Let me make this clear up front: I’m not here to brag about my results, just want to share something real with everyone—how to actually play with contracts (futures) without ending up losing your shirt.

I entered the market in 2018 with 3,000 USDT, and back then I didn’t even understand what margin ratio was. Seven years later, my account is now comfortably in the eight figures. To be honest, looking back at all the traps I fell into over those years, it was really tough.

But this has little to do with luck—it’s all thanks to the “survival rules” I figured out. Back then, I practiced with 1,000 USDT, putting 100 USDT into each 100x leverage trade. This stuff is intense—if it goes up 1%, you double your money; if it goes down 1%, you’re instantly wiped out. After playing for so long, I’ve come up with five iron rules, and I’m going to share them today.

**Rule 1: Cut your losses when you need to—don’t fight against yourself.**

In the first two years, I blew up my account twice because I couldn’t bear to take the loss. Watching the losses pile up, I foolishly waited for a rebound and kept telling myself, “Just give it one more chance.” The market doesn’t care about your ego—when it needs to drop, it’ll keep dropping. Later, I realized: once you hit your stop loss, just get out. As long as you still have your capital, you can always make a comeback.

**Rule 2: Stop immediately after five consecutive losses.**

Sometimes the market is like a wild horse—it makes no sense at all. If you stubbornly keep at it, you’ll just wreck your mindset. I made a strict rule for myself: if I lose five trades in a row, I close the app and go to sleep. When you wake up the next day, you’ll see the crazy moves from yesterday are already over.

**Rule 3: Take profit as soon as you make 500 USDT.**

No matter how good those numbers look on your screen, it’s all just virtual. The market can turn on you in an instant. Every time I make 500 USDT in profit, I withdraw at least half. Money only counts when it’s in your bank account—otherwise, it’s just paper gains.

**Rule 4: Only trade during clear trends—do nothing during sideways markets.**

When there’s a clear trend, 100x leverage can send you straight to the moon; but if the market is just moving sideways, leverage turns into a meat grinder. If I can’t see the direction clearly, I’d rather sit on my hands than open a random position. The urge to trade is a devil—controlling yourself is more important than anything.

**Rule 5: Never risk more than 10% of your capital on a single trade.**

Never go all in like a gambler. If your position size is small, you can stay calm even if a black swan hits; if you go all in, it’s like stuffing yourself at a buffet—sooner or later, you’ll end up losing it all.

These are lessons I learned with real money. There are no geniuses in the world of contracts—only survivors and non-survivors. I hope these experiences help you avoid some mistakes and find your footing in this market.