10 Days With TopStepTrader
- Thread starter austinp
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ahh, the proverbial "what could have been."
Filled a premarket drawdown with a pit session swing move, short four (4) from 106.25 and out at the premeasured, targeted 105.80s zone as planned before I ever filled the 106.25 short in the first place. Potential profit exits are always visible before the entries
Unfortunately, my initial short attempts from 106.80 and 106.75 zones failed to fill. So I had to ride the second coach from lower sell sequence than desired. 100+ cents on four contracts (or more) would have been nice... but CL is always a rather wild, unruly mistress. She is a good partner to make money with, though.
Grinding it out, day by day. Two down, eight left to go
"The only thing that matters is how much money you keep. What you were up before and what more you could have made afterwards means nothing at all."
Keep it up!
Keep it up!
Take only the best setups, leave the rest in the dirt.
Are you trading less and shutting down the combine once you reach a daily profit goal? Curious as to the approach...
[I do not see how anyone will be able to take all valid setups with this test. One has to consider all stats (max drawdown of X% of capital, etc) every single time when going for a trade. They don't want you to trade just your edge, but the best of the edge and while keeping all stats in mind...every single time. Add to that you are in a 10 day race.]
Are you trading less and shutting down the combine once you reach a daily profit goal? Curious as to the approach...
[I do not see how anyone will be able to take all valid setups with this test. One has to consider all stats (max drawdown of X% of capital, etc) every single time when going for a trade. They don't want you to trade just your edge, but the best of the edge and while keeping all stats in mind...every single time. Add to that you are in a 10 day race.]
if having problems trading with real money, this combine should help.
97%
of those surveyed said the Combine helped them develop as a trader
2-3
new traders financially funded per week
so hopefully this helps you develop as a trader and maybe get more money. always better to trade real money when the money isn't yours.
97%
of those surveyed said the Combine helped them develop as a trader
2-3
new traders financially funded per week
so hopefully this helps you develop as a trader and maybe get more money. always better to trade real money when the money isn't yours.
Overall my trading plan is to capture some part of a day's directional swing for acceptable profits, and shut down until the following session. That accomplishes several things... not the least of which is free time to live life and not live for trading.
Also, when you trade for targeted $$ goals per day, it eliminates the self-imposed performance pressures. If your business plan is to trade every move all day, you will be frustrated most every day. Miss a big trade for any reason, flub the stop, can't get filled or what have you, there is no making that up. You failed to perform on that series and the day cannot be a total success.
On the other hand, if you trade for targeted objectives be that ticks or $$ per contract, you can make all sorts of trade errors (that don't include large losses) and still complete the session successfully with one (or two) good trade(s). If you don't need to be perfect in every trade, you no longer feel compelled to pull stops or average against or turn day trades into losing positions held or any of that mental - emotional stuff.
Trade for daily goals and you are mentally free to miss, small loss, scratch, small loss, scratch, solid win, solid win... done. Daily goal for business plan met more often than not. Positive mental results. Positive cash results due to discipline maintained. Happy-happy-happy
I'm on record from the past stating my belief that the TST program is great for traders seeking a number of things. Performance measure and trader development are certainly two of many.
In my case, it's all about the potential privilege of being funded and trading OPM with unlimited upside potential of contracts size. Step one is to qualify, then if selected for funding, continue the same trading process of controlled risk - consistent gains and let time take over the equity curve from there.
But I'm not looking any further ahead than the next eight sessions. If I do my part completely, I will easily meet - exceed all qualification measures. If I fail to do that, it's 100% on me.
We'll all know the outcome of phase one by Friday 8/16.
Quote from austinp:
... Trade for daily goals and you are mentally free to miss, small loss, scratch, small loss, scratch, solid win, solid win... done. Daily goal for business plan met more often than not. Positive mental results. Positive cash results due to discipline maintained. Happy-happy-happy
Thanks.
A good metric for the combine. Paid for performance. Period.
I've asked this literal question many times in the past of traders everywhere...
"How many days in your career were you nicely profitable at some point in the session, only to finish the day flat at par, net loss or worst of all, large loss realized?
There are three outcomes to each profitable day:
#1: peak equity high reached early
#2: peak equity high reached midday
#3: peak equity high reached late day
In addition to that, some of the net-loss result days also reached net-profitable status at some point intraday before all gains were lost.
Under no circumstances ever, never, does any trader on earth finish at peak profit highs every day or even most days, when all of their days traded open to close.
Has never happened, cannot happen, will never happen for anyone.
Every trader with zero exceptions will live thru that daily equity-curve ride their entire career. Or, they can opt to blend results and finish around a targeted profit more days than not.
Some days everything clicks, and end profit is large.
Some days it is an effort to reach the profit goal and/or add to it.
Some days it is impossible to reach, and settle for small, controlled loss.
**
That's all part of the trade-management and trader self-management process... it has absolutely nothing to so with the systematic entry-stops-exit process.
In my case, I perform best and live life fullest by trading less and keeping more
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