Peter Szakal
Peter Szakal, CFD 5,000 challenge with The Trading Pit.
Real Prop Challenge

Peter Szakal🇭🇺Trading live

Economist & index trader · US index daytrader

The Trading Pit · CFD 5,000 Challenge

Peter Szakal is documenting a CFD 5,000 Challenge with The Trading Pit, after an earlier Blue Guardian indices attempt ended, as part of the JoinProp Real Prop Challenge.

The journey

44 updates · newest first

  1. Video · YouTube + Instagram + TikTok + XReal Prop Challenge, first week

    Peter shares a video of how he traded during the first week of his challenge account, covering his average winning and losing trades and win rate. He says he finished the week well, having reached 20% of the profit target. The same video went out on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and X.

    Watch the video ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  2. LinkedInToday’s result: +$19.47

    Peter traded again in the morning, trying another bull flag and finishing in profit on the DAX after two trades. In the afternoon he opened a winning long on the Dow Jones Index, waiting for the first 15 minutes after the New York open and using the 15-minute chart to pick the long entry on the 1-minute chart.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  3. LinkedInYesterday’s result: +$7.71

    Peter closed the previous day up $7.71. He is using the smallest position size during the first week to get used to the pressure. His first position after the US open was a loser, then he opened two more and both were profitable. He traded a bull flag setup alongside the team at for-exe.com, which he recommends.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  4. Video · YouTube + Instagram + TikTok + XReal Prop Challenge, Day 1

    Peter announced he is teaming up with JoinProp again for a Real Prop Challenge. The goal is to succeed and get funded, but either way he wants to show the real process rather than just the final result. The same message went out as a Day 1 video on YouTube and as posts on Instagram, TikTok and X.

    Watch the video ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  5. LinkedInBack for a new challenge with JoinProp, and the real process on show

    He is excited to team up with JoinProp again for a Real Prop Challenge, this time a 5,000 CFD challenge with The Trading Pit. Over the coming weeks he plans to share what really happens behind the scenes, the good trades, the bad decisions, the pressure, the wins and the losses and the lessons. The goal is to succeed and get funded, but either way he wants to show the real process rather than only the final result.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  6. LinkedInThe challenge has failed

    Reported that the challenge is over. He overtraded through a busy session, the trades did not work out, and he ended up close enough to the maximum drawdown level that he had very little room left to manoeuvre. He tried to save the day with a large position and it did not work. He says he learned a lot about himself during the challenge and thanked JoinProp for the opportunity.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  7. LinkedInPlus $24.60 from one trade, and a decision not to trade the news

    Today’s result was plus $24.60 from a single trade. He admits his first reaction was that it was too little, then reframes it: one trade reflects the discipline he has been trying to build. He could trade the news tonight and has decided not to, because he does not want to start overtrading again. He is expecting a bigger day tomorrow.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  8. LinkedInPlus $45.50, and the hole is closing

    Today’s result was plus $45.50. He says he is really pleased with the day and can genuinely feel himself coming out of the hole, and he is candid that the previous losing streak affected him quite badly mentally. The plan from here is simple: keep going and stay disciplined.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  9. LinkedInAn honest post about the losses, and a profit today

    Came clean about significant losses at the start of last week, which he had kept private until now. The challenge was put in serious jeopardy: after the losses he tried to win the money back and moved to much larger position sizes, which left him very little room to manoeuvre. He is direct about the pattern, that he tries to speed things up when he feels the challenge is moving too slowly, and that this is the second time it has happened during the challenge, both times right after a good winning streak. Today he took another $106.70 in profit. The challenge may still take several more months, but he says he can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel again.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  10. LinkedInDay -29.30 USD, two trades and a small loss

    Today’s result: -29.30 USD. I had just two trades today. I would consider it a small loss. I missed the bigger moves during the day, but at least I gave it a go. The price action justified both of my trades.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  11. LinkedInDay -42.70 USD, two ideas not executed properly

    Today’s result: -42.70 USD. Unfortunately, I was not able to execute two of my trading ideas properly. In my defence, I did have a break-even trade earlier in the day. The good news is that there will be plenty of economic news tomorrow, so there should be no shortage of opportunities.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  12. LinkedInDay +63.20 USD, scalping through Non-Farm Payrolls

    Today’s result: +63.20 USD. It was a scalping day today. Trading was not easy after the Non-Farm Payrolls, but I managed to get what I could out of the day. The loss I took on the Nasdaq was recovered on the Dow.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  13. LinkedInDay +92.20 USD, a 170 USD drawdown recovered

    Today’s result: +92.20 USD. I have had a busy day. I managed to make two mistakes at the beginning of the day, but I was able to iron them out by the end of the session. There was some economic news today, and unfortunately I left my positions open during the releases as well. I should not have done that. I was also late on the entry. Lesson learned. Trading the 1-minute chart is not an easy game. Everyone knows that. I managed to recover a 170 USD drawdown today, all within the same trading day. Overall, I am happy with today’s performance.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  14. LinkedInDay +71.80 USD, two breaks and a demo drill

    Today’s result: +71.80 USD. I entered on the break of an H1 resistance level, and the position only lasted a few minutes. Then I entered again slightly higher on the break of the overnight high. That one closed with a smaller profit and lasted longer. I did not let my position on the Dow run, even though it could have turned into a big winner. Today I also practised position management on a demo account, and that went extremely well. I am happy with today.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  15. LinkedInDay -19.10 USD, cutting winners short

    Today’s result: -19.10 USD. The problem is still that I am not letting my winning trades run. On top of that, I increased my position size too early. I need to wait another month before doing that. Overall, I got off lightly today. I did not suffer a significant loss.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  16. LinkedInDay +43.60 USD, finishing the week green

    Today’s result: +43.60 USD. Today, I found the opportunity to trade on the Nasdaq. This result could have been several times bigger, but I do not mind, I did not chase the price. I am finishing the week on a very positive note, and the future looks promising. I had several trades that, with good stop-loss management, could potentially have brought in several times more profit. Have a great weekend, everyone.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  17. LinkedInDay +21.30 USD, third attempt on the Dow

    Today’s result: +21.30 USD. Today also started with losses. On the third attempt, I finally managed to catch a long move on the Dow. In the meantime, I took a loss on the Nasdaq as well, but the winning long trade on the Dow was enough to cover it. In fact, I could have left that trade open for even longer.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  18. LinkedInDay +21.80 USD, the Nasdaq saved the day

    Today’s result: +21.80 USD. Today was not just about a single trade. The final result could have been better, but I can still be satisfied with it. I started the day with two losing trades on the Dow Jones index, then switched to the Nasdaq, which ultimately saved my day. This has happened before.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  19. LinkedInDay +38.60 USD, one trade on the Dow

    Today’s result: +38.60 USD. Grab it and run with it, a good plan. It simply means that if I have a solidly profitable trade at the beginning of the afternoon trading session, I stop trading for the day. I hope I can stick to this plan for a very long time. I only took one trade today, on the Dow Jones index. One step closer to our goal once again.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  20. LinkedInDay +40.80 USD – finishing Friday green

    Today’s result: +40.80 USD. It always feels good to finish a Friday in profit. It’s still August, so I’m continuing to build up the capital needed for larger position sizes. From September onwards I’m hoping for much faster progress toward the challenge’s profit target – though we might well keep building capital through September too.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  21. LinkedInDay +7.20 USD – green, and a national holiday

    Today’s result: +7.20 USD. I actually missed a few of the bigger moves, but overall I’m happy because I still closed the day in profit. Today is Hungary’s birthday, so I’m off to celebrate. Twice.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  22. LinkedInDown day – −$57.70

    Today’s result: −$57.70. Didn’t manage to finish green, but that was somewhat expected after such a good winning streak. Staying focused on the process and the bigger picture rather than any single day’s number.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  23. LinkedIn+$76.70 today

    Today’s result: +$76.70. I first took a $28 loss on the Dow, then a nice winning trade came along and helped me finish the day in profit. The winner could have been bigger, but overall I’m satisfied. If I can close my winning trades at 2R consistently, that would be a profitable long-term strategy given the win rate.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  24. LinkedIn+$21.70 today

    Today’s result: +$21.70. I didn’t let the position run, so it was only this much – it could have been twice as much. I wanted to finish the day in profit and managed it. I’m putting more pressure on myself this way though, so I need to let go of that mindset and just stick to my process. It’s all coming together.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  25. LinkedInUpdate

    Today’s result: +6.00 USD. I was in the red during the morning session, but I managed to recover and finish at break-even by the afternoon. Looking at the week as a whole, I can say it was a successful one. This is the sort of consistency I need to keep producing in the future.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  26. LinkedInUpdate

    Today’s result: +106.60 USD. I only took one trade today, which shows good discipline – the market wasn’t particularly good this morning, so I didn’t open any positions. I’m pleased with the result. I did close my position earlier than I should have, because my dad surprised me with an ice cream and I decided to close the trade instead 🙂 That was a mistake on my part, as the trade could have made three times as much if I’d let it run.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  27. LinkedInUpdate

    Today’s result: +49.40 USD. I finished the morning in profit, so the signs were already looking positive for the day. Throughout August I’ll be continuing the challenge with smaller position sizes – I need to build up a bit more room for manoeuvre before increasing my position sizes later on. So far, everything is going according to plan. Let’s hope the positive momentum continues.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  28. LinkedInUpdate

    Today’s result: -0.20 USD. I was down -3R by the end of the morning, but I managed to recover back to my starting point during the afternoon, which was a huge relief. So you could genuinely call today a break even day. Next time I won’t keep doing things my own way as often as I did today – instead I’ll listen to Steve from for-exe.com.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  29. LinkedInUpdate

    Today’s result: +24.20 USD. Slowly but surely, we are moving towards our goal. In truth, this positive result was mainly thanks to my trading in the morning. That said, I have to admit that I made a lot of mistakes on Friday, so there are still a few things I need to stabilise and improve. However, for the first time in a long while, I genuinely feel there is hope that I can complete this challenge. I think I will need at least another month to get there. I hope these posts are useful and that you are getting something out of following the journey. Trading involves risk; past performance does not guarantee future results. Posted as part of the JoinProp Real Prop Challenge.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  30. LinkedInUpdate

    Today’s result: +52.50 USD. At long last, I can say that I finished the day with a profit. In truth, a single Nasdaq trade saved my day. I actually see that as a mistake because, according to my trading rules, I am not supposed to be trading the Nasdaq yet. Even so, I am pleased with today’s result. Trading involves risk; past performance does not guarantee future results. Posted as part of the JoinProp Real Prop Challenge.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  31. LinkedInUpdate

    Today’s result: -72.10 USD. I was a bit too confident when I said the last day was the turning point. Unfortunately, I ended up taking another small loss today. I am not giving up, though – a few good trades will come, and they will put things back on track. There was one occasion where I moved my stop loss too early; apart from that, I stuck to my trading rules throughout the session. I am not giving up. Trading involves risk; past performance does not guarantee future results. Posted as part of the JoinProp Real Prop Challenge.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  32. LinkedInUpdate

    Yesterday’s result: -34.10 USD. Yesterday could also be described as a break-even day. I followed all of my trading rules. This is now the second small losing day in a row, which has not really happened over the past few weeks. I am hoping this marks a turning point. Trading involves risk; past performance does not guarantee future results. Posted as part of the JoinProp Real Prop Challenge.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  33. LinkedInUpdate

    Today’s result: -68.80 USD. There was not much clean price action today. I only traded the Dow Jones Index, using the smallest contract size. I followed every new rule that I have set for myself. You could even call it a break-even day. It feels like the start of a new chapter. Here is hoping for the best. Trading involves risk; past performance does not guarantee future results. Posted as part of the JoinProp Real Prop Challenge.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  34. LinkedInUpdate

    Result: -511.10 USD. The day started with me trying to catch the end of a correction. I am still finding it difficult to copy my trades between the two platforms, which means I cannot always enter positions as efficiently as I would like. However, today’s loss was not down to that alone. Towards the end of the session I started gambling with an it-does-not-matter-anymore mindset and I should not have increased my position size. Up until that point I was actually trading quite well, but once I let my emotions take over, things quickly went downhill. I am not going to give up, but my room for manoeuvre is shrinking rapidly because of the risk limit. To help manage this, I will be focusing solely on trading the Dow Jones Index from now on. I hope you still find this trading journal useful – I would really like to start sharing some positive results again soon. Trading involves risk; past performance does not guarantee future results. Posted as part of the JoinProp Real Prop Challenge.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  35. LinkedInUpdate

    Today’s result: -$49.10 USD. I would call today a break-even day, really. I could have closed one of my winning trades earlier. On another trade, I moved my stop loss too close, which ended up stopping me out before the move I was expecting. It was a day full of lessons. I hope I do not have too many days like this, although that is just the nature of trading. Trading involves risk; past performance does not guarantee future results. Posted as part of the JoinProp Real Prop Challenge.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  36. LinkedInUpdate

    Yesterday’s result: -$400. To be honest, I am really looking forward to the turnaround and seeing some profitable days. However, one thing I did well was that I did not move my stop loss and simply let the trade stop out. I also managed my position size properly, so I finished the day with a loss that was still well under control. Going forward, I need to be even more selective with my trading signals. I am now halfway to my maximum loss limit. Here is hoping for the best. Trading involves risk; past performance does not guarantee future results. Posted as part of the JoinProp Real Prop Challenge.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  37. LinkedInUpdate

    Today’s result: -1,506 USD. Today I increased my risk after getting back to my starting balance yesterday. Unfortunately the price action was not good, which led to this larger loss. That said, it is only -5R, which can be recovered on a better trading day. Still, I am not happy with today’s performance: I overtraded and became overconfident after yesterday’s result. These are mistakes I simply cannot afford to make going forward, and I hope I learn from them. Trading involves risk. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Posted as part of the JoinProp Real Prop Challenge.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  38. LinkedInUpdate

    +$700.60 today. New account balance: $100,090.04. It could have been even better, but I was stopped out at break-even a little too early. The good news is that we have recovered the losses from the past two weeks. We will see what the rest of the week brings, but it is certainly a good way to start it. I also need to pay closer attention to my position sizing, as I made a few mistakes – thankfully not serious ones. Trading carries risk; past performance does not guarantee future results. #ad – paid partnership with JoinProp.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  39. LinkedInUpdate

    -$272.20, or -2.72R, was today’s result. I tried going long on the Nasdaq several times and this was the outcome. I am a bit disappointed that I have not been able to post a positive result by the end of the second week either. Hopefully next week brings cleaner, stronger moves. This week demanded patience and discipline, and there will be more periods like this – I am still in the game, and that is what matters most. Trading carries risk; past performance does not guarantee future results. #ad – paid partnership with JoinProp.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  40. LinkedInUpdate

    Another day around break-even, at -$47.20. I am hoping the price action changes soon, because it is hard to ride calm, high-quality moves in these choppy market conditions. Tomorrow is a new day. Trading carries risk; past performance does not guarantee future results. #ad – paid partnership with JoinProp.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  41. LinkedInUpdate

    -$20.70 today, around break even. It could have been better and it could have been worse, but considering the price action during the session it was not a bad outcome. This was one of those days when the market simply does not help you find winning trades – something every trader has to learn to live with. Tomorrow is a new day. Trading carries risk; past performance does not guarantee future results. #ad – paid partnership with JoinProp.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  42. LinkedInUpdate

    A -$188.10 loss today, but overall I am quite satisfied. I managed my positions well through the session – the price action simply did not play out as I expected, and I also had one winning trade. All things considered I am happy to get through the day with a relatively small loss; this week is still a good start, and I am also learning to use the trading platform properly. On the right track. Trading carries risk; past performance does not guarantee future results. #ad – paid partnership with JoinProp.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  43. LinkedInUpdate

    I had not planned to trade today, but I could not resist – and the result was -$300. Unfortunately the same issues from day one came back: I did not let my winning trades run, I overtraded, and I made some emotional trades. Plenty of lessons to take away. Tomorrow is a new day. Trading carries risk; past performance does not guarantee future results. #ad – paid partnership with JoinProp.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.

  44. LinkedInUpdate

    Today turned out well. Early on I spotted a flag pattern on the Nasdaq but closed it – I do not usually trade the Nasdaq in the morning and the move lacked conviction. I finished with two break-even trades and two winners, recovering yesterday’s loss. Day’s profit was $498.50, with the account now up $201.64 overall. Takeaways: let winning trades run, and stick to the plan – no Nasdaq in the morning. Trading carries risk; past performance does not guarantee future results. #ad – paid partnership with JoinProp.

    View post ↗ · Paid partnership. Trading carries risk. Not financial advice.