Whether you're new to trading or simply need a quick refresher, this guide will walk you through how to place trades on the MatchTrader Platform, explain how leverage works at Pivex Funded, and introduce several popular trading strategies traders use to improve their performance.

How to Place a Trade on MatchTrader

Follow these simple steps to execute your first trade:

1. Choose Your Symbol

On the left side of the MatchTrader platform, you’ll find a list of trading instruments such as:

• EURUSD – Euro vs. US Dollar

• GBPUSD – British Pound vs. US Dollar

• XAUUSD – Gold vs. US Dollar

• Many more Forex, Indices, Commodities, Crypto, and Stocks.

Click on the symbol you want to trade.

2. Check the Price and Spread

Each symbol displays a Sell (Bid) price and Buy (Ask) price.
The spread is the difference between the two.

Example:
EURUSD

• Sell: 1.15820

• Buy: 1.15824

• Spread: 4 points

3. Set Your Trade Size (Lot Size)

In the center panel, adjust your lot size.

Example:
A 0.01 lot on EURUSD ≈ $1,158 position size.

Use the + or – buttons to increase or decrease your lot.

4. Choose Your Direction

• SELL (Red) – if you expect the price to go down

• BUY (Green) – if you expect the price to go up

5. Advanced Order (Optional)

Click Advanced Order to set:

• Stop Loss (SL)

• Take Profit (TP)

These help you manage risk automatically.

6. Place the Trade

Click BUY or SELL to open your position.

7. Monitor Your Trade

You can view and manage open positions in your dashboard:

• Modify SL/TP

• Close trade when ready

• Track performance metrics

Understanding Leverage at Pivex Funded

At Pivex Funded, leverage allows you to control larger simulated positions with a smaller amount of margin. Leverage amplifies both potential profits and potential losses, so it must be used responsibly.

What Is Leverage?

Leverage means you can open a position larger than your account’s available margin.

Example:
With 1:30 leverage, $1,000 margin controls a $30,000 position.

Example in Practice

If you want to open a $120,000 EUR/USD position at 1:30 leverage,
you only need $4,000 margin.

Leverage Levels at Pivex Funded

To support responsible trading, Pivex Funded provides:

These levels are designed to balance opportunity with risk management.

Why Leverage Matters in the Challenge

Although you trade simulated capital, your ability to manage leverage affects:

• Your risk profile

• Your drawdown levels

• Your consistency as a trader

Overleveraging can result in:

• Rapid losses

• Hitting daily or overall drawdown limits

• Failing your Challenge account

Tips for Safe Leverage Use

✔ Use small lot sizes
✔ Don’t risk more than 1–2% per trade
✔ Use stop losses whenever possible
✔ Avoid oversized positions
✔ Prioritize consistency over big wins

Popular Trading Strategies Traders Use

Trading strategies help you decide when to buy or sell and why. At Pivex Funded, we encourage traders to choose strategies that match their goals, time availability, and experience.

Below are several commonly used strategies.

1. Trend Following Strategy

Definition:
Trade in the direction of the prevailing trend. Example: If Apple (AAPL) has been rising steadily from $140 → $170, a trader may enter a long position to ride the trend.

How It Works:

• Identify trend using moving averages (50-day, 200-day)

• Buy during uptrend / Sell during downtrend

Learn more in: Pivex Funded Trading Academy → Technical Analysis Module

2. Scalping Strategy

Definition:
Make many small trades throughout the day to capture tiny price movements. Example: Trading Tesla (TSLA) from $720 → $723 multiple times during the day.

How It Works:

• Use 1-minute or 5-minute charts

• Aim for quick entries/exits

• High trade frequency

Learn more in: Academy → Statistical Analysis

3. Swing Trading

Definition:
Hold trades for several days or weeks to capture medium-term price swings. Example: Buy Microsoft (MSFT) at $282 after a pullback and sell around $300.

How It Works:

• Use support/resistance

• RSI, MA, or trend indicators

• Hold for days/weeks

Learn more in: Academy → Technical Analysis + Indicators

4. Breakout Strategy

Definition:
Trade when the price breaks above resistance or below support. Example: Netflix (NFLX) breaks above $510 after weeks of sideways movement → enter buy. 

How It Works:

• Identify key levels

• Enter when price breaks out

• Use targets or trailing stops

Learn more in: Academy → Support & Resistance Module

5. Price Action Trading

Definition:
Trade based purely on price movements (no indicators). Example: Bullish engulfing candlestick on EUR/USD at support → enter buy.

How It Works:

• Candlestick patterns

• Trendlines

• Support/resistance

• SL placed beyond key levels

Learn more in: Academy → Candlestick Psychology

If you have any questions or need clarification on any of these steps, feel free to reach out to our support team anytime through LiveChat or by emailing us at support@pivex.com.