I'm not sure I understand what is going on here. You are trading a live account with real money, and at the same time, trading essentially sim, with the goal of this leading to a funded account which has the effect of at least having something in the game. But which is more important? The reason I ask is because I wonder what kinds of trades you think are good enough for one, versus the other, and vice versa. I realize that your live account was the NQ, and your TST is the ES, but it seems to me that there is a conflict here. If both were the same instrument, would you take the exact same trades? It just seems like there might be competition for your attention between the two, and different trading styles, and one that you value more, even though you appear to want both. I would think that all of this would be rather confusing internally.
Topstep trader combine as a newb.
- Thread starter Jjs
- Start date
Those are good points. i agree that there is a bit of conflict. I will likely just trade the combine account next time to have absolute focus. My trading in NQ would not be good at all for a combine. I do less trimming, trade it a lot less, basically not as good of a day trading instrument for me.
I feel like the styles of my trading still will work in the combine. The entries are the same, the exits are the same. The only change is closing the runner out end of day. Could this be a huge mental block? I guess it could be. I believe it's an adjustment I can make.
I believe the funded account is more important at the moment. This may sound a bit weird, but here goes. Trading for me is a bit lonely, which in a way I love, because I get to be in control of everything. On the other hand, I know 0 people who trade, and have met 0 people who trade. It's quite the mountain to climb without any support. I feel for me, having even a little contact with others just adjusts my mind a bit to feel apart of something. That contact could even just be a check once a month. Even the idea that someone is watching and judging would have an impact for me personally.
To be honest, I actually felt even more tense trading in sim, it felt entirely real to me. We all know this is about the money, but without execution there won't be any. I really don't expect to be making gazillions in a day, but I do believe my personal goals are attainable. 10 points a week per lot after commission. If I trade mostly 2's, I'm looking 20 points. If it takes me 5 years to do it consistently, so be it.
I feel like the styles of my trading still will work in the combine. The entries are the same, the exits are the same. The only change is closing the runner out end of day. Could this be a huge mental block? I guess it could be. I believe it's an adjustment I can make.
I believe the funded account is more important at the moment. This may sound a bit weird, but here goes. Trading for me is a bit lonely, which in a way I love, because I get to be in control of everything. On the other hand, I know 0 people who trade, and have met 0 people who trade. It's quite the mountain to climb without any support. I feel for me, having even a little contact with others just adjusts my mind a bit to feel apart of something. That contact could even just be a check once a month. Even the idea that someone is watching and judging would have an impact for me personally.
To be honest, I actually felt even more tense trading in sim, it felt entirely real to me. We all know this is about the money, but without execution there won't be any. I really don't expect to be making gazillions in a day, but I do believe my personal goals are attainable. 10 points a week per lot after commission. If I trade mostly 2's, I'm looking 20 points. If it takes me 5 years to do it consistently, so be it.
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I find it funny how you say that you will likely trade the combine account next time to have absolute focus, and yet you also say that the funded account is more important. (perhaps by next time you mean once this experiment is over, so these are meant to be in the same time frame).
I also understand what you mean about trading being lonely. Perhaps this combine, and hence posting about it, fulfills this certain need. Its almost as if your money account serves one need, and the combine serves another. It would be kind of like if a trader has a gambling obsession, but understands how dangerous this is for trading, so once a week he goes to the casino to fuel that need, so that when he's trading, he can focus on doing it properly by having already fed the other need. I'm just rambling here and in no way mean to imply that this applies to you.
You seem to be doing great and your goals are certainly quite attainable and as you say, consistency is key.
What I meant by that is I will trade this combine account but not trade my personal account at that time. The funded account is the account I would trade for Topstep if I were to pass the combine. The idea of the funded account in my opinion is better than trading my personal account as far as futures, for the psychological issues I listed above. The point was, as you said focusing on both may have been giving me a conflict. Not that I'm making an excuse, because I flat out traded poorly on Friday. So yes, becoming funded is important to me. It's also important to grow as a trader. So if I do not succeed, hopefully I will gain some insight as well. The combine is a fail, because I went over my daily loss limit by $24. Ended the week up $100 with a 30% win rate and 60% daily win rate. So I will start over.
posting the results here will obviously help as well. As a completely new trader, I'm hoping I will get a lot of advice, criticism certainly welcome. your comments are appreciated. Thanks
I tend to ramble, not the greatest writer.
posting the results here will obviously help as well. As a completely new trader, I'm hoping I will get a lot of advice, criticism certainly welcome. your comments are appreciated. Thanks
I tend to ramble, not the greatest writer.
I would be careful about the type of help you get. I'm not suggesting that it would be bad, but even someone who is an accomplished trader is only so trading their own system. There are many traders here on ET who seem to know what they are doing, and yet many disagree on fundamentals. (ie. some only trade trend, others love chop, etc.) The point being that the best answer to whatever question you might have will actually come from the market itself. This place is great for generalities, but as you say, to make money you need an entry (execution as you say), and from what I can see here, not many actually discuss entry.
Thesis for today is all wrong. I'm ok with being wrong, as long as I limit my losses, which i really didn't do that well. -$370 for the day, and getting in to a little run here of bad trading. These are the times, especially as someone new when you really start second guessing/doubting yourself.
I believe that is 14 losing trades in a row, for -$950 or so since last Thursday. My record is 25 losers in a row I think, I would like that record to stand. Might just have to take a quick one to end the streak..... On to planning for tomorrow.
I believe that is 14 losing trades in a row, for -$950 or so since last Thursday. My record is 25 losers in a row I think, I would like that record to stand. Might just have to take a quick one to end the streak..... On to planning for tomorrow.
Okay firstly, remove your bias, never think what the market should be doing, look at what it's doing and merely go along with it, it generally does the opposite to what logic suggests.
I had a cracking week, where I nailed it, then a week of nothing but small losers which soon add up, changed stuff around to suite the current market condition ( watch it change again LOL ), that's why all the losers, the markets been super choppy of recent and your likely trading break outs for big runs, which just aren' t happening so it'll always hit tight SL's.
Try to find something that works in most / all market conditions, not easy, been on this for years!!
p.s. don't waste money on Combines, even if you pass, many more hurdles to get through and even then, they can and still do say no to people for no reason, be warned!
I had a cracking week, where I nailed it, then a week of nothing but small losers which soon add up, changed stuff around to suite the current market condition ( watch it change again LOL ), that's why all the losers, the markets been super choppy of recent and your likely trading break outs for big runs, which just aren' t happening so it'll always hit tight SL's.
Try to find something that works in most / all market conditions, not easy, been on this for years!!
p.s. don't waste money on Combines, even if you pass, many more hurdles to get through and even then, they can and still do say no to people for no reason, be warned!
Trend is the same trading wise pretty much, just only trade with the trend, then your looking for a few mins of live support, get in low with direction, tight SL under but not to tight.
If your on the wrong side, say market is going up, trying to pick a top is suicide hence your losing streak, you will get SLd then it will look like a top, you won't want to miss it, so back in short, then on a a 10pt move you've lost 15 with comms.
Switching from chop to trend or knowing when to is tricky.