Reward-to-Risk Ratio In Forex Trading (2024)

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To increase your chances of profitability, you want to trade when you have the potential to make 3 times more than you are risking.

If you give yourself a 3:1 reward-to-risk ratio, you have a significantly greater chance of ending up profitable in the long run.

Take a look at the chart below as an example:

10 TradesLossWin
1$1,000
2$3,000
3$1,000
4$3,000
5$1,000
6$3,000
7$1,000
8$3,000
9$1,000
10$3,000
Total$5,000$15,000

In this example, you can see that even if you only won 50% of your trades, you would still make a profit of $10,000.

Just remember that whenever you trade with a good risk to reward ratio, your chances of being profitable are much greater even if you have a lower win percentage.

BUT…

And this is a big one.. setting a large reward-to-risk ratio comes at a price.

Reward-to-Risk Ratio In Forex Trading (1)

On the very surface, the concept of putting a high reward-to-risk ratio sounds good, but think about how it applies in actual trade scenarios.

Let’s say you are a scalper and you only wish to risk 3 pips.

Using a 3:1 reward to risk ratio, means you need to get 9 pips. Right off the bat, the odds are against you because you have to pay the spread.

If your broker offered a 2 pip spread on EUR/USD, you’ll have to gain 11 pips instead, forcing you to take a difficult 4:1 reward to risk ratio.

Considering the exchange rate of EUR/USD could move 3 pips up and down within a few seconds, you would be stopped out faster than you can say “Uncle!”

If you were to reduce your position size, then you could widen your stop to maintain your desired reward/risk ratio.

Now, if you increased the pips you wanted to risk to 50, you would need to gain 153 pips.

By doing this, you are able to bring your reward-to-risk ratio somewhere nearer to your desired 3:1. Not so bad anymore, right?

In the real world, reward-to-risk ratios aren’t set in stone. They must be adjusted depending on the time frame, tradingenvironment, and your entry/exit points.

A position trade could have a reward-to-risk ratio as high as 10:1 while a scalper could go for as little as 0.7:1.

Reward-to-Risk Ratio In Forex Trading (2024)

FAQs

Reward-to-Risk Ratio In Forex Trading? ›

A good risk/reward ratio could be seen as greater than 1:3, where you would risk 1/4 of the overall potential profit. For trading to prove profitable in the long term, a trader should not typically risk their capital for a lower risk/reward ratio, as this will mean that half or more of their investment could be lost.

What is a good risk-reward ratio in forex? ›

Usually, Forex traders take trades with 1:2, 1:3 risk to reward ratios or higher. However, it is also possible to make money even when your risk to reward ratio is just 1:1. How is that even possible? Well, as we've already mentioned, one more important aspect to take into account is the Success rate.

What is the RRR in forex trading? ›

The reward-to-risk ratio (RRR) measures a trade's potential returns against its predetermined risk of loss. The ratio is computed by dividing the profit that a trade is expected to yield by the loss that the trade may incur.

What is a good risk percentage in forex? ›

Risk Per Trade

A good starting percentage could be 2% of your available trading capital. So, for example, if you have $5000 in your account, the maximum loss allowable should be no more than 2%. With these parameters, your maximum loss would be $100 per trade.

Is 1.1 risk-reward good? ›

A 1:1 ratio means that you're risking as much money if you're wrong about a trade as you stand to gain if you're right. This is the same risk/reward ratio that you can get in casino games like roulette, so it's essentially gambling. Most experienced traders target a risk/reward ratio of 1:3 or higher.

How many pips is a lot? ›

A standard lot refers to 100,000 units of base currency and equates to $10 per pip movement. A mini lot is 10,000 units of base currency and equates to $1 per pip movement. A micro lot is 1,000 units of base currency and equates to $0.10 per pip movement.

What is the best risk-reward ratio for scalping? ›

For any stock you plan to scalp, you must understand the price supports, resistances and the set-up. From there, you can calculate the share sizing and the probabilities versus the risk. In scalping, a 3:1 risk to reward ratio is common (although, lower risk/reward is always more favorable).

What is the 531 rule of forex trading? ›

The 5-3-1 strategy is especially helpful for new traders who may be overwhelmed by the dozens of currency pairs available and the 24-7 nature of the market. The numbers five, three, and one stand for: Five currency pairs to learn and trade. Three strategies to become an expert on and use with your trades.

What is the best RRR for trading? ›

To increase your chances of profitability, you want to trade when you have the potential to make 3 times more than you are risking. If you give yourself a 3:1 reward-to-risk ratio, you have a significantly greater chance of ending up profitable in the long run.

What is so special about RRR? ›

RRR received universal critical acclaim for its direction, screenwriting, cast performances, cinematography, soundtrack, action sequences and VFX.

What is 90% rule in forex? ›

The 90 rule in Forex is a commonly cited statistic that states that 90% of Forex traders lose 90% of their money in the first 90 days. This is a sobering statistic, but it is important to understand why it is true and how to avoid falling into the same trap.

What is the 5% rule forex? ›

5% Rule: This rule applies to the total risk exposure across all your open trades. It recommends limiting the total risk exposure of all your trades combined to no more than 5% of your trading capital. This means if you have multiple trades open simultaneously, their combined risk should not exceed 5%.

What is the 1% rule in forex? ›

The 1% risk rule means not risking more than 1% of account capital on a single trade. It doesn't mean only putting 1% of your capital into a trade. Put as much capital as you wish, but if the trade is losing more than 1% of your total capital, close the position.

What is the safest risk reward ratio? ›

In many cases, market strategists find the ideal risk/reward ratio for their investments to be approximately 1:3, or three units of expected return for every one unit of additional risk. Investors can manage risk/reward more directly through the use of stop-loss orders and derivatives such as put options.

Is 2 a good risk reward ratio? ›

A reasonable risk-to-reward ratio is 1:2, which indicates the profit or reward is higher than the loss. The trader has assured a substantial break-even profit margin when the trading suffers any loss.

How to use risk reward ratio in forex? ›

You take a stance on whether the currency pair will rise or fall in price. If you set a profit target of 100 pips and risk 50 pips, this equals a risk/reward ratio of 1:2. This is because, for every 50 pips you risk, you have the chance earn back a profit of double the amount.

What is a 2.3 risk-reward ratio? ›

If you have a win percentage of 30% then to break even you would need your average winner to be 2.3 times the size of your average loser. (Risk/Reward = 2.3) Therefore, if your anticipated win percentage is 30% do not take any trade unless your potential risk/reward is larger than this.

What is the 1.5 risk-reward ratio? ›

The 1.5 Risk-Reward Ratio: Balancing Risk and Reward

A commonly cited benchmark in trading is the 1.5 risk-reward ratio. This ratio suggests that for every unit of risk taken (usually measured as a percentage or dollar amount), an investor should aim for a potential reward that is one and a half times greater.

What is 2% risk in forex? ›

The 2% rule is a risk management principle that advises investors to limit the amount of capital they risk on any single trade or investment to no more than 2% of their total trading capital. This means that if a trade goes against them, the maximum loss incurred would be 2% of their total trading capital.

How much is 0.01 lots? ›

0.01 is a micro lot in forex which is 1,000 units of currency. So 0.01 lot size would be around $1,000. The value of the pip for a micro-lot is roughly $0.10 based on the EUR/USD. This is usually the value most beginner traders start with.

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