[sicktrader]

I haven't read through all the posts in this thread, but in my opinion you should know what is the lowest starting amount based on your system. For me, I hit between 50% and 60% and I know this because of my trading data, not backtested data. As with any system, the risk of ruin is highest at the starting gate, so I would give yourself enough room to place at least five trades (unless you have a much higher win rate), with the 5th starting at a balance of around $510 if your margin is $500. I know that at some point I will run off a few losers in a row, so this takes into account the chance that it may happen at the start. While my balance is much greater than the $1,000, this is not different than the way I trade everyday. Each time I up the number of contracts I trade, I make sure that always eat 5 losses in a row before I am required downsize due to margin. So to answer the question, if your average loss is around $100-$150 per contract, then yes, you can easily start with around $1,000. At the same time, if you do not use sound money management, you will eventually get crushed. I move cash from my trading account to my bank account each time I double, and I maintain a cash reserve in order to post up more cash for those times when I experience a number of losses in a row which happens a few times a year.