Foxchase $3k Account Series

What this series is

This series documents how I’m approaching the growth of a smaller account in real time. The framework stays the same: regimes, key levels, volatility posture / z-score, extrinsic divergence, ZWAP, and structure-based execution. What changes in a smaller account is the amount of cash-account flexibility available during the session.

Day-by-day archive

🦊 Day 1

Skipped the prior day due to Regime 6 / no trade.

🟢 Green Day

Starting Balance$3,000

Current Balance$3,727

Daily PnL+$727

Total Series PnL+$727

Trade 1

Primary Entry Reason: ZWAP

Supporting Context: PML flush / bearish bias / negative gamma

Management / Exit: Took a ZWAP bearish bias PML flush scalp with 20x 646P. Took profit around the usual 20%–30% gain window for +$340.

Trade 2

Primary Entry Reason: Volatility posture / z-score

Supporting Context: R5-R reversal / OB target

Management / Exit: Took an R5-R reversal long into the OB with 10x 653C. Took profit around the usual 20%–30% gain window for +$387.

Could have held the R5-R longer, but there was still quite a bit of negative gamma on NDX, so I stayed conservative. Target was VXX OB, which was hit.

🦊 Day 2

🟢 Green Day

Starting Balance$3,705.71

Current Balance$4,577.43

Daily PnL+$932

Total Series PnL+$1,659

Trade 1

Primary Entry Reason: ZWAP

Supporting Context: Early R4-VC reversal (likely due to gap-up open)

Management / Exit: Took a ZWAP short scalp to YDH. Signs of an unusually early R4-VC reversal, likely caused by the gap-up open. Targeted YDH key level exit. +$500

Trade 2

Primary Entry Reason: PML key level momentum

Supporting Context: PML flush / 10am hammer / R4-R

Management / Exit: Took the PML flush into the 10am hammer candle for the R4-R setup. +$362

Trade 3

Primary Entry Reason: Volatility posture / z-score, R4-R 10am behavior

Supporting Context: 10am confirmed hammer / R4-R / chop

Management / Exit: Took far OTM calls on the confirmed 10am hammer candle to catch the R4-R reversal while reducing some of the chop volatility. Exited early for +$70 after realizing I went a bit too far OTM to capture the short-term move.

🦊 Day 3

🟢 Green Day

Starting Balance$4,577.43

Current Balance$5,127.79

Daily PnL+$606

Total Series PnL+$2,265

Trade 1

Primary Entry Reason: ZWAP

Supporting Context: R5-R opening short

Management / Exit: Took a short scalp into the OB (above PML) for +$386.

Trade 2

Primary Entry Reason: Volatility posture / z-score

Supporting Context: ~9:45 long / ZWAP short bias exit

Management / Exit: Took the long around 9:45 for +$220. Very quick, strong candle.

Overall a pretty straightforward day. Our favorite setup, really: R5-R. Short first (optional), then long around 9:45 and let the session do the rest. Did I sell early? 100%, yes. For the sake of the small account challenge, the goal is to compound the account — not necessarily squeeze the full move, but lock in safer gains early and keep the curve growing.

🦊 Day 4

🟢 Green Day

Starting Balance$5,127.79

Current Balance$5,655.79

Daily PnL+$528

Total Series PnL+$2,655.79

Trade 1

Primary Entry Reason: ZWAP

Supporting Context: Weak R5-R setup / z-score around -4 at open / PML flush

Management / Exit: Took a ZWAP short / PML flush for +$520.

Trade 2

Primary Entry Reason: Bearish OB rejection

Supporting Context: Bearish OB tap and reject / negative gamma / BULL DIV (EX) on monitored contract

Management / Exit: Correctly identified the bearish OB tap and reject, but hesitated on the entry and fat-fingered 1 contract instead of 10. Seeing a BULL DIV (EX) on the specific contract I was watching also spooked me, so I exited near breakeven for +$8.

After that hesitation, I chose not to re-enter short and called it a day. In hindsight, that was still a good decision with price later chopping just below EM-. Main issue: execution and hesitation, not the read.