# Usage Tips
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Whether you're starting with a small account or managing a larger balance, this page will help you configure SmartChoise EA to suit your trading style and risk tolerance. Learn how to fine-tune settings, test strategies, and build a balanced approach for long-term success.
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#### Start Safe and Smart on Demo
Always begin by running SmartChoise EA on a **demo account**—preferably with the same broker and server you plan to use live. This allows you to:
* Understand the EA’s behavior
* Test your configuration
* Identify issues before risking real money
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#### Match Risk to Your Comfort Level
Choose a **risk level** that aligns with your risk appetite:
* **Low / Medium** – Ideal for safer, longer-term growth
* **High / Extreme** – Suitable for experienced users who can tolerate higher drawdowns and faster-paced trading
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#### 💼 Optimizing for Larger Accounts or higher risk tolerance
> Larger account balances allow more flexibility and the use of multiple charts with varied strategies and risk profiles. This setup improves diversification and enhances control.
>
> **General Guidelines:**
>
> * Use **one chart per $5,000** of account balance to avoid overloading the system
> * Start with **lower risk settings** and scale gradually
> * Assign **different strategies** to different charts for market adaptability
>
> **Example Setup for a $10,000 Account:**
>
> * **Option 1:** Three charts with low-to-medium risk (≈ $3,000 per chart)
> * **Option 2:** Two charts with high-to-extreme risk (≈ $5,000 per chart)
> * **Option 3:** A hybrid approach mixing strategies and risk levels
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**Note:** Avoid running more than **8 charts per account**. Larger balances may trigger higher lot sizes, increasing overall exposure.
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***
🪙 Tips for Smaller Accounts or Lower Risk Tolerance
> If you're trading with a small balance or prefer conservative risk:
>
> * The **recovery strategy** (which holds trades during drawdown) may feel too risky
> * Consider disabling recovery and using a **1:1 risk-reward setup** for quicker trades with limited exposure
>
> **Adjusting Settings for Controlled Trading:**
>
> * Use **Stop Loss and Take Profit** to limit exposure
> * Set **Hard Stop** to disable recovery and run the EA as a simple TP/SL bot
> * Understand that poor configuration can lead to **many small wins and few large losses**—a common pitfall
***
#### Settings to enable 1:1 or Other Risk-Reward Ratios:
Stop Loss in Points: 200 to 1200
You'll need to test different values with your broker to determine the optimal setting. A higher Stop Loss value increases risk but also allows for greater market fluctuations, providing more room for the trade to recover. Conversely, a lower Stop Loss value reduces risk but may close the trade too early, potentially missing out on recovery opportunities. Adjust it based on your risk tolerance, market volatility, and trading strategy to ensure a balanced approach.
Take Profit in Points: 200 to 1200
You'll need to test different values with your broker to find the optimal setting. This ensures that every trade has a clear profit target. As with Stop Loss, a higher Take Profit value increases potential gains but also increases the risk that the target may not be reached, especially if the market doesn’t move as expected. On the other hand, a lower Take Profit value may close trades too early, potentially limiting profits. Adjust it based on your risk tolerance, trading strategy, and market conditions to maintain a balanced risk/reward profile.
Minimum Profit in Account Currency: 10000
This disables early trade closing and ensures trades are only closed once the Take Profit is reached.
Trailing Stop Loss in points: 100 to 1100 (Optional)
A higher value allows the trade to stay open for longer, trailing the market further, but also increases the risk that the price may reverse before the trailing stop is triggered. A lower value will lock in profits more quickly, but could close trades prematurely if the price moves too briefly in your favor. Adjust this setting based on your risk tolerance and trading style to secure profits while managing exposure.
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These settings allow for balanced trading with defined outcomes. Adjust them based on your broker's execution and market conditions.
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***
Manual Trade Management Mode
> The EA can provide automated support for trades you open manually. By setting the magic number to **0** and disabling all strategies, the EA will stop opening new trades and focus entirely on managing your manually initiated trades. It will:
>
> * **Automatically Close Profitable Trades: When your manually opened trades reach a profit, the EA will automatically close them, ensuring you lock in gains without the need for constant monitoring.**
> * **Recover Drawdown Trades**: If any of your manual trades experience drawdown, the EA will attempt to recover them by adjusting lot sizes and entry timing. The recovery process follows your set risk parameters, minimizing the impact on your account balance while working to return the trade to profit.\
> \
> This mode allows you to retain full control over trade entries, while the EA handles the automated management of drawdowns and profit-taking. It’s ideal for traders who prefer to manually open trades based on their strategy but want the added benefit of automated risk management and recovery support.
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A small Hard Stop or using Stop Loss disables the recovery strategy, turning the EA into a simple TP/SL bot instead of a full recovery system. Without proper configuration the risk will be too high because the you will have many small profits and big losses.
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***
#### Using multiple strategies
> SmartChoise includes several built-in strategies that can be used individually or together to match your trading goals. Enabling multiple strategies increases trade opportunities, but also adds risk — so it’s important to understand how each works and how they interact.
>
> Each strategy has a different logic and can trigger trades.
>
> Enable **multiple strategies** to increase trade opportunities
>
> Use **separate charts** for different combinations (e.g., one chart with SR + NN, another with CD only)
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Even when you enable multiple strategies, **SmartChoise follows the same core logic**:
**It will open only one trade at a time per chart**, based on the first valid signal from any of the active strategies.
Once a trade is opened, the EA:
* **Waits for the trade to reach Take Profit**, or
* **Triggers the recovery logic** if the trade enters drawdown.
The EA will **not open new trades on the same chart** while an active trade is still open — regardless of how many strategies are enabled. This approach:
* Prevents overlapping trades.
* Maintains your risk control settings.
* Keeps the recovery mechanism focused on one position at a time (per chart).
#### Key Points
* Multiple strategies just give the EA **more entry options**, but not more simultaneous trades.
* If you want multiple trades at once, **open more charts** (with different magic numbers).
* This design ensures **stable performance**, avoids trade stacking, and supports safer recovery.
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When multiple strategies are enabled trades may open more frequently.
You may want to **adjust risk level** to compensate and M**onitor performance regularly**, especially in volatile market conditions.
Extra strategies increase exposure, which can increase drawdown and total risk — especially on small accounts.
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