Forex robots hold the promise of providing untold riches with a minimum of work.

The idea behind a forex robot is that you (or someone) program rules for buying & selling currencies into a software program which then diligently monitors the moment-by-moment gyrations of the global foreign exchange rates in realtime, calculating mind-bendingly complex mathematical forumulae.

The software then interprets the results of those calculations and - like a shaman reading the entrails of a recently-strangled chicken - supposedly augurs the future value of the instruments being tracked. At least, that's the theory.

The reality often paints a much different picture. Imagine yourself sitting down with a hot cup of coffee and firing-up your favorite software which is squirming with little forex robots just waiting to get out there & make you some money.

Now imagine choosing among the many pre-canned algorithms that come with these things and then clicking the "Go" button in the software.

You watch your robot watch the currencies and then DING it buys some euro. Or sells some pounds. Ok, the game is on! Not much happens for quite awhile and just as you start getting bored, the rate starts to move.

And move and move and move and boy, are you starting to make some MONEY with this thing. You can’t believe it! Never in your wildest dreams did you ever imagine that forex robots could really make you money!

But here it is, a good three hours into its first trade and your brand-new expensive system is indeed in profit… er, wait a second.

Hey, what’s going on? Now it’s starting to come back a little bit. This thing was just up $284 and now it’s only up $162.

Huh. Just as you’re muttering to yourself about how fast currencies move, your wife walks in with a sandwich for you and asks in her perky voice, "How’s it going, honey?"

You raise your eyebrows and manage a faint, "Oh, ok I guess. This software I bought with pre-programmed forex robots is actually making money for us!"

"Oh, that’s wonderful, darling," she says as she steals an olive from your snack plate.

"Yeah," you sigh, "but it was up almost $300 just a few minutes ago, and now its…"

Your voice trails off as you watch your trading secret weapon allow what was a winner go into negative profit (also known as "loss") and you lean forward, frowning at the glowing monitor.

"What the hell’s it doing? What kind of trading system lets a big gain turn into a loss?" Your wife puts her hand on your shoulder and says, "Well, honey, I told you. Forex robots may not be all they seem. I told you you shouldn’t get your hopes up too much."

Your eyes narrow and your lips tighten a little as your loving spouse continues. "I mean, after all, if these things really made money like the sales letters say, then why would they sell it?"

Even though you secretly agree – "Yeah, why WOULD they sell it if it made so much money?" you’ve always wondered in the deepest, darkest recesses of your brain, back in there where you store your daydreams involving Ethel Mermin (oh, those DIMPLES!) and broken sticks of Blackjack Licorice Chewing Gum – you still wonder silently how much online divorces cost nowadays anyway.

But then you are jolted out of your reverie by your wife saying over her shoulder, "Well, just try not to lose too much this time" as one of your trustly little expensive forex robots commences to close the trade out at a loss of $78.34.

You sit back in your chair with a look of disgust on your face as your little friend tries again by selling the Euro this time, and you wonder whether you should opt-in to that home-based business opportunity you got in your email this morning.