Futures trading survival playbook — a ladder to grow from small balance to big balance.
1) CONSERVATIVE PLAYBOOK
For those who want to keep the account alive and grow slowly.
Balance: 300–1000 dollars
Margin per trade: 3–5% of balance
Leverage: 10x – 15x
Risk per trade: ~1%
Timeframe: 15m / 1h
Trade type: EMA bounce, range support–resistance
Example ($500):
Margin: $20
Leverage: 15x
Position: $300
Target:
Price move: 1–1.5%
Profit: $4–$6 (≈ 1% of balance)
Stop loss:
0.5–0.7% price move
Results in this mode:
1–2 trades a day
15–25% growth per month
Low drawdown, good sleep
2) BALANCED PLAYBOOK (sweet spot)
Where profit and safety balance
Balance: $200–$800
Margin per trade: 5–8% of balance
Leverage: 15x – 20x
Risk per trade: 1.5–2.5%
Timeframe: 5m / 15m
Trade type: Breakout + retest, Bollinger squeeze
Example ($500):
Margin: $30
Leverage: 20x
Position: $600
Target:
Price move: 1.5–2%
Profit: $18–$24 (≈ 3–5%)
Stop loss:
0.8–1% price move
Results in this mode:
1–3 trades a day
10–20% a week
25–50% growth is realistic
👉 This is the real gear of most serious traders
3) AGGRESSIVE PLAYBOOK
It's not 'every day', but useful when needed
Balance: $50–$300
Margin per trade: 10–15% of balance
Leverage: 20x – 30x
Risk per trade: 3–5%
Timeframe: 1m / 5m
Trade type: Liquidity sweep, fake breakout, news volatility
Example ($200):
Margin: $25
Leverage: 25x
Position: $625
Target:
Price move: 2–3%
Profit: $30–$45 (≈ 15–25%)
Stop loss:
1–1.2% price move
Results in this mode:
1–2 trades, 2–3 days a week
25–50% possible in a day
Mistakes can lead to bigger losses
When to use which
New week starts → Conservative
Clear trend, good volume → Balanced
Big news, spikes, range breaks → Aggressive (selectively)
Remember one line
Leverage doesn't make you rich,
Leverage only exposes your discipline.
