It's been years since I day-traded stocks but unless the PDT rule was modified, your take is slightly off.
First, a day-trade per PDT is a roundtrip(an entry+an exit) on the same day. Any hold into the next trade-day session negates being a day-trade.
In your example, your 3 in/outs and then you are done for the next 5 days means all 3 ins/outs occur on the same day. The PDT rule uses a 5 successive business(aka trading-day) window. It's a rolling window... simply, for example, someone could take one day-trade, one each on Mon, Wed, and Fri, every week, and never trigger PDT. Your choice of brokerage and their implementation of PDT (and even what constitutes one trade) may come into play however.
Im not arguing Growley, just pointing out that PDT, while it totally sucks and is just another example of government and it's agencies supporting Mr.Big in the name of protecting Joe Sixpack, there is/are some flexibilit(y/ies). I used to keep my own rolling PDT calendar. I did not use IB however. PDT is PITA for sure!!
Trade Futures.
I wasn't clear enough I guess. I meant 3 intra day round trips. I am aware that it is a 5 day rolling period but most of the time I will re enter at some point in the morning, and so I usually just figure on making three trades on my trading day. Wasn't thinking about a single trade in a day. So yeah you are right.
The way IB does, is when you attempt to enter a 4th possible day trade, the order is not accepted and that's it. Somehow one day I got off balance and ended up with a position still open, but orders refused. Don't remember exactly how that happened. I decided to click "close all positions" and see what would happen. The order went in, but I got the dreaded PDT notice and my account was frozen. Still is, but I will be funded at $50k late next week and I will get the freeze lifted.
Me, I don't trade futures. I don't know futures. I don't know my futures from my pasts half the time. Confusing and scary. Stocks are comforting and familiar. I buy something, then I sell it. Or I sell something I don't have yet, then buy it later. I am good with all that LOL. GF trades futures. I leave that to her.
