That period of staying up all night staring at the K-line in panic is long gone. Now, the account is stable beyond belief. From nearly losing everything to where it is now, the only change is that I’ve learned how to survive.

The initial mistake was the simplest—throw in 100,000 yuan of principal, habitually go all-in on every trade, leverage up to the maximum, always thinking this is the way to "get rich quickly." But what happened? One market reversal and the account was wiped out, zeroed out. The lessons learned afterward might seem a bit "silly," but they can really save your life.

The first rule is to preserve your life. With 100,000 yuan, I limited myself to risking no more than 20,000 yuan per trade, which is 20% of the total capital. If a single loss reaches 2%, I cut immediately, no matter how optimistic I am. Beginners should never use leverage at all; even experienced traders shouldn’t exceed 10x leverage—this alone can block over 90% of the risk of liquidation.

The second rule is to do less. Only trade in one direction, set a 3% stop-loss and a 5% take-profit, and stop trading after a maximum of two trades per day. Many people think that more frequent trading means more profit, but in reality, frequent operations eat up fees and slippage, slowly eroding profits. The market is about making correct calls, not about trading frequency.

The third rule is to have a bottom line. Never add to a losing position against the trend; the more you add, the deeper you fall into the trap. Also, don’t be tempted by low fees to trade excessively; and most critically, don’t get greedy after making some profit—always want "a little more," because one reversal can wipe everything out. Most liquidations happen here.

Numbers speak for themselves. With the same 100,000 yuan principal, following these rules yields a stable monthly return of around 8%, and compounded over a year, it can grow to over 150%. On the other hand, the other approach—full position with high leverage—either makes quick money or gets you out of the game altogether.

Here are the core principles: play with idle funds, discipline is the bottom line, and only trade in one direction. Don’t go all-in, don’t hold on stubbornly, and don’t bet on both long and short positions simultaneously.

The futures market is not a casino. Anyone risking their living expenses here has long been out of the game. As long as your principal remains and your account is still alive, time will give you opportunities. That’s the foundation for talking about "big money."