NYSE Specialists
                       Specialists interact all  day  long  with  the  orderflow. If you are not talking directly to  the  floor  you  have  no  way  ofknowing when the specialist is involved. They  are  very  regulated  in  howthey can interface with the order flow unlike the large  OTC  market  makersthat can still sell short on minus ticks. If you are a  wholesaler  you  getto talk to the buy side, the sell side and you  see  order  flow  from  manyretail firms because they pay for it.                       The NYSE specialists are down there to  make  orderlymarkets, but you must also understand they make money primarily by  trading.Commission billing revenue for specialists is not what  it  used  to  be  sothere is a much greater emphasis  on  trading.  The  day  trader’s  shot  ofutilizing knowledge about specialists  is  primarily  on  openings  and  thesubsequent trading after the open. That is enough to give you  a  profitableday anytime  we  get  those  "tail-wag-the-dog"  openings  due  to  the  S&Pfutures.  Another  good  opportunity  is  happy  program   time   when   thespecialists step aside and let the robots do their thing.                       If you asked me the one thing about specialists  thatyou should be aware of and can capitalize  on,  it  would  be:  "Specialistswill take the stock to the volume, and where it wants to  trade.  They  willget it there by buying or selling only the required  amount  of  stock  thatcomplies with market making duties."