Identifying High-Probability Support: The Power of ConvergenceHello Friends,
Welcome to RK_Chaarts
Today we're going to learn Comprehensive Guide to Identifying Convergent Support Zones
Which are High Probability Support areas. This post is for Educational purpose only.
This detailed analysis will walk you through a step-by-step process of combining multiple technical analysis methods to identify a robust support zone. We'll explore how Elliott Wave theory, Anchored VWAP, EMA200, Fibonacci Retracements, and equality to extensions can coincidentally converge on the same support zone.
Step 1: Elliott Wave Analysis
Begin by identifying the Elliott Wave structure. Look for impulse waves, corrective waves, and the relationships between them. In this example:
- Wave Y is potentially completing near the equality zone (100% to 161.8% extension).
- This level marks a potential reversal point.
Support zone as per Elliott Wave theory Analysis
Step 2: Anchored VWAP Analysis
Apply Anchored VWAP to identify key support levels:
- Plot the VWAP from the last swing low and the second-last swing low.
- Note the convergence of these VWAP levels, which can indicate strong support.
Support zone as per Anchored VWAP Analysis
Step 3: EMA200 Analysis
Add the 200-period Exponential Moving Average (EMA) to your chart:
- The EMA200 has consistently provided support during previous corrections.
- Note the price approaching this level, increasing the likelihood of a bounce.
Support zone as per 200 Exponantial Moving Average
Step 4: Fibonacci Retracement Analysis
Apply Fibonacci retracements to the previous rally:
- Identify the 50%, 61.8%, and 78.6% retracement levels.
- Note the current fall has already exceeded the 38% retracement.
Support zone as per Fibonacci Retracement Analysis
Step 5: Convergence of Support Zones
Combine the analysis from each step:
- Note the striking convergence of support zones:
- Elliott Wave equality zone (100% to 161.8% extension)
- Anchored VWAP support zone
- EMA200 support level
- Fibonacci retracement zone (50%-61.8%)
Coincidentally all these are providing nearly same Support area (Price zone)
Trading Implications
With the convergence of these multiple analysis methods, you can:
- Identify a high-probability support zone.
- Look for buying opportunities near this zone.
- Monitor price action and market sentiment for confirmation of a reversal.
- Consider scaling into positions or setting limit orders within the support zone.
Important Note: Failure to Hold Support
If the price fails to hold support at this converged zone, it may indicate a stronger bearish trend. In this scenario:
- Be prepared for a potential significant downfall.
- Consider adjusting your trading plan to account for the increased bearish momentum.
- Keep a close eye on price action and market sentiment for further guidance.
By understanding the convergence of these multiple analysis methods and being aware of the potential risks, you'll be better equipped to make informed trading decisions and navigate the markets with confidence.
I am not Sebi registered analyst.
My studies are for educational purpose only.
Please Consult your financial advisor before trading or investing.
I am not responsible for any kinds of your profits and your losses.
Most investors treat trading as a hobby because they have a full-time job doing something else.
However, If you treat trading like a business, it will pay you like a business.
If you treat like a hobby, hobbies don't pay, they cost you...!
Hope this post is helpful to community
Thanks
RK💕
Disclaimer and Risk Warning.
The analysis and discussion provided on in.tradingview.com is intended for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon for trading decisions. RK_Chaarts is not an investment adviser and the information provided here should not be taken as professional investment advice. Before buying or selling any investments, securities, or precious metals, it is recommended that you conduct your own due diligence. RK_Chaarts does not share in your profits and will not take responsibility for any losses you may incur. So Please Consult your financial advisor before trading or investing.
Support and Resistance
Mastering indecision candlestick patterns - How to use it!In this guide I will explain the indecision candlestick patterns. The next subjects will be discussed:
- What are indecision candlestick patterns?
- What is the doji?
- What is the spinning top?
- What is the high wave candle?
What are indecision candlestick patterns?
Indecision candlestick patterns are formations on a price chart that suggest uncertainty in the market. They appear when neither buyers nor sellers have full control, meaning the price moves up and down during the trading period but closes near where it opened. This creates a candle with a small real body and often long wicks on either side, showing that the market explored both higher and lower prices but ended up not committing strongly in either direction. These patterns are often seen during periods when traders are waiting for more information before making bigger moves.
What is the doji?
One of the most well-known indecision candles is the doji. A doji forms when the opening price and the closing price are almost identical, resulting in a very thin body. The wicks, which show the highest and lowest prices of the period, can be long or short depending on market activity. A doji tells us that buying and selling pressure were almost equal, which can happen during pauses in trends or before major reversals.
What is the spinning top?
Another type is the spinning top. A spinning top also has a small body, but unlike the doji, the open and close are not exactly the same. The wicks on both sides are typically of similar length, indicating that the market moved both up and down significantly before settling close to the starting point. This pattern reflects hesitation and a balanced struggle between bulls and bears.
What is the high wave candle?
The high wave candle is a more dramatic version of indecision. It has a small real body like the other patterns but features very long upper and lower shadows. This means the market swung widely in both directions during the period, but ultimately closed without making strong progress either way. The high wave candle signals strong volatility paired with uncertainty, which can often precede sharp moves once the market chooses a direction.
When you see these types of candles, they are essentially the market saying “I’m not sure yet.” They often appear at turning points or before big news events and can warn that the current trend may be losing strength. However, they are not guarantees of reversal or continuation on their own. Traders usually combine them with other technical signals or chart patterns to confirm whether the market will break out in one direction or the other.
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Disclosure: I am part of Trade Nation's Influencer program and receive a monthly fee for using their TradingView charts in my analysis.
Thanks for your support. If you enjoyed this analysis, make sure to follow me so you don't miss the next one. And if you found it helpful, feel free to drop a like 👍 and leave a comment 💬, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
How to Identify Support and Resistance in Markets with AnologyHello Friends,
Welcome to RK_Chaarts,
Today we are going to learn & understand real work of Supports and Resistances in markets,
and Market structure with very good examples (Educational Post)
The Market's Architecture: Support and Resistance
This is an excellent analogy for understanding two of the most worthful concepts in technical analysis: support and resistance. By thinking of the market as a multi-story building, we can visualize how price moves and what happens when it hits certain levels.
- The Core Analogy: The Building and the Elevator
- Imagine the market as a large building with many floors. The price of an asset (like a stock or a cryptocurrency) is like an elevator moving up and down within this structure. The floors and ceilings of the building are not physical barriers but represent specific price points that the market has collectively agreed upon as important.
- The Floor (Support)
The floor of a building provides a solid base and prevents the elevator from falling further. In the market, this is called a support level. A support level is a price point where buying pressure is strong enough to stop the price from declining. When the "elevator" (price) reaches the floor, it finds enough buyers to give it a lift, preventing a deeper fall. A strong support level is like a thick concrete floor—it has been tested multiple times and holds firm, showing that there is significant demand for the asset at that price.
- The Ceiling (Resistance)
- The ceiling of a building sets the upper limit for the elevator's movement on a given floor. This is the market's resistance level. A resistance level is a price point where selling pressure is strong enough to prevent the price from rising further. When the "elevator" hits the ceiling, it encounters a large number of sellers who are ready to take profits, pushing the price back down. A strong resistance level is like a low ceiling—the price hits it and retreats, indicating that many investors believe the asset is overvalued at that point.
Breaking Through: New Levels
The most dynamic part of the analogy is what happens when the elevator breaks through a floor or ceiling.
Breakout (Breaking the Ceiling):
When the price has enough momentum to push through the resistance level (the ceiling), it has essentially moved to a new, higher floor. This is a significant event. The old ceiling, which was previously a barrier, now becomes the new floor. This is a key trading principle: old resistance often becomes new support. The market has established a new, higher trading range, and if the price falls back to that level, it will likely find buyers there, who now see it as a good value.
Breakdown (Breaking the Floor):
Once if price falls from that floor (Support level) which is called as Breakdown in technical language, then lower floor can be the next stop for elevator (Next Support for price), The old floor, which once provided support, now becomes a new ceiling. This is the reverse principle: old support often becomes new resistance. If the price tries to rally back up, it will likely get stuck at this old support level, as it's now seen as a good place to sell.
Structural Integrity (Volume)
Think of market Volume like a construction team. When a lot of people are involved (high volume), the structure is stronger.
Imagine a ceiling in the market. If lots of buyers (high volume) break through it, that's like a robust construction team building a new floor. It's unlikely to collapse.
On the other hand, if sellers break through a floor with high volume, that's a strong sign they're serious about the downward move.
But if the volume is low, it's like a weak construction team. Even if they break through, the move might not last. It's like a flimsy wall that could easily be reversed.
So, volume gives us a sense of whether the market's moves are strong and reliable, or weak and likely to change.
I am not Sebi registered analyst.
My studies are for educational purpose only.
Please Consult your financial advisor before trading or investing.
I am not responsible for any kinds of your profits and your losses.
Most investors treat trading as a hobby because they have a full-time job doing something else.
However, If you treat trading like a business, it will pay you like a business.
If you treat like a hobby, hobbies don't pay, they cost you...!
Hope this post is helpful to community
Thanks
RK💕
Disclaimer and Risk Warning.
The analysis and discussion provided on in.tradingview.com is intended for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon for trading decisions. RK_Chaarts is not an investment adviser and the information provided here should not be taken as professional investment advice. Before buying or selling any investments, securities, or precious metals, it is recommended that you conduct your own due diligence. RK_Chaarts does not share in your profits and will not take responsibility for any losses you may incur. So Please Consult your financial advisor before trading or investing.
Market Manipulations. Bullish Trap (Smart Money Concepts SMC)
In the today's article, we will discuss how smart money manipulate the market with a bullish trap .
In simple words, a bullish trap is a FALSE bullish signal created by big players.
With a bullish trap, the smart money aims to:
1️⃣ Increase demand for an asset, encouraging the market participant to buy it.
2️⃣ Make sellers close their positions in a loss .
When a short position is closed, it is automatically BOUGHT by the market.
Take a look at a key horizontal resistance on AUDCHF.
Many times in the past, the market dropped from that.
For sellers, it is a perfect area to short from.
Bullish violation of the underlined zone make sellers close their position in a loss and attracts buyers.
Then the market suddenly starts falling heavily, revealing the presence of smart money.
Both the sellers and the buyers lose their money because of the manipulation.
There are 2 main reasons why the smart money manipulates the markets in a such a way:
1️⃣ - A big player is seeking to close a huge long position
When a long position is closed, it is automatically SOLD to the market.
In order to sell a huge position, smart money needs a counterpart who will buy their position.
Triggering stop losses of sellers and creating a false demand, smart money sell their position partially to the crowd.
2️⃣ - A big player wants to open a huge short position
But why the smart money can't just close their long position or open short without a manipulation?
A big sell order placed by the institutional trader, closing their long position, can have an impact on the price of the asset. If the sell order is large enough, it can push the price downward as sellers outnumber buyers. Smart money are trying to balance the supply and demand on the market, hiding their presence.
It is quite complicated for the newbies and even for experienced traders to recognize a bullish trap.
One of the efficient ways is to apply multiple time frame analysis and price action.
Remember, that most of the time bullish traps occur on key horizontal or vertical resistances.
After you see a breakout, analyze lower time frames.
Quite often, after a breakout, the market starts ranging .
After a breakout of a key daily resistance, gold started to consolidate within a narrow range on an hourly time frame.
Bearish breakout of the support of the range will indicate a strength of the sellers and a highly probable bullish trap.
Remember, that you can not spot all the traps, and occasionally you will be fooled by smart money. However, with experience, you will learn to recognize common bullish traps.
❤️Please, support my work with like, thank you!❤️
I am part of Trade Nation's Influencer program and receive a monthly fee for using their TradingView charts in my analysis.
Mastering bearish candlestick patterns - How to use it!Bearish candlestick patterns are a cornerstone of technical analysis, relied upon by traders across financial markets to assess the likelihood of price reversals or continued downward trends. At their core, these patterns are visual representations of shifts in market sentiment, formed by the open, high, low, and close prices over one or several trading sessions. When recognized accurately and interpreted in context, bearish candlestick setups can alert market participants to the fading strength of buyers and the increasing presence of sellers, which often precedes downward price movements. Expanding on this, a comprehensive understanding of each pattern’s nuances, psychological underpinnings, and optimal trading applications can significantly enhance a trader’s analytical toolkit.
What will be discussed?
- What is a shooting star?
- What is a hanging man?
- What is a gravestone dojo?
- What is an evening star?
- What are the three black crows?
- How to trade the bearish candlestick patterns?
Shooting star
The shooting star pattern stands as a prominent candlestick configuration foreshadowing potential bearish reversals after an uptrend. This single-candle pattern is distinguished by a small real body situated near the lower end of the price range, a long upper shadow that is at least twice the length of the body, and little to no lower shadow. The psychological narrative implied by the shooting star is compelling: buyers initially control the session, pushing prices sharply higher, but by the close, sellers have overwhelmed this optimism, pulling the price back down to near or below the opening point. This abrupt shift in control suggests that the bullish momentum is waning, priming the market for a price correction or reversal.
Hanging man
The hanging man, while visually similar to the hammer pattern of bullish reversals, is distinctly bearish because of its position at the top of an established uptrend. This single-candle pattern features a small body at the upper part of the trading range and a markedly long lower shadow, again with minimal or absent upper shadow. During the session, substantial selling pressure drives prices down, accounting for the extended lower shadow, yet buyers temporarily regain some control, recovering much of the loss by the close. Despite this late-session recovery, the appearance of the hanging man warns traders that sellers are growing more aggressive – especially if the next candle confirms the weakness with a lower close.
Gravestone doji
A classic and somewhat ominous formation, the gravestone doji is a specialized form of doji candlestick that carries even greater weight when it appears after a rising market. Here, the open, close, and low are all clustered near the session’s low, forming a long upper shadow with no lower shadow. This structure vividly illustrates a dramatic shift in sentiment: buyers propel prices higher during the session, only to be met by intense selling which pushes prices back to the opening level by the close. This failed rally, marked by the upper wick, reflects the exhaustion of buying interest and the potential onset of bearish dominance.
Bearish engulfing
Turning to multi-candle setups, the bearish engulfing pattern is a powerful, two-bar reversal pattern. The initial candle is bullish and typically a continuation of the prevailing uptrend, but the second candle is bearish and must open above and close below the body of the first candle, “engulfing” it completely. The transition from a relatively small upward move to a much larger downward move highlights a rapid escalation in sell-side enthusiasm. Importantly, the larger the second candle and the greater the volume accompanying it, the more reliable the signal.
Evening star
The evening star expands the analysis further into a three-candlestick formation, representing a storyline of shifting market dynamics. The pattern commences with a long bullish candle, followed by an indecisive small candle (the star) that gaps above the previous close, and concludes with a large bearish candle that closes deep into the first candle’s body. The evening star is especially meaningful because it narrates a transition from bullish exhaustion to bearish control over three sessions, making it a robust signal of a pending trend reversal. The reliability of the evening star increases if the bearish candle is accompanied by high volume, confirming a surge in selling pressure.
Three black crows
Among the most striking bearish signals is the three black crows pattern. It comprises three consecutive large bearish candles, each opening within the body of the previous candle and closing successively lower. This pattern demonstrates relentless selling over several sessions, erasing prior gains and indicating that bearish sentiment is in full swing. Collectively, the three black crows can shift market psychology significantly when they appear after a lengthy uptrend, especially if accompanied by increased trading volume.
How to trade the bearish candlestick patterns?
Effectively using bearish candlestick patterns in a trading strategy requires more than mere recognition of shapes. The context in which these patterns emerge matters greatly; traders should analyze preceding price action, the scope of the trend, and any converging signals from other technical tools such as momentum oscillators or volume indicators. Confirmation is a best practice, waiting for a subsequent session that continues in the bearish direction can filter out false signals and decrease the chances of whipsaw trades.
In practice, traders may use these patterns to identify short-selling opportunities, define entry and exit points, or adjust stop-loss levels to protect profits as a trend appears to reverse. Risk management is crucial, as no pattern is infallible. Position sizing, stop-loss placement, and ongoing evaluation of the broader market environment all contribute to the prudent use of candlestick analysis. By integrating these patterns into a comprehensive market analysis framework, traders are better positioned to interpret crowd psychology, anticipate significant reversals, and navigate the complexities of price movement with a higher degree of confidence and skill.
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Disclosure: I am part of Trade Nation's Influencer program and receive a monthly fee for using their TradingView charts in my analysis.
Thanks for your support. If you enjoyed this analysis, make sure to follow me so you don't miss the next one. And if you found it helpful, feel free to drop a like 👍 and leave a comment 💬, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Support & Resistance – Quick Guide In 5 StepsSupport and resistance are key concepts in technical analysis that help traders identify where price is likely to react.
Support acts like a floor — a level where buying interest is strong enough to prevent further declines.
Resistance acts like a ceiling — a level where selling pressure can stop price from rising.
These zones often lead to bounces, reversals, or breakouts, and are used to plan entries, exits, and stop-losses.
How to Identify them:
1. Assess the chart.
2. Identify Swing Points: Look for repeated highs/lows and label them. (Flags)
3. Multiple touches: Highlight the zones with multiple touches. 2+ Touches are stronger.
4. Define: Clearly define the zones. Above is resistance, below is support.
5. Entry: When price makes it way down to support, wait for the reversal. Upon reversal enter on the low time confirmation. Ensure price has failed to break below the support.
Then set TP to the previous High/Resistance zone.
Tips:
Always treat S&R as zones, not exact lines.
Combine with trend, candlestick patterns, or volume for better confluences.
Avoid trading into strong S/R — wait for breaks or retests.
From Fakeout to Takeoff: How the V-Pattern REALLY WorksEver seen a support level break, only for the price to rocket back up in a V-shape? That’s the V-Pattern in action! In this post, Skeptic from Skeptic Lab breaks down the step-by-step mechanics of this powerful setup. From the fakeout that traps short sellers to the surge of buy orders from liquidations, you’ll learn exactly how buyers flip the script and create explosive reversals. Perfect for traders looking to spot high-probability setups. Join me to decode the markets—check out the steps and level up your trading game!
Learning#04 : PDH & PDL🎯 Learning#04 : PDH & PDL
- The 2 Levels Every Intraday Trader Must Watch
Turn Yesterday’s Levels into Today’s Profits – PDH/PDL Playbook
In intraday trading, simplicity often beats complexity.
You don’t always need fancy indicators, dozens of lines, or complicated systems. Sometimes, two levels are all it takes to stay in sync with the market:
👉 Previous Day’s High (PDH)
👉 Previous Day’s Low (PDL)
These levels may look basic, but they carry psychological weight and often mark where real action — and opportunity — unfolds.
Let’s break it down into a practical strategy you can start using as early as tomorrow morning 👇
🧠 What Are PDH and PDL?
PDH = The highest price the market reached yesterday
PDL = The lowest price the market reached yesterday
That’s it. No calculations. No indicators. Just two simple levels from the previous session.
But here’s why they matter:
They’re visible to everyone — retail traders, institutional desks, even algo systems. These are “memory zones” where the market often reacts — bouncing, breaking, or trapping traders in fakeouts.
Think of them as psychological boundaries.
When price approaches these levels, traders ask:
“Will it break or bounce?”
That hesitation — that moment of decision — is your opportunity.
⚡ Why These Levels Work So Well
✅ They’re objective — no subjectivity involved. Anyone can mark them.
✅ They’re reaction zones — price often stalls, breaks, or rejects here.
✅ They reflect sentiment — how price behaves around them reveals market strength or weakness.
PDH and PDL often act like turning points — or springboards for continuation. The key is in reading how price behaves when it gets there.
📊 3 Smart Ways to Trade Around PDH/PDL
Let’s look at three powerful setups based on how price behaves near these levels:
1️⃣ Rejection at PDH or PDL (Classic Reversal)
This is the simplest setup — and one of the most effective.
When price tests PDH or PDL but fails to break, it often leaves signs:
Long upper/lower wicks
Rejection candles (like pin bars or inside bars)
Sudden volume drop
💡 Example:
Nifty rallies to PDH at 22,180, prints a long upper wick, then forms a red candle closing below. That’s a reversal clue.
You could enter short below the rejection candle, with a stop just above the high and a target near VWAP or mid-range.
🎯 Why this setup works: Tight risk. Logical context. High clarity.
2️⃣ Breakout and Retest (Trend Continuation)
If price breaks through PDH/PDL with strength, don’t chase it.
Wait for price to pull back and retest the level.
If PDH was broken, wait for a bullish retest — former resistance becomes support.
If PDL was broken, wait for a bearish retest — former support becomes resistance.
💡 Example:
BankNifty breaks PDH, pulls back, then prints a bullish engulfing candle right at the level — confirmation to go long.
📌 This setup works best on trending days and offers cleaner entries than chasing breakouts.
3️⃣ The Failed Breakout (Trap Setup)
One of the most high-probability setups — and one that traps many.
Here’s how it plays out:
Price breaks PDH/PDL
But immediately snaps back inside the range
Traders who chased the breakout are now trapped
💡 Signal to watch:
A candle closes above PDH, followed by a candle that closes back below — that’s your short signal. Reverse for long setups around PDL.
🚨 Even more effective when the breakout happens on low volume — no real conviction behind the move.
🔧 Tools That Amplify These Setups
These setups work great with a clean chart — but a few tools can boost your edge:
VWAP: Check if price is extended or supported near PDH/PDL. When VWAP aligns with these levels — confluence zone!
Candlestick patterns: Look for pin bars, inside bars, or engulfing patterns at the level.
Opening range: If price breaks PDH/PDL early in the day,
especially within the first 30 minutes, it signals directional intent.
Volume: Strong breakouts need volume. Weak volume = likely fakeout.
🔑 Remember: You don’t trade the level — you trade the reaction at the level.
✅ Why This Simple Strategy Works
Don’t underestimate the power of PDH and PDL. These levels:
Show where emotions exist — greed and fear often play out here.
Create natural reaction zones — ideal spots for clean entries and exits.
Let you trade with structure, not guesswork.
Instead of chasing price all day, do this:
Mark PDH and PDL
Wait for price to approach the zone
Watch how it behaves
React with a plan — not emotion
✨ Simple, repeatable, and highly effective — if you stay patient and disciplined.
✍️ Final Thoughts
In a world full of overcomplicated strategies, PDH/PDL trading is a refreshing reminder that clarity often comes from simplicity.
These levels won’t give you 10 trades a day — but they will give you high-quality, context-driven opportunities that align with how real price and volume work.
See you in the next one — and until then:
Keep it simple. Trade with structure. Trust the levels.
— Kiran Zatakia
Learning#03 : VWAP in Intraday TradingLearning#03 : VWAP in Intraday Trading
📊 VWAP in Intraday Trading: The Market’s Fair Price GPS
Ever wondered if there’s a level that shows where the real trading action is happening? That’s exactly what VWAP does — it’s like a volume-weighted compass that intraday traders use to orient themselves in the market.
It’s not just another line on your chart. VWAP reflects where institutions and volume-heavy participants are active. That’s why understanding how price interacts with it can give you a serious edge.
Let’s break it down 👇
🧠 What is VWAP?
VWAP stands for Volume Weighted Average Price.
In simple terms, it shows the average price a stock has traded at throughout the day, based on both price and volume.
Unlike a simple average, VWAP gives more weight to prices where more trading volume occurred — meaning it's a better reflection of the market’s consensus value.
Think of it as:
A real-time fair value line for intraday decision-making.
📈 Why VWAP Matters for Intraday Traders
VWAP acts as an intraday anchor. It tells you whether the price is currently trading above or below the day’s volume-weighted average — giving you quick insight into who's in control.
Here’s how to interpret it:
When price is above VWAP, buyers are in control and the bias is bullish.
When price is below VWAP, sellers are dominating and the bias is bearish.
When price is hovering near VWAP, the market is undecided, consolidating, or lacking direction.
In short, VWAP tells you who’s winning the intraday tug of war — and whether it’s even worth stepping in.
⚙️ How to Use VWAP in Your Intraday Strategy
1️⃣ VWAP as a Trend Filter
Before entering a trade, check where price is relative to VWAP:
Price above VWAP with higher lows → Focus on long setups
Price below VWAP with lower highs → Focus on short setups
🔁 Skip counter-trend trades. Stay with the flow.
This helps in trending markets by keeping you aligned with momentum.
2️⃣ VWAP as Dynamic Support or Resistance
VWAP behaves like a magnet. Price often pulls back to it and either:
Rejects (respects the level as support/resistance), or
Breaks and reclaims (signaling a potential reversal)
Use it alongside:
Flag patterns
Inside bars
Break-and-retest structures
3️⃣ VWAP Reversion Play (Snapback Trade)
This is a mean-reversion setup:
Price moves quickly away from VWAP at open
No strong follow-through, signs of exhaustion
Take a counter-trend trade back to VWAP
⚠️ Avoid this in strong trending markets — best used in choppy or fading environments.
4️⃣ VWAP with Price Action for Structure
Pair VWAP with clean price action:
Mark support and resistance zones
Observe price behavior near VWAP
Look for confirmation: inside bars, rejection wicks, engulfing candles
🎯 This adds logic and clarity to your entries — no random trades.
🔍 Bonus VWAP Tips
Combine VWAP with:
CPR (Central Pivot Range) for confluence zones
Opening range for breakout bias
Volume profile to spot high interest areas
These combos create strong, repeatable trade setups.
✅ VWAP Recap: Why It Matters
Here’s a quick breakdown of how VWAP can sharpen your intraday trading game:
Bias Building: VWAP helps confirm whether the market structure is bullish or bearish, giving you a reliable directional bias.
Trend Filtering: It keeps you aligned with the current momentum by filtering out counter-trend trades.
Pullback Entries: VWAP acts as a dynamic support or resistance level, offering clean zones to enter trades during pullbacks.
Mean Reversion: In sideways or fading markets, VWAP becomes a natural magnet — allowing you to target price reversions.
Risk Management: It provides logical reference points for placing stop-losses and defining entry zones, adding clarity to your risk-reward planning.
✍️ Final Thoughts
VWAP may sound simple, but it brings real structure to intraday trading.
It tells you where volume met price, and that’s powerful. When used with price action, it creates a solid framework for:
Building directional bias
Finding clean entries
Managing risk like a pro
VWAP doesn’t predict — it reflects. And in trading, reflection is more useful than prediction.
🛎️ Respect VWAP. Trade with structure.
— Kiran Zatakia
Mechanical vs. Anticipation Trades: The Fine LineWhen traders talk about discipline, they often refer to following rules — sticking to a plan, being methodical, and avoiding emotional decisions. But there's a subtle and powerful difference between being rule-based and being blindly mechanical. And even more, there's a moment in every trader’s process where discipline demands adaptation.
Let’s look at a recent trade on Gold to understand this better.
On Thursday, I published an analysis on Gold stating that the recent breakdown of support had turned that zone into resistance. A short entry from that level made sense.
It was mechanical, clean, and aligned with what the chart was showing at the time.
And, at first, it worked. Price rose into the resistance area and dropped. Perfect reaction. Textbook setup. Confirmation. The kind of trade you want to see when following a rule-based system.
But then something changed.
Price came back. Quickly.(I'm talking about initial 3315-3293 drop and the quick recover)
So, the very next rally pushed straight back into the same resistance area, hmmm...too simple, is the market giving us a second chance to sell?
That was the first sign that the market might not respect the previous structure anymore.
It dipped again after, but the second drop was different: slower, weaker, choppier.
That told me one thing: the selling pressure was fading.
So I shifted. From mechanical execution to anticipatory mindset.
This is where many traders struggle — not because they don’t have a system, but because they don’t know when to let go of it. Or worse: they abandon it too quickly without cause.
In this case, the evidence was building. The failed follow-through. The loss of momentum. The compression in structure. All signs that a reversal was brewing.
Rather than continuing to blindly short, referring to a zone that no longer held the same weight, I started looking for the opposite: an upside breakout and momentum acceleration.
That transition wasn’t based on emotion. It was based on market behavior.
________________________________________
Mechanical vs. Anticipation: What’s the Real Difference?
A mechanical trade is rule-based:
• If X happens, and Y confirms, then enter.
• No need for interpretation, no second guessing.
• It can (in theory) be automated.
An anticipatory trade is different:
• It’s about reading intent in price action before confirmation.
• Higher risk usually, but higher reward if you’re right.
• Can’t be automated. It requires presence, experience, and context.
And the tricky part? Often, we lie to ourselves. We say we’re "mechanical" while actually guessing. Or we think we’re being smart and intuitive, when in fact, we’re being impulsive.
The key is awareness.
In my Gold ideas, the initial short was mechanical. But the invalidation came quickly — and I was alert enough to switch gears. That shift is not a betrayal of discipline. It’s an upgrade of it.
________________________________________
Final Thoughts:
Discipline is not doing the same thing no matter what. Discipline is doing what the market requires you to do, without emotional distortion.
And that, often, means walking the fine line between the setup you planned for, and the reality that just showed up.
Disclosure: I am part of TradeNation's Influencer program and receive a monthly fee for using their TradingView charts in my analyses and educational articles.
Wedge Pattern: A Key to Trend Reversals and Continuations📈 Wedge Pattern: A Key to Trend Reversals and Continuations
A wedge pattern is a technical chart formation that signals a potential reversal or continuation in the market. It’s formed when price moves between two converging trendlines — either sloping upward or downward — creating a narrowing range over time.
There are two main types of wedge patterns:
🔻 Falling Wedge (Bullish)
Formed during a downtrend or as a correction in an uptrend.
Characterized by lower highs and lower lows, with the slope of the support line steeper than the resistance line.
Typically signals a bullish reversal as momentum builds for a breakout to the upside.
✅ Confirmation: Break above the resistance line with volume surge.
🔺 Rising Wedge (Bearish)
Appears during an uptrend or as a correction in a downtrend.
Shows higher highs and higher lows, but the support line is steeper than the resistance line.
Often leads to a bearish reversal, especially when volume declines into the pattern.
⚠️ Confirmation: Break below the support line with increasing volume.
🧠 Key Characteristics
Volume tends to decrease as the pattern forms, indicating a pause in momentum.
The breakout direction (up or down) determines whether it’s a continuation or reversal signal.
Wedges can appear on any time frame and are useful for both day traders and long-term investors.
📊 Trading Tip
Always wait for confirmation of the breakout before entering a trade. False breakouts can be common, especially in low-volume environments
How to Find Liquidity Zones/Clusters on Any Forex Pair (GOLD)
You need just 1 minute of your time to find significant liquidity zones on any Forex pair and Gold.
In this article, I will teach you how to identify supply and demand zones easily step by step.
Liquidity Basics
By a market liquidity, I mean market orders.
The orders are not equally distributed among all the price levels.
While some will concentrate the interest of the market participants,
some levels will be low on liquidity.
Price levels and the areas that will attract and amass trading orders will be called liquidity zones.
How to Find Supply Zones
To find the strongest liquidity clusters, we will need to analyze a daily time frame.
A liquidity zone that is above current prices will be called a supply zone.
High volumes of selling orders will be distributed within.
One of the proven techniques to find such zones is to analyze a historic price action. You should identify a price level that acted as a strong resistance in the past.
4 horizontal levels that I underlined on EURGBP influenced market behavior in the recent past.
The price retraced from these levels significantly.
Why It Happened?
A down movement could occur because of an excess of selling orders and a closure of long positions by the buyers.
These factors indicate a high concentration of a liquidity around these price levels.
How to Draw Supply Zone?
One more thing to note about all these horizontal levels is that they cluster and the distance between them is relatively small .
To find a significant liquidity supply zone, I advise merging them into a single zone.
To draw that properly, its high should be based on the highest high among these levels. Its low should be based on the highest candle close level.
Following this strategy, here are 2 more significant supply zones.
We will assume that selling interest will concentrate within these areas and selling orders will be spread across its price ranges.
How to Find Demand Zones
A liquidity zone that is below current spot price levels will be called a demand zone . We will assume that buying orders will accumulate within.
To find these zones, we will analyze historically important price levels that acted as strong supports in the past.
I found 3 key support levels.
After tests of these levels, buying pressure emerged.
Why It Happened?
A bullish movement could occur because of an excess of buying orders and a closure of short positions by the sellers. Such clues strongly indicate a concentration of liquidity.
How to Draw Demand Zones?
Because these levels are close to each other, we will unify them into a one liquidity demand zone.
To draw a demand zone, I suggest that its low should be the lowest low among these key levels and its high should be the lowest candle close.
Examine 2 more liquidity zones that I found following this method.
Please, note that Demand Zone 2 is based on one single key level.
It is not mandatory for a liquidity zone to be based on multiple significant levels, it can be just one.
We will assume that buying interest will concentrate within these areas and buying orders will be allocated within the hole range.
Broken Liquidity Zones
There is one more liquidity zone that I did not underline.
That is a broken supply zone. After a breakout and a candle close above, it turned into a demand zone. For that reason, I plotted that based on the rules of supply zone drawing.
Start Market Analysis From Liquidity
Liquidity zones are one of the core elements of forex trading.
Your ability to recognize them properly is the key in predicting accurate price reversals.
Identify liquidity zones for:
spotting safe entry points,
use these zones as targets,
set your stop losses taking them into consideration.
They will help you to better understand the psychology of the market participants and their behavior.
I hope that the today's tutorial demonstrated you that it is very easy to find them.
❤️Please, support my work with like, thank you!❤️
I am part of Trade Nation's Influencer program and receive a monthly fee for using their TradingView charts in my analysis.
Beyond ICT & SMC: The Mathematical Revolution in Zone TradingIn the world of trading, there's a fundamental divide between traders who rely on subjective interpretation and those who trust mathematical precision. While concepts like ICT (Inner Circle Trader), SMC (Smart Money Concepts), and naked chart analysis have gained popularity, they all share one critical flaw: they're based entirely on personal interpretation.
The Subjectivity Problem
Ask ten ICT traders to mark their Order Blocks, Fair Value Gaps, or Breaker Blocks on the same chart, and you'll get ten different answers. Why? Because these concepts rely on:
Personal bias in identifying "significant" levels
Subjective interpretation of market structure
Discretionary decision-making on what constitutes a valid setup
Emotional influence on analysis
The same issue plagues SMC, CRT (Candle Range Theory), time-based analysis, and naked chart trading. One trader's "liquidity grab" is another trader's "breakout." One person's "strong support" is another's "weak bounce zone."
The Mathematical Solution
This indicator eliminates this guesswork entirely. Instead of relying on subjective interpretation, it:
Calculates exact entry levels using mathematical formulas based on session params
Identifies precise support/resistance zones
Standardises signals across all timeframes, ensuring consistency whether you're on 1m or 15m charts
Removes emotional bias by using algorithmic detection of significant price levels
Numbers Don't Lie
While an ICT trader might debate whether a level is "mitigation" or "inducement," our indicator simply states: "Entry at 1.0847, Stop at 1.0832." No interpretation needed. No second-guessing. Just mathematical precision derived from actual price action.
The Inside Range Advantage: When Zones Within Zones Create Superior Trading Opportunities
Most traders miss one of the most powerful setups in technical analysis: the Inside Range (IR). While ICT traders debate "nested order blocks" and SMC followers argue about "refined zones," you can easily identify Inside Ranges with this indicator and mathematically identify these high-probability setups with zero ambiguity.
What Makes Inside Ranges Special?
An Inside Range occurs when a new support/resistance zone forms completely within an untested larger zone. Think of it as the market revealing its hand twice – first showing you the broader area of interest, then pinpointing the precise level within it.
The Mathematical Edge
While discretionary traders struggle to identify these setups consistently, this indicator:
Automatically detects when a smaller zone forms within a larger untested zone
Calculates two precise entry options without any guesswork
Eliminates the confusion of nested levels that plague subjective analysis
Two Entries, Zero Confusion
Documentation and full trading system instructions can be found on the indicator's publication
When an IR forms, the indicator provides exactly two mathematically-derived entry options:
The Outside Range entry – Using the larger zone's entry level
The IR Stop-Loss entry – Converting the inner zone's stop level into an entry point
Compare this to SMC's "refined OB" or ICT's "nested FVG" concepts where traders endlessly debate which level is valid. With Inside Ranges, there's no debate – just two clear, calculated levels.
Inside Ranges represent areas where institutional interest overlaps. The larger zone shows initial interest, while the smaller zone within reveals refined positioning. By mathematically identifying these setups, you're trading where smart money has shown its hand twice.
Real Consistent Precision
Instead of squinting at charts trying to identify subjective "zones within zones," let mathematics do the heavy lifting.
In trading, consistency beats creativity. Stop drawing arbitrary lines and hoping for the best. Start trading with mathematical precision.
Documentation and full trading system instructions can be found on the indicator's publication →
Trade with confidence. Trust in mathematics. Trust in your Edge.
Learn What is PULLBACK and WHY It is Important For TRADING
In the today's post, we will discuss the essential element of price action trading - a pullback.
There are two types of a price action leg of a move: impulse leg and pullback.
Impulse leg is a strong bullish/bearish movement that determines the market sentiment and trend.
A pullback is the movement WITHIN the impulse.
The impulse leg has the level of its high and the level of its low.
If the impulse leg is bearish , a pullback initiates from its low and should complete strictly BELOW its high.
If the impulse leg is bullish , a pullback movement starts from its high and should end ABOVE its low.
Simply put, a pullback is a correctional movement within the impulse.
It occurs when the market becomes overbought/oversold after a strong movement in a bullish/bearish trend.
Here is the example of pullback on EURJPY pair.
The market is trading in a strong bullish trend. After a completion of each bullish impulse, the market retraces and completes the correctional movements strictly within the ranges of the impulses.
Here are 3 main reasons why pullbacks are important:
1. Trend confirmation
If the price keeps forming pullbacks after bullish impulses, it confirms that the market is in a bullish bearish trend.
While, a formation of pullbacks after bearish legs confirms that the market is trading in a downtrend.
Here is the example how bearish impulses and pullbacks confirm a healthy bearish trend on WTI Crude Oil.
2. Entry points
Pullbacks provide safe entry points for perfect trend-following opportunities.
Traders can look for pullbacks to key support/resistances, trend lines, moving averages or Fibonacci levels, etc. for shorting/buying the market.
Take a look how a simple rising trend line could be applied for trend-following trading on EURNZD.
3. Risk management
By waiting for a pullback, traders can get better reward to risk ratio for their trades as they can set tighter stop loss and bigger take profit.
Take a look at these 2 trades on Bitcoin. On the left, a trader took a trade immediately after a breakout, while on the right, one opened a trade on a pullback.
Patience gave a pullback trader much better reward to risk ratio with the same target and take profit level as a breakout trader.
Pullback is a temporary correction that often occurs after a significant movement. Remember that pullbacks do not guarantee the trend continuation and can easily turn into reversal moves. However, a combination of pullback and other technical tools and techniques can provide great trading opportunities.
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I am part of Trade Nation's Influencer program and receive a monthly fee for using their TradingView charts in my analysis.
Mastering Buy Side and Sell Side Liquidity - How to trade it!In trading, understanding liquidity is one of the keys to predicting where the market might go next. The Inner Circle Trader (ICT) method teaches traders how to recognize where big players like banks and institutions are likely to enter or exit trades. Two important ideas in ICT trading are buy side liquidity and sell side liquidity. Once you understand what these terms mean and how to spot them on a chart, you can start using them to find better trading opportunities.
What will be discussed?
- What is Buy Side Liquidity?
- What is Sell Side Liquidity?
- How do you see Buy and Sell Side Liquidity?
- Examples
- How to trade BSL and SLL Liquidity?
What is Buy Side Liquidity
Buy side liquidity is found above market highs. It refers to all the stop loss orders from people who are holding short positions. When the market is going down, some traders sell (or go short) and place their stop losses above recent highs to protect themselves. These stop losses are actually buy orders because closing a short position requires buying. Big institutions know this, so they push price upward to trigger those stop losses and grab that liquidity. That’s why you’ll often see the market spike above a recent high before reversing. That spike is the market grabbing buy side liquidity.
What is Sell Side Liquidity
Sell side liquidity is the opposite. It’s found below recent lows. This is where traders who are buying (going long) place their stop losses. If someone buys a market, they’ll usually put a stop loss just below a previous low. That stop loss is a sell order. Smart money looks at these areas as pools of sell side liquidity. So when the market moves down quickly and breaks a recent low, it’s likely collecting those sell stop orders. After that, you’ll often see a reversal because the liquidity has been taken.
How do you see Buy and Sell Side Liquidity?
You can spot buy side and sell side liquidity by looking at the chart and identifying recent highs and lows where many traders might have placed stop losses. These are usually obvious swing highs and swing lows. If you look at a chart and see a clean high where price previously reversed, that’s likely where traders are placing stops. That makes it a target for buy side liquidity. Same for a recent low, if it’s a clean level where people might have bought in the past, that low probably holds sell side liquidity. The more obvious the level looks, the more likely it’s full of stops and therefore a liquidity target.
Examples
How to trade BSL and SLL Liquidity?
Trading liquidity means watching for the market to run above a recent high (to take buy side liquidity) or below a recent low (to take sell side liquidity), and then looking for signs of reversal. Once liquidity has been taken, the market often changes direction.
When you’re trading the ICT concept of liquidity, the key is not just spotting where liquidity lies, but also knowing when price is likely to reverse after that liquidity has been taken. Reversals don’t happen randomly, they leave clues on the chart. Here’s how you can recognize those signs in a simple way:
1. Market Structure Break
This is one of the clearest signs of a reversal. Let’s say the market grabs sell side liquidity by breaking below a recent low. If price then quickly starts moving up and breaks above the last lower high, that’s a break in structure. It shows that sellers are losing control and buyers are stepping in. It’s the first confirmation that the direction might be changing.
2. Rejection Wicks or Strong Candles
After price runs into liquidity (above a high or below a low), watch the candlesticks closely. If you see a long wick rejecting the level, or a strong candle in the opposite direction right after the liquidity grab, that’s a clue. It means price went there, collected the orders, and got rejected fast. That rejection shows the market might be reversing.
3. Fair Value Gaps (FVGs)
Fair value gaps are small “windows” left in price when it moves quickly in one direction. After liquidity is taken and price starts reversing, it often leaves an FVG behind. If price pulls back into that gap and holds, that can be a great entry point. FVGs act like magnets and support zones in ICT.
4. Displacement
Displacement is a strong, impulsive move that breaks structure. It usually happens right after liquidity is taken. If price moves very fast in the opposite direction after hitting a liquidity level, that’s a good sign smart money is behind the move and it’s not just random noise. That strong push is a hint that a new trend might be forming.
5. Change in Character (CHOCH)
This is a shift in how the market behaves. For example, price might be making lower highs and lower lows (a bearish trend), but after liquidity is taken, it suddenly starts making higher highs and higher lows. That change in character tells you the trend might be reversing.
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Japanese Candlestick Cheat Sheet – Part Three- 3 candle patternsSo far in this series, we've broken down single candle formations ( Part 1 ) and explored double candle signals ( Part 2 ) — the kind of patterns that give you quick, often powerful hints about the market’s mood.
But now it’s time to go a step further.
👉 In Part 3, we dive into triple candlestick formations — patterns that take more time to form, but often offer stronger confirmation and a more reliable narrative.
They’re like reading three full sentences from the market instead of just one or two words.
If you’re ready to spot momentum shifts (not noise), this lesson is for you.
Let’s decode the story behind formations like Morning Star, Three White Soldiers, and so on.
MORNING STAR
Bias: Bullish
What is the Morning Star pattern?
The Morning Star pattern consists of a bearish candle, a small-bodied middle candle, and a bullish candle, forming at the end of a downtrend to signal potential reversal. This pattern reflects a shift from seller dominance to buyer strength, as the middle candle marks a pause before a reversal. The Morning Star is a reliable signal that buyer interest is reemerging.
Understanding Morning Stars helps traders anticipate shifts in momentum, providing valuable entry points for new uptrends.
Meaning:
Found in downtrends; signals potential bullish reversal as buyers gain control, with strength confirmed by the third candle closing above the first.
BULLISH ABANDONED BABY
Bias: Bullish
What is the Bullish Abandoned Baby pattern?
The Bullish Abandoned Baby is a rare but powerful reversal pattern that consists of a bearish candle, a gapped doji, and a bullish candle. The middle doji reflects indecision, while the third bullish candle confirms the reversal. This pattern highlights a dramatic shift in sentiment, showing that buyers are prepared to take control.
Recognizing the Bullish Abandoned Baby can offer traders insights into pivotal market shifts.
Meaning:
Appears in downtrends; suggests a strong bullish reversal, as the middle doji shows indecision, with confirmation by a strong bullish move.
THREE WHITE SOLDIERS
What is the Three White Soldiers pattern?
The Three White Soldiers pattern consists of three consecutive bullish candles, each closing higher than the last, often appearing in downtrends to signal a potential bullish reversal. This pattern reflects sustained buying pressure, indicating that buyer sentiment is strong. Psychologically, it shows that buyers are steadily gaining confidence, pushing prices upward.
For traders, Three White Soldiers provide a clear signal of momentum, ideal for capturing emerging trends.
Meaning:
Found in downtrends; signals potential trend reversal, showing sustained buying strength, often signaling the start of a bullish trend.
MORNING DOJI STAR
What is the Morning Doji Star pattern?
The Morning Doji Star pattern is similar to the Morning Star, but with a doji as the middle candle, indicating greater indecision before a reversal. This pattern consists of a bearish candle, a doji, and a bullish candle, highlighting a transition from bearish to bullish sentiment. The doji reflects a moment when market sentiment is balanced, but the third candle confirms a bullish shift.
Interpreting Morning Doji Stars can help traders identify turning points in downtrends, providing valuable entry opportunities.
Meaning:
Appears in downtrends; signals potential bullish reversal, with indecision from the doji and confirmation by a strong bullish candle.
EVENING STAR
What is the Evening Star pattern?
The Evening Star is a three-candle pattern that appears at the top of an uptrend, signaling a potential bearish reversal. It consists of a bullish candle, a small-bodied middle candle, and a bearish candle, showing a transition from buyer control to seller strength. This pattern often appears at market peaks, where optimism is giving way to caution.
Understanding the Evening Star pattern helps traders anticipate downtrend formations, allowing them to time their exits.
Meaning:
Found in uptrends; signals potential bearish reversal as sellers gain control, confirmed if the third candle closes below the first.
BEARISH ABANDONED BABY
What is the Bearish Abandoned Baby pattern?
The Bearish Abandoned Baby is the bearish counterpart to the Bullish Abandoned Baby and consists of a bullish candle, a gapped doji, and a bearish candle. This pattern reveals a dramatic shift in sentiment from bullish to bearish, highlighting a sudden reversal at the top of an uptrend.
Recognizing the Bearish Abandoned Baby can offer traders insight into market tops and impending trend changes.
Meaning:
Appears in uptrends; indicates strong bearish reversal, as indecision in the doji is followed by selling strength.
THREE BLACK CROWS
What is the Three Black Crows pattern?
The Three Black Crows pattern consists of three consecutive bearish candles, each closing lower than the last, appearing in uptrends to signal potential reversal. This pattern reflects sustained selling pressure, indicating that sellers are gaining control. The Three Black Crows highlight a moment when buyer confidence wanes, marking the beginning of downward momentum.
For traders, this pattern provides a clear signal to avoid buying into weakening trends or even entering short trades.
Meaning:
Found in uptrends; signals potential bearish reversal, with sustained selling pressure often marking the start of a downtrend.
EVENING DOJI STAR
What is the Evening Doji Star pattern?
The Evening Doji Star is similar to the Evening Star, but with a doji as the middle candle, highlighting greater indecision. This pattern consists of a bullish candle, a doji, and a bearish candle, indicating a shift from bullish to bearish sentiment. The doji suggests that buyers are losing control, with sellers prepared to reverse the trend.
Understanding Evening Doji Stars allows traders to recognize market tops, helping them avoid overextended trends.
Meaning:
Appears in uptrends; signals potential bearish reversal, as the doji suggests indecision, confirmed by strong selling on the third candle.
Welcome Back! Gold Trading Strategy & Key Zones to WatchIn this week’s welcome back video, I’m breaking down my updated approach to XAU/USD and how I plan to tackle the Gold markets in the coming days. After taking a short break, I’m back with fresh eyes and refined focus.
We’ll review current market structure, identify key liquidity zones, and outline the scenarios I’m watching for potential entries. Whether you’re day trading or swing trading gold, this breakdown will help you frame your week with clarity and confidence.
📌 Covered in this video:
My refreshed trading mindset after a break
Key support/resistance and liquidity zones
Market structure insights and setup conditions
What I’ll personally avoid this week
The “trap zones” that might catch retail traders off guard
🧠 Let’s focus on process over profits — welcome back, and let’s get to work.
Pending Orders Are Not Set in Stone – Context Still MattersIn a previous educational article, I explained why I almost never trade breakouts on Gold.
Too many fakeouts. Too many emotional traps.
Instead, I stick to what works:
• ✅ Buying dips
• ✅ Selling rallies
But even these entries — placed with pending orders — are not automatic.
Because in real trading, price is not just a number — it’s a narrative.
And if the story changes, so should the trade.
________________________________________
🎯 The Setup – Buy the Dip Around 3400
Let’s take a real example from yesterday.
In my analysis, I mentioned I would look to buy dips near 3400, a former resistance now acting as support.
Price dropped to 3405, just a few points above my pending buy at 3402.
We saw a clean initial bounce — confirming that short-term support was real.
But I missed the entry by 30 pips.
So far, so good.
But here’s the important part — what happened next changed everything.
________________________________________
🧠 The Rejection Shifted the Entire Story
The bounce from 3405 was immediately sold into at 3420, a newly formed short-term resistance (clearly visible on the 15-minute posted chart).
After that, price started falling again — heading back toward my pending order.
📌 At that point, I cancelled the order. Why?
Because the context had changed:
• Bulls had tried once — and failed at 3420
• Sellers were clearly active and waiting above
• A second drop into my level wouldn’t be a clean dip — it would be retest under pressure.
The market was no longer giving me a “buy the dip” setup.
It was showing me a failed recovery. That’s a very different trade.
________________________________________
💡 What If It Had Triggered?
Let’s imagine that price had hit 3402 first, triggering my order.
Then rebounded, failed at 3420, and started dropping again.
Even then, I wouldn’t hold blindly.
Once I saw the rejection at 3420, I would have understood:
The structure had shifted.
The bullish case is weakening.
Exit early — breakeven or small controlled loss.
________________________________________
🔁 Sequence > Level
This is the most important principle:
• ✅ First down, then up = healthy dip → shows buyers are still in control
• ❌ First up, then down = failed breakout → shows selling pressure is stronger
Two scenarios. Same price. Opposite meaning.
That’s why you should look for:
Not just where price goes — but how it gets there.
________________________________________
🔒 Pending Orders Are Conditional
Many traders treat pending orders like traps:
“Just let price come to my level, and I’m in.”, but you should refine a little
✅ Pending orders should be based on a conditional expectation
❌ Not a fixed belief that the zone must hold
If the market tells a different story, remove the order.
No ego. No drama. Just process.
________________________________________
📌 Final Thought
Trading isn’t just about catching a price.
It’s about understanding price behavior.
First down, then up = strength.
First up, then down = weakness.
Let the market show its hand — then decide if you want to play.
Disclosure: I am part of TradeNation's Influencer program and receive a monthly fee for using their TradingView charts in my analyses and educational articles.
Japanese Candlestick Cheat Sheet – Part Two- 2 candle patternsTwo-Candle Patterns That Signal Shifts in Sentiment
Single candles whisper…
But two candles talk to each other — and when they do, they often reveal the first signs of a reversal or continuation.
In this second part of the series, we go deeper.
From engulfings to haramis, tweezer tops to piercing lines — these patterns don’t just look good on charts… they capture the psychological tug-of-war between buyers and sellers.
Price doesn’t lie.
And two candles in a row can say: “Something just changed.”
Learn to spot them early. Learn to listen when the chart speaks.
This is Part Two of your practical guide to mastering candlestick formations.
BULLISH KICKER
Bias: Bullish
What is the Bullish Kicker pattern?
The Bullish Kicker forms when a strong bullish candle follows a bearish one with no overlap between the two, indicating a sudden shift in sentiment. This pattern is a powerful indicator of a reversal as buyers take control. The sharp contrast between the bearish and bullish candles reflects a dramatic shift in market psychology, where bears are caught off-guard and forced to cover their positions.
Bullish Kickers are rare but extremely telling, providing a clear signal that sentiment is favoring buyers. Recognizing such decisive patterns can be a game-changer.
Meaning:
Found after downtrends or sell-offs; suggests a sudden shift in sentiment, indicating strong buying interest and potential trend reversal.
BULLISH ENGULFING
Bias: Bullish
What is the Bullish Engulfing pattern?
The Bullish Engulfing pattern occurs when a large bullish candle fully engulfs the previous smaller bearish candle, signaling a potential trend reversal. This pattern highlights a moment when buyers overpower sellers, often marking the beginning of upward momentum. Psychologically, it suggests that buyer confidence is returning, and sellers are losing their grip.
For traders, understanding Bullish Engulfing patterns can provide crucial entry points into emerging trends. Learning to identify and trade such patterns is essential for capturing momentum and new trends.
Meaning:
Typically found in downtrends, this pattern signals a potential bullish reversal as buyers overpower sellers, often indicating a shift toward upward momentum.
BULLISH HARAMI
Bias: Bullish
What is the Bullish Harami pattern?
The Bullish Harami consists of a small bullish candle within a preceding larger bearish one, indicating a pause in downward momentum and hinting at a potential reversal. This pattern shows that sellers are beginning to weaken as buyers cautiously test the waters. The Harami reflects a shift in sentiment from bearish to neutral, often marking a transitional phase in the market.
Interpreting the Bullish Harami helps traders spot moments when sentiment is shifting, potentially signaling the start of a trend change.
Meaning:
Seen in downtrends, it suggests indecision, with possible bullish reversal if the following candles confirm buying strength, indicating a weakening bearish trend.
PIERCING LINE
Bias: Bullish
What is the Piercing Line pattern?
The Piercing Line forms when a bullish candle opens below the previous bearish candle’s low but closes over halfway into it. Found in downtrends, this pattern reflects strong buying pressure as buyers step in at lower prices, creating a potential bullish reversal. The Piercing Line pattern suggests that sentiment may be shifting as buyers gain confidence.
This pattern’s strength lies in its psychological impact, revealing moments when buyers are willing to take risks. Recognizing these signs early can provide valuable insights for traders looking to time entries.
Meaning :
Found in downtrends, this pattern suggests a possible bullish reversal if buying continues, as sellers lose control to buyers.
TWEEZER BOTTOM
Bias: Bullish
What is the Tweezer Bottom pattern?
The Tweezer Bottom pattern is characterized by two consecutive candles with nearly identical lows, one bearish and one bullish. This pattern often signals the end of a downtrend, as the matching lows suggest a strong support level where buyers are stepping in. The Tweezer Bottom highlights market psychology at work, with sellers unable to push prices lower, reflecting renewed buying interest.
Tweezer Bottoms are ideal for traders looking to identify support zones and potential reversal points. By understanding this pattern’s significance, traders can make informed decisions.
Meaning:
Found in downtrends, it signals potential reversal, showing strong support at the matching low, suggesting buyers are stepping in.
BEARISH KICKER
Bias: Bearish
What is the Bearish Kicker pattern?
The Bearish Kicker is the inverse of the Bullish Kicker, forming when a strong bearish candle follows a bullish one without overlap, indicating a sharp sentiment shift. This pattern often marks a sudden reversal, with sellers taking control after an initial bullish period. Psychologically, Bearish Kickers are powerful, signaling that buyers are caught off-guard and losing momentum.
Recognizing Bearish Kickers provides traders with insights into sudden shifts in market dynamics, helping them avoid buying into weakening trends.
Meaning:
Found after uptrends; indicates a sudden sentiment shift, signaling potential trend reversal and intensified selling pressure.
BEARISH ENGULFING
Bias: Bearish
What is the Bearish Engulfing pattern?
The Bearish Engulfing pattern forms when a large bearish candle engulfs the previous smaller bullish candle, suggesting a potential reversal in an uptrend. This pattern signals that sellers have regained control, often marking the start of downward momentum. The Bearish Engulfing reveals a psychological shift, as selling pressure overtakes buying interest.
This pattern is a powerful tool for traders who aim to catch trend reversals, allowing them to align with emerging downward momentum.
Meaning:
Typically found in uptrends, this pattern signals a potential bearish reversal as sellers overpower buyers, often indicating a downward momentum shift.
BEARISH HARAMI
Bias: Bearish
What is the Bearish Harami pattern?
The Bearish Harami consists of a small bearish candle contained within a larger preceding bullish one, reflecting indecision and a potential trend reversal. Found in uptrends, it hints that buyers are losing strength, while sellers are cautiously testing the market. This pattern highlights moments when buyer momentum begins to wane, suggesting caution.
Interpreting the Bearish Harami allows traders to spot potential shifts in sentiment, helping them manage risk and time their exits.
Meaning:
Seen in uptrends, it suggests indecision with a potential bearish reversal if following candles confirm, indicating a weakening bullish trend.
DARK CLOUD COVER
Bias: Bearish
What is the Dark Cloud Cover pattern?
The Dark Cloud Cover appears when a bearish candle opens above the previous bullish candle but closes over halfway into it, reflecting a shift in control from buyers to sellers. This pattern suggests that bullish momentum may be fading, hinting at a potential reversal. Dark Cloud Cover patterns reveal moments when sentiment shifts from optimism to caution.
For traders, understanding this pattern helps them anticipate reversals at the top of uptrends.
Meaning:
Found in uptrends; signals potential bearish reversal if selling continues, as buyers lose control to sellers.
TWEEZER TOP
Bias: Bearish
W hat is the Tweezer Top pattern?
The Tweezer Top is formed by two candles with matching or nearly matching highs, typically one bullish and one bearish. This pattern signals potential resistance, as sellers are consistently pushing back against the same level. The Tweezer Top reflects a moment of seller strength, often marking the end of an uptrend.
Recognizing Tweezer Tops helps traders spot resistance zones and potential reversal points, allowing them to avoid buying into weakening trends or even shorting the asset.
Meaning:
Found in uptrends, it signals potential reversal, showing strong resistance at the matching high, suggesting selling pressure.
🧭 Final Thought
Two-candle formations often appear at key turning points — right where most traders hesitate or get trapped.
Learn to read them not just as patterns, but as conversations between candles — one pushing, the other reacting.
And if this is your first time reading the series, don’t miss Part One – where we covered single-candle signals like dojis, hammers, and marubozus — the very foundations of candlestick reading.
How to Trade Doji Candles on TradingViewLearn to identify and trade doji candlestick patterns using TradingView's charting tools in this comprehensive tutorial from Optimus Futures. Doji candles are among the most significant candlestick formations because they signal market indecision and can help you spot potential trend reversal opportunities.
What You'll Learn:
• Understanding doji candlestick patterns and their significance in market analysis
• How to identify valid doji formations
• The psychology behind doji candles: when buyers and sellers fight to a draw
• Using volume analysis to confirm doji pattern validity
• Finding meaningful doji patterns at trend highs and lows for reversal setups
• Timeframe considerations for doji analysis on any chart period
• Step-by-step trading strategy for doji reversal setups
• How to set stop losses and profit targets
• Real example using E-Mini S&P 500 futures on 60-minute charts
This tutorial may help futures traders and technical analysts who want to use candlestick patterns to identify potential trend reversals. The strategies covered could assist you in creating straightforward reversal setups when market indecision appears at key price levels.
Learn more about futures trading with Tradingview: optimusfutures.com
Disclaimer:
There is a substantial risk of loss in futures trading. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Please trade only with risk capital. We are not responsible for any third-party links, comments, or content shared on TradingView. Any opinions, links, or messages posted by users on TradingView do not represent our views or recommendations. Please exercise your own judgment and due diligence when engaging with any external content or user commentary.
This video represents the opinion of Optimus Futures and is intended for educational purposes only. Chart interpretations are presented solely to illustrate objective technical concepts and should not be viewed as predictive of future market behavior. In our opinion, charts are analytical tools—not forecasting instruments. Market conditions are constantly evolving, and all trading decisions should be made independently, with careful consideration of individual risk tolerance and financial objectives.
Volume Gaps and Liquidity Zones: Finding Where Price Wants to GoDifficulty: 🐳🐳🐳🐋🐋 (Intermediate+)
This article is best suited for traders familiar with volume profile, liquidity concepts, and price structure. It blends practical trading setups with deeper insights into how price seeks inefficiency and liquidity.
🔵 INTRODUCTION
Ever wonder why price suddenly accelerates toward a level — like it's being magnetized? It’s not magic. It’s liquidity . Markets move toward areas where orders are easiest to fill, and they often avoid areas with little interest.
In this article, you’ll learn how to identify volume gaps and liquidity zones using volume profiles and price action. These tools help you anticipate where price wants to go next — before it gets there.
🔵 WHAT ARE VOLUME GAPS?
A volume gap is a price region with unusually low traded volume . When price enters these areas, it often moves quickly — there’s less resistance.
Think of a volume gap as a thin patch of ice on a frozen lake. Once the market steps on it, it slides across rapidly.
Volume gaps usually show up on:
Volume Profile
Fixed Range Volume tools
Session or custom volume zones
They’re often created during impulsive moves or news events — when price skips levels without building interest.
🔵 WHAT ARE LIQUIDITY ZONES?
Liquidity zones are price areas where a large number of orders are likely to be sitting — stop losses, limit entries, or liquidation levels.
These zones often form around:
Swing highs and lows
Order blocks or fair value gaps
Consolidation breakouts
Psychological round numbers
When price approaches these areas, volume often spikes as those orders get filled — causing sharp rejections or breakouts.
🔵 WHY THIS MATTERS TO TRADERS
Markets are driven by liquidity.
Price doesn’t just move randomly — it hunts liquidity, clears inefficiencies, and fills orders.
Your edge: By combining volume gaps (low resistance) with liquidity zones (target areas), you can forecast where price wants to go .
Volume gap = acceleration path
Liquidity zone = destination / reversal point
🔵 HOW TO TRADE THIS CONCEPT
1️⃣ Identify Volume Gaps
Use a visible range volume profile or session volume. Look for tall bars (high interest) and valleys (low interest).
2️⃣ Mark Liquidity Zones
Use swing highs/lows, OBs, or EQH/EQL (equal highs/lows). These are magnet areas for price.
3️⃣ Watch for Reactions
When price enters a gap, expect speed.
When it nears a liquidity zone, watch for:
Volume spike
Wick rejections
S/R flip or OB retest
🔵 EXAMPLE SCENARIO
A strong bearish move creates a volume gap between 103 000 – 96 000
Below 96 000 sits bullish order blocks — clear liquidity
Price enters the gap and slides fast toward 96 000
A wick forms as buyers step in, volume spikes — the reversal begins
That’s price filling inefficiency and tapping liquidity .
🔵 TIPS FOR ADVANCED TRADERS
Use higher timeframes (4H/1D) to define major gaps
Look for overlapping gaps across sessions (Asia → London → NY)
Align your trades with trend: gap-fills against trend are riskier
Add OB or VWAP as confirmation near liquidity zones
🔵 CONCLUSION
Understanding volume gaps and liquidity zones is like reading the market’s intention map . Instead of reacting, you start predicting. Instead of chasing, you’re waiting for price to come to your zone — with a plan.
Price always seeks balance and liquidity . Your job is to spot where those forces are hiding.
Have you ever traded a volume gap into liquidity? Share your setup below
5 Proven Tricks to Trade Without FOMO After Missing Your TriggerYo traders! In this video, I’m breaking down what to do if you miss a trading trigger , so you can stay calm , avoid FOMO , and still catch the next move. We’re diving into five solid strategies to re-enter the market without losing your cool:
Buy on the pullback zone.
Buy with an engulfing candle after a pullback.
Buy after breaking the resistance formed by the pullback.
Buy after the second wave with an indecision candle.
Buy after breaking a major resistance post-second wave, confirmed by RSI or momentum oscillators.
These tips are all about keeping your trades smart and your head in the game. For more on indecision candles, check out this lesson . Wanna master breakout trading? Here’s the breakout trading guide . Drop your thoughts in the comments, boost if you vibe with it, and let’s grow together! 😎
Congestion Action vs Congestion Exit – Mastering the TransitionWhen markets go quiet and churn sideways, it’s easy to get lost in the noise. But inside that congestion lies opportunity — if you understand the difference between "Congestion Action" and "Congestion Exit." Here’s how to apply Drummond Geometry to trade these phases with precision:
🔹 Congestion Action
Congestion action is when the market is not ready to trend — it's swinging back and forth within a defined range, between a strong block level and a well-established dotted line. Think of it as a "resting zone" before the next directional move.
📏 Original Confines: Highest high and lowest low after a congestion entrance as shown on the chart
🚧 Expanded Confines: Price temporarily breaks out of the range but doesn’t establish a trend (3 closes on the came side of the PLdot (blue line)).
🧲 This is where scalpers and range traders thrive. Look for setups near envelope confines and use nearby energy fields.
✅ Trade Plan: Play the range — buy support, sell resistance — until proven otherwise.
🔸 Congestion Exit
This is when the market transitions from ranging to trending — a trend run begins from within the congestion zone.
🚀 First bar of a new trend closes outside the congestion confines (either the block level (highest high on the chart) or the dotted line (the low on the chart)).
📊 The next bar must confirm with a trend run close — if not, it’s a failed breakout. You can see on the chart that price tried to trend lower but the trend was not confirmed!
⚡ Patterns to watch:
Energy pushing in the direction of the exit (PL Dot push, c-wave continuation).
6-1 lines against the breakout direction disappear.(Not visible in this version)
Resistance/support against the exit breaks.
✅ Trade Plan: Enter on breakout confirmation, not just the breakout bar. Measure energy and watch the follow-through.
🧭 Tip:
Don't get faked out. If price re-enters congestion after a breakout, re-draw the boundaries — the old congestion is no longer valid.
🔥 Bottom Line:
Congestion Action is where the market breathes. Congestion Exit is where it moves. Mastering the handoff between the two gives you a decisive edge.