Been relying on R:R calculators for most of my entries lately but starting to wonder if I’m overthinking it.
Sometimes the math says take the trade but price action looks sketchy. Other times calculator says skip but my gut feels different.
How much weight do you actually put on these tools versus reading the charts?
Risk reward ratios won’t save you from bad entries. They just tell you potential profit versus loss, nothing about probability. I see traders chase 3:1 setups that hit their stop 80% of the time. Better to take 2:1 trades with higher win rates based on solid chart patterns. Use the calculator after you identify a good setup. If price action shows strong momentum and you get decent risk reward, take it. If the chart looks messy, no ratio will fix that.
Used to be glued to R:R calculators when I started trading. Made every decision based on the numbers.
Big mistake. Lost more trades following perfect ratios on bad setups than I care to remember.
Now I flip it around. Price action and market structure come first. If the setup looks clean and aligns with my strategy, then I check if the R:R makes sense.
Won’t take a 1:1 trade usually, but if everything else screams buy and it’s sitting at 1.5:1, I’m in. Rather miss a mediocre ratio trade on a solid setup than chase a 3:1 that’s fighting against momentum.
Your gut feeling is just pattern recognition from screen time. Trust it more as you get experience reading charts.
The calculator should support your chart analysis, not drive your decisions.
I use it mainly to size positions correctly once I already like the setup based on price action and support/resistance levels.
If the chart setup looks solid but only gives me 1.2:1, I might still take it with smaller size rather than forcing a wider stop that doesn’t make sense.
Trust your gut over the calculator every time.
Calculators are useful but chart reading matters more. If price action looks weak I skip even with good ratios.