Topsteptrader

Xela said:
Wishing you very well with this (though my own guess is that it may take them a day or two longer than that to get you started?).

Bold attempt - personally I'd trade no more than 3 lots on the $150k Combine. Call me conservative, but I've lost count of the number of good traders with profitable methods based on a real edge I've seen get into trouble in Combines through trading more lots than I'd be comfortable with, myself. (Excuse my asking, but if you're planning to hit the target in 6 days trading 5 lots, wouldn't it be safer regarding loss-limits and drawdowns to allow for actively trading 10 days at 3 lots instead? It comes to the same result?).

Looking forward to seeing the daily reports! :cool:
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You raise a very good point. 5 lots is aggressive for the combine but that is what I am going to go with. If I blow up then I will allow myself 2 resets. Perhaps if I blow up the first time I will then go with the 3 lots, let's see. Also with my 30 tick stops, that is the stop at the outset of the trade, I will rarely take a full 30 tick loss, I cut when I feel I am wrong or I no longer like the trade.
 
locked and loaded ready to go. lets roll.

TST.png
 
endicottsteel said:
i am going to sign up tonight and hopefully get it on for tomorrow. I will likely take one small trade tomorrow as Monday is not optimal for taking big winners.

Here is how I am going to play the position sizing.

Combine

$150k combine
5 lots CL 30 ticks stop = $1500 risk per trade
$9000 target so need 180 ticks total @ $10 per tick
3 full stop outs and I will hit the $4500 drawdown limit and fail.
I will allow myself a max of 2 resets. Will likely focus on CL oil. however I will hit small winners in ES spoos, 6E euro , 6B cable just so I have these markets available in FTP. I am planning to hit the target ahead of the minimum 10 days and if I achieve this I will just bat out the remaining days to satisfy the min 10 days criteria.

FTP

3 lot CL 30 ticks stop - $900 risk per trade
$3000 target so need 100 ticks @ $10 per tick
5 full stop outs and I will hit the $4500 drawdown limit and be sent back to combine
Again will focus on oil however will hit small winners in ES, 6E, 6B to maintain limits in these produces for funded. If I hit the target early I will just bat out the remaining days to satisfy the 1 day limit.

Live/funded

Days 1-10
3 lot CL 30 tick stop - $900 risk per trade
5 full stop outs and I will hit $4500 drawdown limit and be sent back to combine.
My personal target will be 200 ticks = $6000 for days 1 to 10 of funded

Days 11+
position sizing will be reviewed according to account balance achieved by end of day 10.

note the minimum time to get a live funded account is 5 weeks. 2 weeks min for combine, 2 weeks min FTP then 1 week to get paperwork and live account opened.
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Does your prop firm allow you to play combine?
 
I can see why people have an issue with labelling of combines '$150k account' as they are not really getting a $150k account. Personally I don't have an issue with this as I know that in prop firms where you are not liable for any first loss there is no way a firm is going to fully back you without following some sort of scale up plan unless you have solid track record. In addition from my experience when you join a prop firm you dont get $150k or an account size given to you, you get risk limits assigned to you and your account shows zero right from the getgo, you have risk parameters you must adhere to. I do understand the hang ups people have about not actually having a $150k account. Also in the combine your starting balance shows $150k so you have to make $9k profit and hit a $159k balance. They should just start at $0 not $150k as this is what other prop firms do. Let's not kid anyone, there is not actually $150k in that sub account, there is a central pool of money and a sub account is opened with nil starting balance, assigned risk limits and parameters.

To address this if I were TST I would probably just run with 3 combines, call them A,B & C or similar. Clear explanations as to the differences, i.e. you follow different scale up plans on each and they are a different cost in return for the trader being allowed to start off on more contracts, a more aggressive scale up plan and a larger max drawdown.

So if you want to pay more for combine C then you know that is because if you make funded/live you will be afforded higher starting limits, more aggressive scale up and a higher $4500 max drawdown. I think most traders would understand that.

This change could all be handled properly and explained to customers.

Just a suggestion as I know TST might be reading this although with the heavy trolling on this thread perhaps they dont lol.

GL
 
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Xela said:
Bold attempt - personally I'd trade no more than 3 lots on the $150k Combine.
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I agree with this. Start out slow until you have let's say 2K profits, THEN go 5 cars. If you lose it back, you scale back. If you make more, you can scale even higher.

Since he has a month, why hurry and pay twice the fees?
 
Day 1. $7690 of the $9000 target done.

Screenshot_2016-03-07-21-30-40.png


edit - screenshot from my phone. I have Topstep software and ninja running on my home desktop. I just trade from my phone using teamviewer.
 
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Pekelo said:
Since he has a month, why hurry and pay twice the fees?
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What do you mean pay twice the fees? I have paid one combine fee and will allow myself 2 resets max - doesnt look like I will need a reset given day 1 performance. I am purely doing this show its possible to take a decent cheque at Topstep and to dispel some of the negativity. GL
 
endicottsteel said:
What do you mean pay twice the fees?
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I was talking about the reset, although you probably won't need it.

Years ago TST expressed their view that they actually liked consistent performance better than 1-2 big hits. That's why they had supposedly the 50% winning days rule. I was saying that one can have a strategy that only works once a week and the rest is just a bunch of small losses, but they were enforcing that 50% rule for years.

Anyhow I thought I would mention it.
 
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