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MONTE CARLO SIMULATOR

What are the odds your trading strategy will succeed?

Enter your win rate, risk-reward ratio, and risk per trade to simulate 1,000+ equity curves. See your probability of profit, risk of ruin, and expected drawdowns before risking real capital.

A Monte Carlo simulator is a tool that generates thousands of randomized equity curves based on your trading strategy's win rate, risk-reward ratio, and position sizing to reveal the probability distribution of possible outcomes — from best-case profits to worst-case drawdowns and risk of ruin.

EV per Trade = (Win Rate × Avg Win) − (Loss Rate × Avg Loss)

Strategy Parameters

Equity Curve Simulation
Simulations
Best
Worst
Median
Configure your strategy above and click "Run Simulation"

Key Metrics
Profit Probability
of sims ended profitable
Risk of Ruin
hit 50%+ drawdown
Median Balance
median return
Median Max DD
peak-to-trough
95th %ile Max DD
worst-case drawdown

Final Balance Percentiles
5th (Worst)
25th
50th (Median)
75th
95th (Best)

Additional Statistics
Expected Value per Trade
Median Profit Factor
Median Max Consecutive Losses
Best Final Balance
Worst Final Balance

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How to Use This Monte Carlo Simulator

1

Enter Your Trading Strategy Metrics

Input your win rate (percentage of winning trades), average win size, average loss size, and number of trades. These form the foundation of your Monte Carlo analysis. For best results, use historical data from your actual trading or backtests.

2

Configure Risk and Account Parameters

Set your initial account balance and risk per trade. Choose your position sizing mode: Compounding risks a percentage of your current balance (grows with wins, shrinks with losses), while Fixed Dollar risks the same dollar amount every trade. Then set your ruin threshold — the drawdown level that defines "ruin" for you (30%, 50%, or 70%).

3

Run the Simulation

The simulator runs thousands of randomized trading sequences based on your metrics. Each sequence reshuffles your wins and losses in different orders to reveal how order matters. This creates a realistic picture of potential outcomes.

4

Analyze the Results

Review the probability of profit, risk of ruin, median and 95th-percentile max drawdown, median profit factor, and final balance percentiles (5th through 95th). These metrics reveal whether your strategy is sustainable, how severe drawdowns could get in a worst case, and what return range to realistically expect.

5

Adjust and Iterate

Test variations of your strategy: lower win rates, tighter stops, higher risk per trade. Watch how small changes cascade through the simulation results. This helps you find the optimal balance between profit potential and drawdown risk.

Strategy Comparison Table

How different trading profiles perform under Monte Carlo simulation. Use this to benchmark your own strategy or explore how adjusting parameters affects outcomes.

Profile Win Rate Risk:Reward Risk/Trade Sizing Expected Value/Trade Typical Profit Probability
Conservative 40% 3.0:1 0.5% Fixed +0.20% 68%
Balanced 55% 1.5:1 1.0% Compound +0.325% 72%
Aggressive 60% 1.5:1 2.0% Compound +0.60% 76%
Scalper 70% 0.8:1 1.0% Fixed +0.14% 71%
Swing Trader 45% 2.5:1 1.5% Compound +0.475% 70%

Position Sizing: Compounding vs. Fixed Dollar

How you size your positions has a massive impact on your equity curve shape and risk profile. This simulator lets you compare both approaches side by side.

CCompounding

Risks a percentage of your current balance on each trade. After a win, your next trade is larger (you compound gains). After a loss, your next trade is smaller (you naturally de-risk). This creates exponential growth potential but also amplifies drawdowns during losing streaks.

FFixed Dollar

Risks the same dollar amount on every trade, calculated from your starting capital. A $25,000 account at 1% risk always risks $250 per trade, regardless of current balance. This creates linear growth and shallower drawdowns, but limits upside compared to compounding.

Run the simulator in both modes with identical parameters to see how compounding amplifies both gains and risk. Most professional traders start with fixed sizing and graduate to compounding as they build confidence in their edge.

Key Metrics Reference

Understand the core metrics that Monte Carlo simulation reveals about your trading strategy's viability and risk profile.

POPProbability of Profit

The percentage of simulated trading sequences that end in a profit rather than a loss. A higher POP indicates a more robust strategy. Professional traders target POP above 65%, with world-class strategies reaching 80%+.

RoRRisk of Ruin

The probability that your account balance ever drops below your chosen ruin threshold at any point during the simulation — even if it later recovers. You can set this threshold to 30%, 50%, or 70% of your starting capital. Even profitable strategies can have significant ruin risk if position sizing is too aggressive.

MDDMedian Max Drawdown

The typical worst peak-to-trough decline your account will experience across simulations. This is the drawdown you should realistically prepare for. If your median max DD is 15%, expect to see that level of drawdown in normal conditions.

95%95th Percentile Max DD

The worst-case drawdown across 95% of simulations. Only 5% of outcomes produce a deeper drawdown than this number. Use this as your stress-test metric — if you can't survive this drawdown financially or psychologically, reduce your risk per trade.

PFMedian Profit Factor

The ratio of gross profits to gross losses across the median simulation. A profit factor above 1.0 means your strategy is profitable; above 1.5 is considered strong. This metric accounts for both win rate and reward-to-risk ratio in a single number.

EVExpected Value per Trade

The average amount you expect to win or lose on each trade, calculated as (win rate × average win) − (loss rate × average loss). This single metric encapsulates whether your strategy is mathematically profitable. EV = (WR × AW) − (1−WR × AL).

%ilePercentile Distribution

Shows outcomes across the spectrum of simulated results: 5th percentile (worst 5%), 25th (poor), 50th (median), 75th (good), 95th (best 5%). This reveals both upside potential and downside risk in a single visualization.

RRRisk:Reward Ratio

How much you stand to gain versus what you risk on each trade. A 1:2 ratio means you gain $2 for every $1 at risk. Most professional traders require at least 1:1.5, with many targeting 1:2 or higher to offset lower win rates.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Monte Carlo simulation in trading?

A Monte Carlo simulation in trading uses random sampling to generate thousands of possible equity curves based on your strategy's historical win rate and risk-reward ratio. Each simulation randomly determines whether each trade wins or loses, then plots the resulting account balance over time. By running 1,000+ simulations, you can see the full range of possible outcomes and calculate the probability of hitting profit targets, experiencing specific drawdown levels, or going broke.

How many simulations should I run for reliable results?

The industry standard is 1,000 simulations, which provides statistically reliable probability estimates. At 1,000 runs, the law of large numbers ensures your percentile calculations and risk metrics converge to stable values. You can run up to 10,000 for extra precision, but the marginal improvement above 1,000 is minimal for most trading strategy analysis.

What is a good win rate for a trading strategy?

There is no universal good win rate because it depends on your risk-reward ratio. A 40% win rate with a 3:1 R:R is more profitable than a 60% win rate with 0.5:1 R:R. Use this simulator to test different combinations. Generally, professional traders operate between 40-60% win rates with R:R ratios of 1.5:1 or higher.