You're actually lucky you didn't win. Because then you'd be hooked, and chasing that initial success. Same thing happened to me with scratch-offs. I bought one on my 18th birthday, and one $100. I spent the next 5 years buying those things hoping to repeat that early success. Never won again. And I wasted how much money on tickets chasing that one win? Same goes for short trades and leverage. You're lucky you lost and the sting kept you from messing with it again.