Looking in the Right Direction Still Losing Money? The Core of Earning Money Through Contracts Lies in the “Rules of the Game,” Not Predictions

Have you ever encountered this situation: correctly predicting the trend, the price moves exactly as planned, but your account gets increasingly depleted, even wiped out? 👉 “If you have experienced this, congratulations — you have just stepped into a harsh reality of the futures market: being right about the trend does not mean you are making money.” After years of trading, paying more than six figures in tuition fees, I finally understand one thing: The market is not just a battle of up versus down — it is a game between you and the invisible “trap rules” that are pre-designed. The Enlightenment Story: 100% Correct But Still Cleared Out Once, I analyzed a top coin, using volume, price structure, trend, all signals pointed to a medium-term rebound possibility. I entered a long position, and indeed, the price surged strongly. Profit jumped from 2,000U to 6,000U — looking at the chart’s increase, I confidently thought about taking profit and reallocating. But at the peak of profit, a sudden long wick dipped down, piercing right through the stop-loss zone I set too tightly. The order was kicked out of the market in just seconds. A few minutes later, the price rebounded in the direction I analyzed — but I lost the order, lost the profit, and even lost my composure. That moment made me realize clearly: Futures is not a prediction battle, but a game of understanding the rules. 3 “Trap Rules” That Cause 90% of People to Lose Even When Seeing Correctly

1. Volatility Trap: The Market Likes to Sweep Impatient Traders Many set their stop-loss too close, thinking it’s “Safe.” But a narrow stop-loss becomes a tasty target for false volatility. How to avoid the trap: Place stop-loss at least 1.5 times the average volatility (ATR) of your traded coin.When the order is about 25–30% in profit, move SL to break-even → ensuring no loss.Then trail the SL up with the increase, avoiding static SL. Because your task is not to predict each candle — but to survive through noisy fluctuations.
2. Hidden Cost Trap: Small Gains, Big Fees Many only look at the opening and closing fees. But forget two more profit killers: Funding rate (positive/negative)Slippage in low liquidity marketsSpread difference fees In continuous trading, these costs can eat up 20–30% of actual profits. How to avoid the trap: When there’s no clear trend → refrain from trading.Determine the “total cost level” before entering a trade.Only enter when target profit ≥ 3 times the cost. Trading futures is not about frequency racing, but about choosing the most advantageous timing.
3. Psychological Trap: Take Small Profits, Hold Losses This is the quickest way the market digs traders’ graves: Getting impatient to close at 5–10% profit. Hoping “it will rebound” after a 20–30% loss. As a result: tiny profits — huge losses, long-term accounts only go downward. How to break the trap: Before entering a trade, define the maximum loss you can tolerate, never exceed:5% of total account for a single trading idea1–3% of the account for the risk of that specific orderTake partial profits (30% – 30% – 40%)No averaging down based on emotions. Want to survive? Turn discipline into reflex. Correct mindset: Don’t ask “How much profit,” but ask “How much risk.” In the past, I entered trades with the question: “How much can I earn?” Now I only ask: “If I lose, how much will I lose?” All trades go against risk management: Determine % risk → calculate allowable capital lossFrom capital → calculate contract sizeFrom contract size → determine proper SL based on volatilityFinally, set TP and exit strategy. This is how to turn trading from gambling into a system. Conclusion: The Winners Are Not the Good Predictors, But Those Who Understand the Rules and Survive In futures: Understanding the trend doesn’t make you richRisk management helps you surviveDiscipline helps you accumulate wealth Those who can make money long-term are not “trend fortune tellers,” but rule-followers who never step outside their risk boundaries. If you are always right but still lose — the problem is not your analysis skills, but that you are playing a game you don’t fully understand the rules. $BTC {spot}(BTCUSDT)