100k TopStepTrader Combine

March 18th, 2016, 02:40 PM

I have been trading for some time now with my own funds. and was skeptical of TopStepTrader for a while. But i have decided to give it a try.

When choosing which combine to start off with . I tried the 100k mainly because I feel the whole point of using Topstep vs my own funds is to have access to greater capital than my own. So trading with a 30 or 50k means trading with a max of 3 or 5 contracts which i already do . So i thought it would be better to have access to 10K as soon as possible (i know you have to go through a scaling plan once funded) but still faster than going through the 50k combine.

I am not sure if it was the best decision or not. some would argue its easier to achieve a smaller goal of 1500 physiologically than getting 6000 but I guess we will just have to wait for the results

TRADING PLAN -=
My trading plan is probably the simplest ever. (i am sure everyone thinks that way). But basically ---

1) I want to be able to trade uptill 8 am PST. maximum.
2) I will trade the broader trend of the instrument ( some trades can be counter trend on a specifc case)
3) I will be trading 4 instruments. mainly because i have a 5 screen setup. I keep the 5th screen empty to browse the net while waiting for a trade
4) My Stop limit for the day is - half of what is allowed by topsteptrader . i.e. 1000$ daily loss. it can also be translated to approx. 40 -50 ticks depending on my contract size but usually it will be 2 contracts for gold and cl and 4 for ym and nq

THE SETUP -

Again pretty simple.
1) i check the trend on a bigger timeframe. follow it on a smaller timeframe when price retraces and comes back.
2) can take a counter trend if price made a new trend like swing and now retracing on the bigger chart and smaller timeframe sets up a trade.
3) what constitutes a trade on the smaller timeframe - price making a new swing high.low and then retracing to the 21 EMA line.
4) i have used some indicators from the indicators section and some i have modified or wrote myself. but the gist is pretty simple.

- ) i just want to scalp the market from the 21 ema to the end of the donchian channel or even earlier if it makes sense.

Wish me luck

March 18th, 2016, 02:46 PM

All - in - all the day went pretty ok.
though i was expecting more of the gold trade. was sidetracked by it twice right in the morning which affected me to take a revenge trade in crude .
had to get up and take a walk for 5 minutes.

Once NQ and YM opened up i was able to keep my head cool and make some good trades.
screenshots attached.

Tomorrow will be better.

Also i uploaded a screen recording of my trades on youtube.

March 28th, 2016, 11:16 PM

Don't know if you are still trading this combine, but in my opinion your stop placement on the gold trades doomed your entries from the start. At the minimum i think you need to at least give it to the high/low + a few ticks. Your not giving your trades any room to breathe.

There's risk management, and then there is donating money by using stops that are too small.

March 28th, 2016, 11:38 PM

Hey Hickock thanks for the advice . I have actually since then changed the stop to the top of the donchian channel. Just haven't been updating only traded one more day after that and have been busy with my day job.

Thanks again it reaffirms what I thought in the first place

March 28th, 2016, 11:45 PM

cool...remember, if the stop makes you uncomfortable with multiple contracts, enter with less and then manage. Repetition builds good habits, or points out flawed entries before they get out of hand.

100k TopStepTrader Combine

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100k TopStepTrader Combine