FINALLY passed TopstepTrader's Combine!

[Overnight]

Mmmm, yes, 15 contracts would put a bite in your wallet. I am not messing with position sizes that large.

Just one contract.

 

[motif]

T

I've seen Mike on Twitter and who are these friends? Vendors. Vendors. Vendors.

Hey all,

After years and years (10 to be precise) of struggle and fleeting success, it would appear that I have now become consistently profitable over the long haul. I've documented the majority of the journey on my blog, with the last 18 months being within the TST program.

I've also decided to host my P&L curve in risk units (R) there too, which is updated via Google Sheets whenever I trade, which is pretty much everyday. Check the top right-hand corner of the blog for the "featured post" which is where you'll find the equity curve.

I'm very aware that people can have long periods of profitability only to have things fall apart (been there, done that and worn the T-shirt MANY times over!!!) but this time, my approach is much more simplistic and is largely mechanical. It feels more robust as the WR is relatively low and the sample size (N) is fairly significant over a decent period of time. Also, there aren't any noticeable outliers so taking out the top 5% of winners and top 5% losers doesn't change the expectancy/drastically change P&L.

Now just have to pass the restrictive Funded Trader Preparation (FTP) at TST and I'll be set .

Feel free to ask any questions you may have. If things get as hostile as I've seen them get on other threads, I'll just excuse myself. Looking for mutually beneficial debate if any at all! Thanks

N

Hey all,

After years and years (10 to be precise) of struggle and fleeting success, it would appear that I have now become consistently profitable over the long haul. I've documented the majority of the journey on my blog, with the last 18 months being within the TST program.

I've also decided to host my P&L curve in risk units (R) there too, which is updated via Google Sheets whenever I trade, which is pretty much everyday. Check the top right-hand corner of the blog for the "featured post" which is where you'll find the equity curve.

I'm very aware that people can have long periods of profitability only to have things fall apart (been there, done that and worn the T-shirt MANY times over!!!) but this time, my approach is much more simplistic and is largely mechanical. It feels more robust as the WR is relatively low and the sample size (N) is fairly significant over a decent period of time. Also, there aren't any noticeable outliers so taking out the top 5% of winners and top 5% losers doesn't change the expectancy/drastically change P&L.

Now just have to pass the restrictive Funded Trader Preparation (FTP) at TST and I'll be set .

Feel free to ask any questions you may have. If things get as hostile as I've seen them get on other threads, I'll just excuse myself. Looking for mutually beneficial debate if any at all! Thanks

Hey all,

After years and years (10 to be precise) of struggle and fleeting success, it would appear that I have now become consistently profitable over the long haul. I've documented the majority of the journey on my blog, with the last 18 months being within the TST program.

I've also decided to host my P&L curve in risk units (R) there too, which is updated via Google Sheets whenever I trade, which is pretty much everyday. Check the top right-hand corner of the blog for the "featured post" which is where you'll find the equity curve.

I'm very aware that people can have long periods of profitability only to have things fall apart (been there, done that and worn the T-shirt MANY times over!!!) but this time, my approach is much more simplistic and is largely mechanical. It feels more robust as the WR is relatively low and the sample size (N) is fairly significant over a decent period of time. Also, there aren't any noticeable outliers so taking out the top 5% of winners and top 5% losers doesn't change the expectancy/drastically change P&L.

Now just have to pass the restrictive Funded Trader Preparation (FTP) at TST and I'll be set .

Feel free to ask any questions you may have. If things get as hostile as I've seen them get on other threads, I'll just excuse myself. Looking for mutually beneficial debate if any at all! Thanks

You can

Yea, I did that in my youth "once", I thought instead of getting out at the close with $300 LOSS in soybeans on each contract on a day trade, it will turn around tomorrow, three limit down days in a row and lost $75k total. Let me tell you, I was suicidal even beyond when I was able to get out. I don't recall how many trips I went to Credit Union to get loans to bail me out putting up houses for collateral early on. Yea, that was one lesson learned for me, if in the hole by the close, GET OUT, can always get in during the night at better price. Violation of my rules, it like taking a Concrete block and tossing it in the air and just wait till it hits me.

Hey all,

After years and years (10 to be precise) of struggle and fleeting success, it would appear that I have now become consistently profitable over the long haul. I've documented the majority of the journey on my blog, with the last 18 months being within the TST program.

I've also decided to host my P&L curve in risk units (R) there too, which is updated via Google Sheets whenever I trade, which is pretty much everyday. Check the top right-hand corner of the blog for the "featured post" which is where you'll find the equity curve.

I'm very aware that people can have long periods of profitability only to have things fall apart (been there, done that and worn the T-shirt MANY times over!!!) but this time, my approach is much more simplistic and is largely mechanical. It feels more robust as the WR is relatively low and the sample size (N) is fairly significant over a decent period of time. Also, there aren't any noticeable outliers so taking out the top 5% of winners and top 5% losers doesn't change the expectancy/drastically change P&L.

Now just have to pass the restrictive Funded Trader Preparation (FTP) at TST and I'll be set .

Feel free to ask any questions you may have. If things get as hostile as I've seen them get on other threads, I'll just excuse myself. Looking for mutually beneficial debate if any at all! Thanks

Please give us a detailed description of what the Traders Prep is(what they tell you). I would love to know. Thanx James.

 

[volente_00]

Mmmm, yes, 15 contracts would put a bite in your wallet. I am not messing with position sizes that large.

Just one contract.

Then why trade ES or futures at all ?

 

[volente_00]

Hey all,

After years and years (10 to be precise) of struggle and fleeting success, it would appear that I have now become consistently profitable over the long haul. I've documented the majority of the journey on my blog, with the last 18 months being within the TST program.

I've also decided to host my P&L curve in risk units (R) there too, which is updated via Google Sheets whenever I trade, which is pretty much everyday. Check the top right-hand corner of the blog for the "featured post" which is where you'll find the equity curve.

I'm very aware that people can have long periods of profitability only to have things fall apart (been there, done that and worn the T-shirt MANY times over!!!) but this time, my approach is much more simplistic and is largely mechanical. It feels more robust as the WR is relatively low and the sample size (N) is fairly significant over a decent period of time. Also, there aren't any noticeable outliers so taking out the top 5% of winners and top 5% losers doesn't change the expectancy/drastically change P&L.

Now just have to pass the restrictive Funded Trader Preparation (FTP) at TST and I'll be set .

Feel free to ask any questions you may have. If things get as hostile as I've seen them get on other threads, I'll just excuse myself. Looking for mutually beneficial debate if any at all! Thanks

How many combines have you done at TST ?
How much have you spent doing them ?

 

[Overnight]

Then why trade ES or futures at all ?

What? Huh? So people should not trade futures contracts unless we can go in huge? What is wrong with trading one contract?

 

[jinxu]

Yea, I did that in my youth "once", I thought instead of getting out at the close with $300 LOSS in soybeans on each contract on a day trade, it will turn around tomorrow, three limit down days in a row and lost $75k total. Let me tell you, I was suicidal even beyond when I was able to get out. I don't recall how many trips I went to Credit Union to get loans to bail me out putting up houses for collateral early on. Yea, that was one lesson learned for me, if in the hole by the close, GET OUT, can always get in during the night at better price. Violation of my rules, it like taking a Concrete block and tossing it in the air and just wait till it hits me.

I'm lucky I never had to experience those kind of losses during my education and experimentation phases. Losses were necessary to spark idea that develop into system. Lucky for me they were relatively small losses compare to what you had.

 

[Handle123]

Please give us a detailed description of what the Traders Prep is(what they tell you). I would love to know. Thanx James.

I wake up, get a cup of coffee, read the paper, turn on Andy Griffith show and remember when life was better back in the 1960s-better way of life. Turn on laptop, move cat off my lap, and trade.
That is my Traders Prep, didn't think anyone would want to know what I did before I go to my hobby for an hour.

 

[ScalperJoe]

Now just have to pass the restrictive Funded Trader Preparation (FTP) at TST and I'll be set .

Feel free to ask any questions you may have. If things get as hostile as I've seen them get on other threads, I'll just excuse myself. Looking for mutually beneficial debate if any at all! Thanks

Nice going on passing the combine. However, from reviewing your posts, it seems you're aware of the difference in rules between the combine-FTP-Live account. So my only question is this:

Why did you trade the combine in a manner which would not have worked in FTP/Live?

 

[volente_00]

What? Huh? So people should not trade futures contracts unless we can go in huge? What is wrong with trading one contract?

Why do you need opm to trade 1 contract ?

 

[ScalperJoe]

But if you can't pass a Combine now, you just can't trade.

You're right about the metrics being changed to make the pass rates more achievable.

However, passing the combine has no relation to a person's ability to trade in a real account, unless that real account had the exact same parameters of the combine. The combine is simply a training exercise, albeit a good one.