One-Contract Evaluation Strategy for Prop Firms: Simple and Safe
A one-contract evaluation strategy is exactly what it sounds like: you trade a prop firm futures evaluation using a single contract the whole time. No scaling, no hero sizing, just one clean unit. It’s boring, but it massively reduces the chance you nuke the trailing drawdown before you even get close to the target.
Why a One-Contract Plan Works So Well
Prop firms design evaluations so most traders fail. Big size plus tight rules equals easy resets. Running one contract stacks things in your favor instead of theirs:
- your losses are capped by definition
- drawdowns move slower, which protects the trailing max loss
- you can sit through normal variance without panicking
- you focus on execution instead of position sizing drama
If you understand daily loss limits and resets and how they interact with the trailing drawdown, the logic is obvious: smaller size gives you more chances before the account is dead.
Risk Math Behind the One-Contract Approach
Here’s a rough sketch for a common $50k futures evaluation:
| Parameter | Example Value | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Profit Target | $3,000 | What you must make to pass |
| Trailing Max Drawdown | $2,500 | Blow this and you fail |
| Daily Loss Limit | $1,000 | Hit it and the day is done |
| Risk Per Trade (1 Contract) | $150 | Roughly 6–7 ticks on ES, more on micros |
| Max Loss Before Trailing DD Hit | ~16 trades | $2,500 ÷ $150 ≈ 16 losers |
Sixteen consecutive losers is extreme. With one contract and disciplined entries, you’re giving yourself room for normal losing streaks without blowing the account. That’s the whole point.
Basic Rules of a One-Contract Evaluation Strategy
1. Fixed Size: One Contract, No Exceptions
No bumping to two contracts because you “feel good.” The second you size up, you’re not running a one-contract plan anymore—you’re running ego.
2. Hard Daily Loss Stop
Set a line in the sand under the official daily limit. If the firm’s cap is $1,000, you stop yourself at $600–$700. That preserves room for slippage and protects the trailing drawdown.
3. Limited Trade Count
Cap yourself at a small number of trades per day—maybe 3–5. You’re not trying to scalp every wiggle; you’re trying to stack clean, high-quality trades until the target is done.
4. Trade Only Your Best Setups
During an evaluation, you don’t experiment. You run the same playbook every day. If you don’t have a written plan, go read your prop evaluation game plan and fix that first.
Example One-Contract Playbook for a $50k Evaluation
Here’s a simple template you can adapt:
- Contract: 1 × ES or NQ (or an appropriate micro)
- Risk per trade: $100–$150
- Target per trade: $200–$300
- Trades per day: max 4
- Max daily loss: $600
- Goal: average $200–$300 per day, pass in 10–15 trading days
Does it look slow? Yes. Does it keep you alive while everyone else blows up in three days? Also yes.
How the One-Contract Strategy Protects Trailing Drawdown
Trailing drawdown is what kills most evaluations. If you haven’t already, read how trailing drawdown really works so you understand why big size early is suicidal.
With one contract:
- each loss moves the trailing line less
- you can withdraw from a small losing day without wrecking the account
- you’re less likely to hit both the daily loss limit and the trailing max in the same day
The point isn’t to avoid all pain—it’s to make sure every drawdown is survivable.
Common Mistakes That Break the Plan
- Scaling mid-evaluation: jumping from 1 to 3 contracts after a hot streak
- Revenge trading: ignoring the daily loss cap because “I can make it back”
- Overtrading chop: burning through the day trying to force setups that aren’t there
- Switching products constantly: you don’t need five instruments when you’re sizing this small
Most of these are just classic evaluation mistakes wearing a different mask.
When to Move Beyond One Contract (And When Not To)
The one-contract plan is an evaluation strategy, not a life sentence. Once you’re funded and have real cushion in the account, you can slowly scale your size.
But inside the evaluation itself, jumping to bigger size usually means:
- larger emotional swings
- faster trips to the reset button
- less room to be wrong before the trailing line kills you
The Bottom Line
A one-contract evaluation strategy is not about being timid. It’s about playing the prop firm’s game in a way that doesn’t hand them easy resets. You trade small, you trade clean, you protect the trailing drawdown, and you let time do the heavy lifting instead of gambling on big size.