Revenge sizing: how to check for it in your journal

[FXS London Scalper]

Many traders are sure they don't revenge trade because they never take extra trades after a loss. Position size is a quieter channel and worth checking.

How it happens: after a loss you round the lot size up, or use a slightly tighter stop at the same lots, which increases risk. None of it feels like a decision.

How to check:

• For every trade, compute actual risk in percent: stop distance × lots × pip value ÷ balance.
• Group trades by what came before: after a loss, after a win, first of the day.
• Compare average risk in each group with your plan.

A worked example of the effect: planned risk 0.5%, but trades after a loss average 0.6%. If half your trades follow a loss and half of those lose, the extra 0.1% on those losers adds roughly 10% to your total losses, systematically, without any extra trades.

It's the kind of thing a quick look at results never shows.

The fix is mechanical: an order panel or script that calculates size from the stop distance, with no override unless you confirm it in a dialog.

Has anyone found subtle revenge behaviour like this? Size may be a more common channel than the number of trades.