George...A trader's "stakes" are going to be strictly a function of his resources. A beginner should expect to sustain rather steady losses for the first, oh, 12-18 months (my own path followed the longer period after an initial 2 months of surprising gains)...but if you can persevere and you don't go bust (as does 90% of those who try) and you do learn some pretty significant lessons, it is not unreasonable that a return of 1-3% per day might be possible. Possible, mind you...no guarantees.
Sandy