As already mentioned, it depends on how good your system is and there are a few more numbers to consider.
I would say:
- Risk 1% per trade.
- Max. 10 (uncorrelated) open positions.
- Max. 10% of your Balance per trade.
- Max. 50% Balance used for all trades combined.
Those rules combined mean there's never more than 5% of your Balance at risk.
Many feel forced to trade large positions because their account is so small they 'must' do so because otherwise the profits are so small they aren't worth the time.
Firstly, it also means your losses won't be worthwhile.
Secondly a good system has a low risk, and that means you can have several uncorrelated open positions.
Following those rules will be beneficial in the long run. By not following them, the run to the bottom of your account usually is a short one.
So instead of risking 1x10%, risk 10x1%.