🛡️ 1R kuralı — İlk risk ayarınız

Let's start with an uncomfortable truth: 95% of beginners lose money not because their analysis is wrong, but because they risk too much per trade. They may even pick the right stocks — but a single oversized losing position is enough to wipe out six good trades. That's not bad luck. That's math.

You may have already come across terms like Kelly Criterion, volatility scaling, or portfolio correlation in other chapters. Those matter — but later. First you need one simple rule that stops you from blowing up your account in the early months.

This chapter explains in five sections what 1R is, how you calculate it for your portfolio, and where you actually place your stop-loss. By the end, you'll know exactly how many euros you're allowed to risk per trade — and why.

1R = the maximum amount you're allowed to lose per trade. Typically this is 1% to 2% of your total portfolio value. The "R" stands for Risk — risk per trade.

The formula is simple enough to do in your head:

• 1% rule: portfolio value × 0.01
• 2% rule: portfolio value × 0.02

Example: portfolio = 10,000 €. Then 1R = 100 € (at 1%) or 200 € (at 2%). You may not lose more than that on any single trade. Full stop.

Why 1% to 2%?

The number seems tiny at first glance. "Only risk 100 € on a 10,000 € portfolio? What's the point?" — that's exactly what most beginners think, right before they sign their first blueprint for total loss.

Do the math yourself: with 2% risk per trade you need roughly 35 consecutive losses to lose half your portfolio. With 10% risk per trade, just 7 losses in a row will do it. And once you've lost 50% of your portfolio, you need to double the remaining 50% (+100%!) just to break even. This asymmetry is called drawdown math — more on this in Ch. 6 Trading Practice & Risk.

Theory isn't enough. Let's look at what 1R actually looks like for different portfolio sizes:

From 1R to position size — the recipe

1R tells you how many euros you can risk. Now you need to translate that into a concrete number of shares. The formula:

Concrete example: Your portfolio is 10,000 €, you use the 1% rule → 1R = 100 €. You want to buy a stock at 50 € and have decided your stop should sit at 45 € (more on that in the next section).

• Risk per share: 50 € − 45 € = 5 €
• Maximum position size: 100 € ÷ 5 € = 20 shares
• Actual capital deployed: 20 × 50 € = 1,000 €

You're putting in 1,000 € — but you're only risking 100 € of that (the distance to the stop). That's the difference between capital deployed and risk. Beginners confuse these two all the time. Remember: your risk is always the distance to the stop times the number of shares — not the total order value.

The tighter your stop, the more shares you can buy for the same 1R. The wider, the fewer. This makes it clear: the stop-loss determines your position size — not the other way around.

A stop-loss is an order that automatically sells when the price falls below a level you've set. It's your "emergency exit" — your commitment to yourself to exit a trade before it ruins your month.

There are three types every beginner should know:

In practice with Interactive Brokers (IBKR)

With IBKR you can use a bracket order: you place your entry, stop-loss, and an optional profit target all at once. Once the entry is filled, the stop and target orders are automatically active. Very convenient — and you can close your laptop after placing the order without nervously staring at the chart.

Other brokers (Trade Republic, Scalable Capital, comdirect) have similar features: "OCO order", "combination order", or "bracket". The mechanics are the same everywhere.

Where do I place the stop technically?

The stop distance should come from the chart, not from wishful thinking. Typical anchor points:

• Below a support level (recent weekly/monthly low)
• Below a moving average (e.g. the 50-day line)
• At a fixed percentage distance (e.g. −7% from entry — simple but rough)

More on technical stop placement in Ch. 3 Chart Analysis. For your very first trade, a percentage-based stop is perfectly fine — the important thing is that you have one at all.

Congratulations — if you've read this far, you're already in the top 5% of beginners who actually know what 1R is. In summary:

• ✅ You know your 1R in euros (portfolio × 1% or 2%).
• ✅ You know how to calculate your position size from 1R and stop distance.
• ✅ You know the stop-loss types and why a stop-market order is the right choice for beginners.
• ✅ You know the limits of stops (gaps & crashes).

Where to go next?

• Mathematical depth: Ch. 6 Trading Practice & Risk goes deeper into the Kelly Criterion, drawdown recovery, volatility scaling, diversification, and portfolio correlation. That's your next big step once 1R is solid.
• Chart skills: Ch. 3 Chart Analysis shows you how to read support and resistance levels — essential for good stop placement.
• Psychology: Ch. 4 Mindset explains why you should never move your stop after a trade goes against you. The three real stories there are required reading.
• Interested in options: Once you've mastered stocks, it's worth exploring Ch. 9.0 Options Introduction (in development). Options aren't a beginner topic — but once 1R is second nature, they're a powerful tool.

One final tip: Before you read on, write down your personal 1R amount on a piece of paper right now and pin it to your monitor. Every trade starts with a look at that number. Always.