−15%
Drawdown
→
+17.6%
Gain needed to break even
1.2×
Harder than the loss
The table every trader should memorise
| Drawdown | Gain needed to recover |
|---|---|
| −5% | +5.3% |
| −10% | +11.1% |
| −20% | +25.0% |
| −30% | +42.9% |
| −50% | +100% |
| −70% | +233% |
| −90% | +900% |
The asymmetry exists because the recovery is measured from a smaller base: gain = dd ÷ (1 − dd). Lose half of $10,000 and you're growing $5,000, not $10,000 — so getting home takes a double. This is the whole mathematical case for small, consistent risk: a trader risking 1% per trade needs ten straight losses to be down ~10%, and only ~11% to fully recover.
Drawdown you can't see is drawdown you can't stop
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