodity, instead of owning the physical asset. This allows them to trade with leverage, which can provide huge profits if the trade is successful, although losses will be magnified if the markets move in an unfavourable direction.