Smart Money Concepts · video notesVideo 1 · ▶ Open video

How smart money moves the market

The full sequence in the right order: structure, liquidity, volume, zones, imbalances, traps, and finally full chart execution. Each part builds on the one before, so read from the top.

Interactive market charts · sources and timeframes shown on each chart.

24 Video 2 notes · 24 new diagrams2 source videos · Video 2: notes through 4:1823 daily types · 11 daily setups · bias workflow 2:38:17 Video 1 13 parts 119 figures Video 1 · “17 Years Into ONE Smart Money Concepts Trading Course”
How to read

Video-derived notes use labelled Video 1 or Video 2 timestamp links. Convention marks an authored extension; all candle drawings are independently constructed schematics.

Abbreviations

OB – order block · FVG – fair value gap · BOS – break of structure · CHoCH – change of character · BSL/SSL – buy-side/sell-side liquidity · HTF/LTF – higher/lower time frame

Choose a learning path

Beginner

Structure → liquidity → zone → confirmation.

1 → 2 → 3 → 4 → 5 → 6 → 7 → 8

Practitioner

Setup → top-down → daily → review.

8 → 12 → 13 → Practice

NQ day trader

Time and contract → AMD/SMT → daily → plan.

Time → AMD / SMT → Multi-TF → Plan

1Market structure Video 1 · ▶ 0:22

First: which side of the market has control

After this module: distinguish swings, BOS and CHoCH.

Prerequisites: None; start here. Reading time ~20 min

Practice: 0 / 4

Read the drawing

Green candles = upward close; terracotta candles = downward close. Zones carry their own named role; orange = FVG, neutral grey = reference or liquidity. Liquidity uses a dashed line with an end pill. Target is explicitly labelled; its colour follows its named direction. On Daily drawings, green A = primary path, terracotta B = alternative or invalidation; read the letter and label.

We use sweep throughout; grab and stop hunt are synonyms. MSS requires ICT displacement; CHoCH is the first opposing completed close-break of the selected structural swing. Raid, grab, stop hunt and clear-out mean sweep; a run accepts prices beyond the boundary.

Open the review desk, glossary and templates

Before you look for an entry you need direction. It comes from external structure direction (the big picture), trend (the current phase) and how the two line up.

external structure direction: the external swings

Video 1 · ▶ 0:27

external structure direction refers to the external swing points of the market – the key turning points where price changes direction. To see them, zoom out: pick a higher time frame and mark the significant highs and lows. These are your external structure points.

Lower highs and lower lows describe bearish external structure; higher highs and higher lows describe bullish external structure. These are observable swing sequences.

Bearish and bullish order flowBTCUSDT · 1h · Binance · UTCBOS109200.0116400.02025-10-27 07:00 – 2025-10-29 18:00 UTCTradingView
Bearish and bullish order flowBTCUSDT · 1h · Binance · UTCBOS83500.088127.642025-11-22 01:00 – 2025-11-24 12:00 UTCTradingView
On the left, lower highs and lower lows lead to another bearish structure break. On the right, higher highs and higher lows lead to another bullish structure break.
Rule

Use the selected external structure direction as context. At a preselected area of interest (POI), wait for a completed trigger and name the opposing cancellation boundary. Video 1 · ▶ 1:35

Multiple time frames

External swings on a lower time frame are often internal structure on a higher one. Example: read the trend on the 4h, drop to the 15m for entries, and take only bearish 15m setups that align with bearish 4h external structure direction. Video 1 · ▶ 2:19

Trend and fractal alignment

Video 1 · ▶ 3:09

Trend is the direction of price over a specific period, identified by the internal swing points on a lower time frame. external structure direction is the big-picture direction from the external swings. The internal direction makes up the external direction – a fractal, where the smaller parts build the larger whole.

Typical case: daily external structure direction is bearish (LL/LH), but the 1h trend is making HH/HL. That happens when external structure direction is pulling back – after a new low, price often gravitates up to collect more orders before continuing. During this process the lower time frame trend differs from the higher one.

Fractal alignment between daily and 1hBTCUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTC75700.097924.492025-12-24 00:00 – 2026-02-01 00:00 UTCTradingView
Fractal alignment between daily and 1hBTCUSDT · 1h · Binance · UTCCHOCH75719.985638.32026-01-29 16:00 – 2026-02-01 03:00 UTCTradingView
The daily chart on the left retains lower swing highs and lows while the hourly chart on the right initially rallies. Both panels show the same instrument and overlapping dates; the hourly close below the dashed higher low marks its turn back toward the daily direction.
Rule

At a preselected POI, compare the external structures: daily bearish with 1h LL/LH, or 4h bullish with 15m HH/HL. Aligned closes select the direction to examine; the entry still needs its own trigger. Video 1 · ▶ 5:06

Break of structure (BOS)

Video 1 · ▶ 5:46
Bullish break of structureETHUSDT · 1h · Binance · UTCBOS2021.52174.792026-04-05 04:00 – 2026-04-07 00:00 UTCTradingView
Follow the successive higher highs and higher lows into the dashed swing high. The first close above that high marks bullish BOS, followed by a further advance.

BOS · step-through

  1. Read ETHUSDT · 1h · Binance in UTC.
  2. Follow the successive higher highs and higher lows into the dashed swing high.
  3. The first close above that high marks bullish BOS, followed by a further advance.

When price breaks above the most recent swing high and closes above it, that’s a break of structure to the upside: the old structure is broken and a new swing high is in place. Same to the downside with a close below a swing low.

BOS describes a completed close beyond a selected swing in the prevailing direction. A subsequent failed retest and opposing CHoCH can cancel that continuation hypothesis.

In short: a break above the previous higher high in an uptrend, or below the lower low in a downtrend.

Change of character (CHoCH)

Video 1 · ▶ 6:53
Change of character from bearish to bullishBTCUSDT · 1h · Binance · UTCCHOCH106666.69114000.02025-10-21 09:00 – 2025-10-23 20:00 UTCTradingView
Follow the decline into the 22 October low, then the rally through the dashed lower high at 109,163.88. The 23 October 06:00 UTC close marks CHoCH of this larger downswing; the earlier break of a smaller recovery high is internal structure. Price then forms a higher low and rallies to a higher high on the right.

CHoCH · step-through

  1. Read BTCUSDT · 1h · Binance in UTC.
  2. Follow the decline into the 22 October low, then the rally through the dashed lower high at 109,163.88.
  3. Price then forms a higher low and rallies to a higher high on the right.

The market has been falling for some time, then suddenly breaks above the selected lower high with a completed close. Buyers have finally gained the upper hand – a potential trend reversal.

Watch what happens next: if price keeps making HH/HL, you have transitioned into an uptrend.

In an uptrend, a CHoCH is a break below the selected higher low with a completed close; if LL/LH follow, the market is now in a downtrend. Video 1 · ▶ 7:52

Premium and discount

Video 1 · ▶ 8:14

The distance between a swing high and a swing low is a price swing (price wave). Apply a Fibonacci retracement to it: anything above 50% is premium, anything below 50% is discount.

Look for short setups in premium and long setups in discount. Require the entry confirmation at the mapped area.

Premium and discount zones around 50%BTCUSDT · 1h · Binance · UTCPremiumDiscount98944.36104842.632025-11-04 11:00 – 2025-11-06 22:00 UTCTradingView
The confirmed swing low and high define this dealing range; the boundary between the shaded halves is its 50% midpoint at 101,739.55. Trace the later pullback into green discount below that boundary and compare it with red premium above.

Mark the chart · bos

Mark the first candle closing above the selected high.

Bullish break of structureBar 1: O 21, H 23, L 16, C 19.2096Bar 2: O 18, H 27, L 16, C 24.4473Bar 3: O 25, H 27, L 20, C 22.0784Bar 4: O 22, H 33, L 20, C 28.0686Bar 5: O 31, H 33, L 25, C 27.6445Bar 6: O 27, H 40, L 25, C 35.6694Bar 7: O 38, H 40, L 31, C 33.718Bar 8: O 33, H 47, L 31, C 45Bar 9: O 45, H 47, L 37, C 41.3722Bar 10: O 39, H 53, L 37, C 50.5198Bar 11: O 51, H 53, L 44, C 45.8242Bar 12: O 46, H 59, L 44, C 54.56171BOS closePrior swing highBullish break of structureBar 1: O 21, H 23, L 16, C 19.2096Bar 2: O 18, H 27, L 16, C 24.4473Bar 3: O 25, H 27, L 20, C 22.0784Bar 4: O 22, H 33, L 20, C 28.0686Bar 5: O 31, H 33, L 25, C 27.6445Bar 6: O 27, H 40, L 25, C 35.6694Bar 7: O 38, H 40, L 31, C 33.718Bar 8: O 33, H 47, L 31, C 45Bar 9: O 45, H 47, L 37, C 41.3722Bar 10: O 39, H 53, L 37, C 50.5198Bar 11: O 51, H 53, L 44, C 45.8242Bar 12: O 46, H 59, L 44, C 54.56171BOS closePrior swinghigh

Choose a location on the chart.

Answer and source figure

Candle 8: O 33, H 47, L 31, C 45. Its completed close and wick locate the event. Compare figure 3.

Mark the chart · choch

Mark the first opposing close-break in this bearish sequence.

Bearish to bullish change of characterBar 1: O 60, H 62, L 55, C 58.5762Bar 2: O 57, H 59, L 45, C 50.8618Bar 3: O 47, H 54, L 45, C 50.3315Bar 4: O 52, H 54, L 37, C 41.7077Bar 5: O 39, H 47, L 37, C 44.5192Bar 6: O 45, H 47, L 28, C 37.1322Bar 7: O 30, H 38, L 28, C 33.918Bar 8: O 36, H 38, L 22, C 25.2175Bar 9: O 24, H 44, L 22, C 37.2383Bar 10: O 42, H 52, L 40, C 50Bar 11: O 50, H 52, L 43, C 46.6217Bar 12: O 45, H 63.8303, L 43, C 61.30351CHoCHLH / LLBearish to bullish change ofcharacterBar 1: O 60, H 62, L 55, C 58.5762Bar 2: O 57, H 59, L 45, C 50.8618Bar 3: O 47, H 54, L 45, C 50.3315Bar 4: O 52, H 54, L 37, C 41.7077Bar 5: O 39, H 47, L 37, C 44.5192Bar 6: O 45, H 47, L 28, C 37.1322Bar 7: O 30, H 38, L 28, C 33.918Bar 8: O 36, H 38, L 22, C 25.2175Bar 9: O 24, H 44, L 22, C 37.2383Bar 10: O 42, H 52, L 40, C 50Bar 11: O 50, H 52, L 43, C 46.6217Bar 12: O 45, H 63.8303, L 43, C 61.30351CHoCHLH / LL

Choose a location on the chart.

Answer and source figure

Candle 10: O 42, H 52, L 40, C 50. Its completed close and wick locate the event. Compare figure 4.

Decision practice · module 1

1. A wick crosses the prior high, but the body closes below it. Label BOS?
Answer and reasoning

Wait for a completed close above the high — The marked structure event uses a close; a wick tests liquidity. Figure 3.

2. The downtrend closes above its last lower high. What changes first?
Answer and reasoning

CHoCH identifies the first opposing close-break — The first opposing structural break changes character; later aligned breaks are BOS. Figure 4.

3. Daily is bearish while 1h rallies. Which direction governs the map?
Answer and reasoning

Keep the Daily map and inspect the rally as a correction — Separate the directional frame from the entry frame. Figure 2.

4. Price is below the midpoint. Is a long ready?
Answer and reasoning

Locate a POI and wait for a trigger — Location selects where to investigate; a trigger selects when. Figure 5.

Select answers to record your score.

Reference terms

POI (point of interest) is a preselected area where the trigger will be sought. A dealing range is the selected low–high interval; equilibrium is its arithmetic midpoint. Acceptance is a completed outside close followed by a held retest. Use the reference scales explicitly. Smart money is an explanatory composite-operator model; price alone does not identify intent.

2Liquidity Video 1 · ▶ 9:55

Price moves to where the orders are

After this module: map liquidity boundaries.

Prerequisites: Module 1. Reading time ~21 min

Practice: 0 / 4

Direction alone is not enough, because the market does not move in a straight line. Price moves toward areas where traders have stops, breakout orders and emotional entries.

What liquidity is

Video 1 · ▶ 10:13

Liquidity describes the ability to transact against available orders. A large order may move price in a thin market and incur slippage; OHLC alone does not identify its owner or execution cost.

Visible highs and lows are candidate locations for conditional orders. A breach, close and subsequent retest distinguish acceptance from rejection.

At a mapped boundary, price can reject, pause or continue. Record which side the completed close accepts; a chart alone leaves the participants’ intentions unobserved. Video 1 · ▶ 12:03

Three sizes of liquidity pool

Video 1 · ▶ 11:22
Major poolsHighs and lows of longer time frames – weekly, monthly, even yearly charts. Many traders watch them.
Medium poolsShorter time frames such as 1h. Significant, but smaller.
Minor pools1-minute and 5-minute charts. Matter only to very short-term traders.

Nine liquidity zones and how smart money uses them

Video 1 · ▶ 12:52
01Structural highs and lows. Traders put stops just beyond them. The more obvious the swing, the more attention it gets.
02Trend lines. Breaking a long-standing line triggers a cascade of stops.
03Equal highs and lows. Double-top shorts keep stops just above the equal highs.
04Session ranges. Asian, London and New York highs and lows.
05Previous day’s high/low. Buy orders just above yesterday’s high.
06Previous week’s high/low. Swing and position traders’ stops and entries.
07Supply and demand zones. Resting limit orders – why so many zones fail in reality.
08Fair value gaps. A return can traverse the whole gap. A gap can be crossed; wait for the selected trigger.
09Round numbers. Levels ending in 0 or 00; orders sit just above and below.
Stops swept below the swing lowBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCSSLsweep101400.0102482.22025-11-08 12:15 – 2025-11-09 04:45 UTCTradingView
Look at the wick below the blue swing-low reference and its close back above SSL. The next candles rally away from that low; a later close below the same reference shows that the rejection was temporary.
Rule

Don’t draw liquidity zones all over your chart. Focus on the most important ones – too many zones make the analysis confusing. Video 1 · ▶ 21:39

Journal

Watch the reaction: sharp reversal, pause and continue, or blow-through? Log which zone types work in which conditions and instruments. Video 1 · ▶ 21:50

Buy-side, sell-side and inducement

Video 1 · ▶ 22:28

Inducement is a model interpretation of a failed continuation near a mapped liquidity boundary. Triggered orders can meet opposing entry or exit orders; price alone does not identify the participants.

Buy-side liquidity is often mapped above highs: sellers’ stop-losses and buyers’ buy-stop orders may add buying when triggered. A price breakout alone does not establish which orders traded. Sell-side liquidity sits below lows: buyers’ stop-losses and sellers’ sell-stop orders.

Repeated lows can define a sell-side reference. A later breach can activate conditional sell orders; the recovery and structural close determine the next hypothesis. Video 1 · ▶ 23:49

Buy-side and sell-side liquidityBTCUSDT · 1h · Binance · UTCBSLSSL93005.5596635.112025-11-15 04:00 – 2025-11-17 15:00 UTCTradingView
The blue BSL line marks a prior swing high, while SSL marks the later swing low below it. Subsequent closes cross both boundaries; these are candidate locations for conditional orders, while the candles alone do not identify the orders that traded.

How liquidity and structure interact

Video 1 · ▶ 24:48
Liquidity creates structureA level with lots of buy orders becomes support; repeated bounces make it part of the structure.
Structure attracts liquidityOrders gather around trend lines and old highs/lows – a feedback loop.
Breaks drain liquidityA key break triggers a surge of activity and temporarily drains other areas.
Liquidity flows with structureIn an uptrend more liquidity clusters above price as traders anticipate higher prices.
Structure predicts liquidityAfter a series of higher lows, expect liquidity below each of them.
Liquidity confirms structureIf price breaks easily through a level that should be liquidity-rich, structure may be changing.

Price moves toward liquidity, but within the constraints of the larger structure. Both change over time – last week’s key level may not matter now. The most significant areas are where structural levels align with high liquidity. Video 1 · ▶ 27:40

Before a structural shift, a failed continuation can leave stops near the old boundary. Treat inducement as an interpretation of that sequence; confirm the breach, reclaim and opposing close-break. Video 1 · ▶ 28:02

The market cycle

Video 1 · ▶ 28:24
Accumulation, markup, distribution, markdownBTCUSDT · 1h · Binance · UTCBOS110166.0115652.892025-10-24 18:00 – 2025-10-27 05:00 UTCTradingView
Accumulation, markup, distribution, markdownBTCUSDT · 1h · Binance · UTCBOS94560.48105333.332025-11-12 03:00 – 2025-11-14 14:00 UTCTradingView
On the left, an overlapping base gives way to upward expansion, a price sequence commonly described as accumulation and markup. On the right, a base gives way to downward expansion, commonly described as distribution and markdown; participant inventories remain unobserved.

Tools for spotting liquidity

Video 1 · ▶ 29:24
VolumeSimplest and most effective. Volume spikes point to liquidity events.
Market depthPending buy and sell orders at each price.
Time & salesReal-time trades; large prints or clusters at a price.
Order flow indicatorsBalance of buying vs selling pressure.
Volume profileWhere most trading happened – high-liquidity zones.

None of these show liquidity directly – they show things related to it. You still have to interpret them, combined with structure and price action. Video 1 · ▶ 30:32

Order flow concepts: volume clusters (orders stacked at a price = liquidity pools), absorption (a level soaks up many orders without moving = high liquidity) and imbalances between buy and sell orders, which create or drain liquidity. Video 1 · ▶ 31:20

Mark the chart · bsl

Mark the buy-side liquidity area above the highs.

Visible range: pools on both sidesBar 1: O 38, H 40, L 33, C 35.5989Bar 2: O 35, H 48, L 33, C 44.3011Bar 3: O 46, H 48, L 33.7794, C 36.9257Bar 4: O 36, H 48, L 34, C 42.5211Bar 5: O 46, H 48, L 34, C 38.1081Bar 6: O 36, H 47, L 34, C 44.2935Bar 7: O 45, H 47, L 32.3292, C 36.0503Bar 8: O 35, H 48, L 33, C 45.2111Bar 9: O 46, H 65.5023, L 44, C 62.0775Bar 10: O 62, H 64, L 40, C 42.2197Bar 11: O 42, H 44, L 26, C 33.9772Bar 12: O 28, H 30, L 18, C 22.4851BSLSSLVisible range: pools on bothsidesBar 1: O 38, H 40, L 33, C 35.5989Bar 2: O 35, H 48, L 33, C 44.3011Bar 3: O 46, H 48, L 33.7794, C 36.9257Bar 4: O 36, H 48, L 34, C 42.5211Bar 5: O 46, H 48, L 34, C 38.1081Bar 6: O 36, H 47, L 34, C 44.2935Bar 7: O 45, H 47, L 32.3292, C 36.0503Bar 8: O 35, H 48, L 33, C 45.2111Bar 9: O 46, H 65.5023, L 44, C 62.0775Bar 10: O 62, H 64, L 40, C 42.2197Bar 11: O 42, H 44, L 26, C 33.9772Bar 12: O 28, H 30, L 18, C 22.4851SSLBSL

Choose a location on the chart.

Answer and source figure

BSL: 48–53. Follow the two price boundaries to locate the interval. Compare figure 11.

Mark the chart · ssl

Mark the sell-side liquidity area below the lows.

Visible range: pools on both sidesBar 1: O 38, H 40, L 33, C 35.3069Bar 2: O 35, H 48, L 33, C 40.9917Bar 3: O 46, H 48, L 33.7794, C 34.5514Bar 4: O 36, H 48, L 34, C 43.6098Bar 5: O 46, H 48, L 34, C 38.0311Bar 6: O 36, H 47, L 34, C 43.3873Bar 7: O 45, H 47, L 32.3292, C 35.0249Bar 8: O 35, H 48, L 33, C 45.8101Bar 9: O 46, H 67.7416, L 44, C 66.3055Bar 10: O 62, H 64, L 40, C 48.0126Bar 11: O 42, H 44, L 26, C 31.2371Bar 12: O 28, H 30, L 18, C 21.5994SSLBSLVisible range: pools on bothsidesBar 1: O 38, H 40, L 33, C 35.3069Bar 2: O 35, H 48, L 33, C 40.9917Bar 3: O 46, H 48, L 33.7794, C 34.5514Bar 4: O 36, H 48, L 34, C 43.6098Bar 5: O 46, H 48, L 34, C 38.0311Bar 6: O 36, H 47, L 34, C 43.3873Bar 7: O 45, H 47, L 32.3292, C 35.0249Bar 8: O 35, H 48, L 33, C 45.8101Bar 9: O 46, H 67.7416, L 44, C 66.3055Bar 10: O 62, H 64, L 40, C 48.0126Bar 11: O 42, H 44, L 26, C 31.2371Bar 12: O 28, H 30, L 18, C 21.5994BSLSSL

Choose a location on the chart.

Answer and source figure

SSL: 28–33. Follow the two price boundaries to locate the interval. Compare figure 11.

Decision practice · module 2

1. Equal highs remain untouched. Where is buy-side liquidity mapped?
Answer and reasoning

Above the highs — Buy stops commonly cluster beyond visible highs. Figure 11.

2. One candle takes the Asian high; the immediately following candle closes back inside. Which event fits?
Answer and reasoning

Sweep with a close back inside — The return inside distinguishes the illustrated sweep from a run. Figure 9.

3. Price crosses SSL and continues closing below. Fade it immediately?
Answer and reasoning

Wait; the reclaim condition is absent — Taking a level alone does not complete the reversal sequence. Figure 6.

4. Which line should your sweep decision reference?
Answer and reasoning

The named prior extreme before the event — Choose the liquidity reference before interpreting its breach. Figure 8.

Select answers to record your score.

3Volume (Wyckoff) Video 1 · ▶ 32:00

What’s happening inside the move

After this module: compare candle high–low range and measured volume.

Prerequisites: Modules 1–2. Reading time ~7 min

Practice: 0 / 4

Liquidity tells you where price may be drawn. Once price gets there, volume tells you what is actually happening. The main idea is simple: volume should match price.

Effort versus result

Video 1 · ▶ 32:43

Wyckoff saw the market as a fight between buyers and sellers; volume shows who is winning. His law of effort versus result: the effort is volume, the result is the price change, and the two should match. Price alone can lie; price and volume provide separate observations – volume is a lie detector for price moves.

What you seeWhat it means
Big volume, big moveNormal – effort and result match
High volume, little price changeOften accumulation or distribution
Low volume, big moveFollow-through remains unresolved; confirm the next close and retest
Rising price, falling volumeThe uptrend is weakening

Spread and volume

Video 1 · ▶ 33:40

It’s not just whether volume is high or low – the spread (the bar’s high-to-low range) matters too. Wyckoff and later Tom Williams studied this relationship.

Wide spread + high volume upUpward price/volume expansion; check location and the next completed close.
Wide spread + high volume downDownward price/volume expansion; check location and the next completed close.
Narrow spread + low volumeOften consolidation.
Quality, not quantity

A day of steady buying differs from a day where all the volume comes in one spike. Read the quality of volume. Video 1 · ▶ 35:04

Be suspicious

A big move on low volume may be a failed boundary break followed by a reclaim. Real, sustainable moves come with solid volume. Video 1 · ▶ 34:47

Climax and test

Video 1 · ▶ 34:11
Selling climax and testBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCClimax lowClimaxTest62466.064894.02026-07-31 01:45 – 2026-07-31 19:00 UTCTradingView
Compare the wide red climax candle and its tall volume column with the later test near the blue low reference. The test has 19% of the climax volume and 27% of its price range; it holds above the climax low before price rebounds. The histogram shows aggregate traded volume, so the reversal remains a price-and-volume observation.

Divergences and volume patterns

Video 1 · ▶ 35:22
Price and volume divergenceBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCHigh 1High 1High 2High 264077.7665799.02026-07-20 11:30 – 2026-07-20 21:15 UTCTradingView
Compare High 1 at 15:45 UTC with the higher High 2 at 18:00 UTC, then align those times with the two marked volume columns. The second high rises from 65,666.80 to 65,799.00 while its candle volume falls to 27% of the first and its range falls to 55%. This local divergence supplies context; the subsequent decline is separate price confirmation.
Expanding volume in a rangeOften precedes a breakout. Direction unknown, but something big is cooking. Video 1 · ▶ 35:44
AccumulationHigh-volume down days that fail to push lower, then a surge up on even higher volume → markup begins. Video 1 · ▶ 35:58
DistributionHigh-volume up days that fail to push higher, then a plunge on even higher volume → markdown. Video 1 · ▶ 36:16
TimingIn a strong trend, wait for a pullback on lower volume – a lower-risk entry. Video 1 · ▶ 36:34
Rule

Volume often leads price: volume patterns change before price patterns, giving early warning of trend changes. Video 1 · ▶ 36:47

Premium / discount · reference scales

ScaleDraw itUse
Swing dealing rangeSelected swing low to swing high; midpoint = (high + low) / 2.Directional location: below is discount, above is premium. Module 1 · Figure 5
OB mean thresholdSelected origin candle’s full low to high; split its own range at 50%.Refinement inside the OB; the midpoint belongs to that candle. Module 4 · Figure 15
Daily PDH–PDLPrevious completed session low to high; midpoint = (PDH + PDL) / 2.Daily context using one explicit day boundary. Module 13 · Figure 100
4H dealing rangeExplicitly selected 4H low–high midpoint.Separate HTF location scale.
Day / week openAbove or below an opening price.Directional open reference; it is not the midpoint of the eventual range.
NWOG / NDOG CEMidpoint of the two stated session endpoint prices.Opening-gap scale, independent of the swing or daily midpoint.

Decision practice · module 3

1. Price makes a higher high while volume fades. Best next action?
Answer and reasoning

Inspect price confirmation at the POI — Divergence is context; structure supplies the decision trigger. Figure 14.

2. A high-volume sell candle is followed by a quiet return to its low. What compare?
Answer and reasoning

Spread and volume of the return against the climax — Effort and result must be compared at the same location. Figure 13.

3. You split an OB at 50% and call it Daily equilibrium. Correct?
Answer and reasoning

Keep OB midpoint and Daily midpoint separate — The reference scales use different endpoints. Figure 15.

4. A wide candle is visible, but volume is not supplied. What do you record?
Answer and reasoning

Wide price spread — Candle range measures price movement; volume needs its own data. Figure 14.

Select answers to record your score.

4Order blocks Video 1 · ▶ 37:01

Where price may react

After this module: select an OB and its invalidation.

Prerequisites: Modules 1–3. Reading time ~29 min

Practice: 0 / 4

You can read structure, liquidity and effort. You still need to know where price may react. Order blocks are the special candles that start big moves.

What an order block is and why it forms

Video 1 · ▶ 37:11

An order block is the selected last opposing candle before a qualifying departure. Its full high–low interval defines the origin zone used here. A later reaction is evaluated through the stated confirmation rule. Video 1 · ▶ 37:39

Bullish OB: price drops, then suddenly shoots up. Bearish OB: price climbs, then suddenly drops.

The opposing candle marks a visible price origin. A directional departure and completed structure break select it for study; the order inventory behind it is a model hypothesis. Video 1 · ▶ 38:35

Reality check

Order blocks aren’t magic bullets. On their own they don’t mean much – a return can close through the far boundary. They only work if you spot real liquidity. Video 1 · ▶ 40:01

Why price bounces

A completed close through the far side of the origin cancels its original role. A later retest from the accepted side can define a breaker. Video 1 · ▶ 40:25

A return to a bullish origin may attract new buying or closing shorts. Wait for the planned close confirmation; repeated tests can hold or fail. Video 1 · ▶ 41:12

Anatomy of an order block

Video 1 · ▶ 42:15
Bullish order block anatomyETHUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCOBOB 50%2008.652088.192026-03-10 06:45 – 2026-03-10 21:30 UTCTradingView
Look at the red origin candle at 14:00 UTC inside the green wick-range zone before displacement. Its mean threshold is 2,024.36, halfway between that candle's high and low; follow the later return into the same zone.
  1. Shape. Bullish: a move down, then price shooting up. Bearish: a climb, then a sudden drop. Not just any reversal – the last push, the last candle before the big move, the final gasp of the old trend.
  2. Mean threshold. A line through the middle (50%) of the OB candle – a premium/discount for the block. A strong bullish OB shouldn’t see price dip below it; a bearish one shouldn’t see price rise above it. Video 1 · ▶ 43:22
  3. Confirmation. A bullish OB is confirmed when a later candle trades through the high of the red candle; a bearish one when a candle trades through the low of the green candle. Video 1 · ▶ 44:05
  4. Location. Look for OBs at the market’s highs and lows – preselected reversal locations requiring a reclaim and shift. Video 1 · ▶ 44:34

Mitigation

Video 1 · ▶ 44:50

Mitigation here means price revisiting a mapped origin interval. A return can interact with resting orders, but OHLC does not reveal their owners, inventory or motive. Distinguish this retest from the separately defined ICT mitigation block. Video 1 · ▶ 45:14

Not every OB gets hit, and some get blown through. Which ones to trust? Look at nearby liquidity. If there’s a juicy pool of orders just beyond the OB, chances are good price comes back to hit it. Video 1 · ▶ 47:20

Some buy as soon as price touches the OB; others wait for signs mitigation is done – a rejection candle or a break of a small trend line. Video 1 · ▶ 48:09

Mitigation block vs breaker block

Video 1 · ▶ 48:25
Mitigation: lower high then origin failureBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCOld OBFirst highLower high63323.3464010.02026-08-12 23:15 – 2026-08-13 16:15 UTCTradingView
Breaker: new low then origin failureSOLUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCOld OBPrior lowNew low / sweep83.890.02026-04-16 06:30 – 2026-04-16 19:30 UTCTradingView
In the BTC panel, Lower high remains below First high before the old bullish origin fails at 11:15 UTC on 13 August and is retested from below at 12:30. In the SOL panel, New low / sweep raids Prior low before the old bearish origin fails; the later return tests its former bounds from above.

Breaker · step-through

  1. Read SOLUSDT · 15m · Binance in UTC.
  2. In the BTC panel, Lower high remains below First high before the old bullish origin fails at 11:15 UTC on 13 August and is retested from below at 12:30.
  3. In the SOL panel, New low / sweep raids Prior low before the old bearish origin fails; the later return tests its former bounds from above.

Why it matters

Here mitigation means a return to a mapped origin zone, also called a retest. The ICT mitigation-block variant is a failed origin without a prior liquidity sweep; a breaker is a failed origin retested from its newly accepted side after the sweep sequence. Video 1 · ▶ 49:37

Order blocks and structure breaks

Video 1 · ▶ 50:11

A bullish OB is a selected opposing origin candle before an upward displacement; a bearish OB uses the mirror definition. Require the mapped structural close-break and later retest rather than inferring a trend from the block alone. Video 1 · ▶ 51:02

Order block followed by a structure breakSOLUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCOBCHOCH121.36133.992025-12-17 06:45 – 2025-12-17 22:30 UTCTradingView
Look at the final green origin candle in the red OB zone before the selloff. The first close below the dashed swing low marks the opposing structural break; this example labels that first shift CHoCH.
Zoom out

Where is the block relative to the trend? With the trend – possible continuation. Against the trend – possible reversal. If price breaks through it with a strong move, that could be the start of a new trend. Video 1 · ▶ 52:07

Failed order block

Video 1 · ▶ 53:00
Failed order blockBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCFailed OB88833.6590600.02026-01-28 03:45 – 2026-01-28 18:30 UTCTradingView
The green zone marks the last down candle before the initial upward departure. Follow the return from the rally: a later candle closes below the entire origin range, invalidating this bullish block.
Time frames

OBs work on all time frames but are most powerful on higher ones – an hourly OB beats a 5-minute one. Find big OBs on the higher time frame, then zoom in for precise entries, like using a map and a GPS together. Video 1 · ▶ 53:31

High-quality order blocks: three parts

Video 1 · ▶ 56:21

A selected OB can be followed by an FVG: the last opposing candle marks the origin, while outer wicks of candles 1 and 3 delimit a separate uncovered interval. Map their overlap and require the planned trigger on a return. Video 1 · ▶ 54:06

  1. Liquidity sweep. Price moves fast to hit a bunch of orders – a brief boundary breach followed by a reclaim into thinking the trend will continue. Video 1 · ▶ 56:31
  2. Break in market structure. Behaviour changes. A new high or low must form from the OB. Video 1 · ▶ 56:51
  3. Fair value gap. Shows how fast and strong the move was. Video 1 · ▶ 57:15
High-quality bearish order blockBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCOBBOSPrior high92413.3196043.02025-11-17 09:00 – 2025-11-17 18:45 UTCTradingView
High-quality bearish order blockBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCFVG92413.3196043.02025-11-17 09:00 – 2025-11-17 18:45 UTCTradingView
The 14:30 UTC sweep wicks above Prior high and closes below it; the later red OB precedes the 16:00 bearish BOS. The same decline leaves a separate outer-wick FVG, whose shading ends at the first close above its upper edge at 16:45. That return also reaches the OB, which holds on closing prices before the renewed decline.
Reading it

The liquidity sweep breaches the selected extreme and reclaims it. The completed structure break selects the opposing direction, while a separate outer-wick FVG measures price displacement. Video 1 · ▶ 58:20

Choosing which order block to trade

Video 1 · ▶ 59:31
  • Prioritise OBs that align with the prevailing trend and sit within the most recent price swing.
  • In an uptrend, focus on bullish OBs inside the current upswing, not bearish OBs from earlier downswings.
  • When you find a high-quality block, wait for price to come back, then look for a reaction – a stall, or a small move and reversal.
  • Be realistic: not every OB leads to a good trade. Video 1 · ▶ 1:00:12

Mark the chart · bull-ob

Mark the last down-candle origin of the upward departure.

Bullish OB · last down candleBar 1: O 57, H 59, L 52, C 54.803Bar 2: O 54, H 56, L 47, C 49.6784Bar 3: O 49, H 51, L 41, C 42.663Bar 4: O 43, H 45, L 36, C 38.1983Bar 5: O 38, H 40, L 29, C 32.8037Bar 6: O 31, H 33, L 23, C 25Bar 7: O 25, H 42, L 23, C 40Bar 8: O 40, H 57, L 38, C 50.5217Bar 9: O 55, H 66, L 53, C 61.9157Bar 10: O 64, H 66, L 58, C 59.4658Bar 11: O 60, H 62, L 45, C 50.1244Bar 12: O 47, H 49, L 29, C 31Bar 13: O 31, H 46, L 29, C 44.3851Bar 14: O 44, H 62, L 42, C 57.0605Bar 15: O 60, H 72, L 58, C 68.6912123OB 50%Bullish OBDisplacementBullish OB · last down candleBar 1: O 57, H 59, L 52, C 54.803Bar 2: O 54, H 56, L 47, C 49.6784Bar 3: O 49, H 51, L 41, C 42.663Bar 4: O 43, H 45, L 36, C 38.1983Bar 5: O 38, H 40, L 29, C 32.8037Bar 6: O 31, H 33, L 23, C 25Bar 7: O 25, H 42, L 23, C 40Bar 8: O 40, H 57, L 38, C 50.5217Bar 9: O 55, H 66, L 53, C 61.9157Bar 10: O 64, H 66, L 58, C 59.4658Bar 11: O 60, H 62, L 45, C 50.1244Bar 12: O 47, H 49, L 29, C 31Bar 13: O 31, H 46, L 29, C 44.3851Bar 14: O 44, H 62, L 42, C 57.0605Bar 15: O 60, H 72, L 58, C 68.6912123OB 50%Bullish OBDisplacement

Choose a location on the chart.

Answer and source figure

Bullish OB: 23–33. Follow the two price boundaries to locate the interval. Compare figure 15.

Mark the chart · bear-ob

Mark the last up-candle origin of the downward departure.

Bearish OB · last up candleBar 1: O 33, H 38, L 31, C 35.0695Bar 2: O 36, H 43.2249, L 34, C 41.6773Bar 3: O 41, H 49, L 39, C 47.2252Bar 4: O 47, H 54, L 45, C 51.5838Bar 5: O 52, H 61, L 50, C 59.19Bar 6: O 59, H 67, L 57, C 65Bar 7: O 65, H 67, L 48, C 50Bar 8: O 50, H 52, L 33, C 37.8175Bar 9: O 35, H 37, L 23.4726, C 24.7979Bar 10: O 26, H 32, L 24, C 28.742Bar 11: O 30, H 45.3045, L 28, C 45.0464Bar 12: O 43, H 61, L 41, C 59Bar 13: O 59, H 61, L 44, C 47.8572Bar 14: O 46, H 48, L 28, C 30.8679Bar 15: O 30, H 32, L 17.5562, C 18.9227123OB 50%Bearish OBDisplacementBearish OB · last up candleBar 1: O 33, H 38, L 31, C 35.0695Bar 2: O 36, H 43.2249, L 34, C 41.6773Bar 3: O 41, H 49, L 39, C 47.2252Bar 4: O 47, H 54, L 45, C 51.5838Bar 5: O 52, H 61, L 50, C 59.19Bar 6: O 59, H 67, L 57, C 65Bar 7: O 65, H 67, L 48, C 50Bar 8: O 50, H 52, L 33, C 37.8175Bar 9: O 35, H 37, L 23.4726, C 24.7979Bar 10: O 26, H 32, L 24, C 28.742Bar 11: O 30, H 45.3045, L 28, C 45.0464Bar 12: O 43, H 61, L 41, C 59Bar 13: O 59, H 61, L 44, C 47.8572Bar 14: O 46, H 48, L 28, C 30.8679Bar 15: O 30, H 32, L 17.5562, C 18.9227123OB 50%Bearish OBDisplacement

Choose a location on the chart.

Answer and source figure

Bearish OB: 57–67. Follow the two price boundaries to locate the interval. Compare figure 16.

Decision practice · module 4

1. Which candle anchors the bullish origin zone?
Answer and reasoning

The last down candle before the departure — The origin is selected before displacement and the later return. Figure 15.

2. A bullish OB is closed through on the return. Keep the same long plan?
Answer and reasoning

Invalidate that plan — The original boundary defines cancellation. Figure 19.

3. A broken zone is retested from the other side. What must change?
Answer and reasoning

Its role and confirmation direction — A breaker requires the old zone to fail and be tested in the new role. Figure 17.

4. The same departure leaves an OB and FVG. What do you map?
Answer and reasoning

Both distinct boundaries and their overlap — An origin candle and a three-candle gap are separate objects. Figure 21.

Select answers to record your score.

Demand is a base before an upward departure; supply precedes a downward departure. A base can span several candles while an order block selects one opposing origin candle. Retest (mitigation in this course) means returning to a previously mapped interval. Displacement is directional expansion with a completed structural event.

5Fair value gaps & imbalances Video 1 · ▶ 1:00:17

Speed, displacement and unfinished business

After this module: measure the outer-wick FVG interval.

Prerequisites: Modules 1 and 4. Reading time ~17 min

Practice: 0 / 4

Order blocks show where price may react. Fair value gaps show something different: where price moved so fast it skipped levels – and where it often returns.

What a fair value gap is

Video 1 · ▶ 1:00:48

An FVG is the uncovered interval between the outer wicks of candles 1 and 3 in a three-candle sequence. A later return into that interval is a hypothesis used to plan a retest. For a bullish gap, candle 1 high is below candle 3 low; reverse the inequality for a bearish gap. Video 1 · ▶ 1:01:25

There are different gaps: opening gaps (module 9 separately defines the exact NWOG/NDOG session endpoints) and FVGs that form during trading. All show times the market moved fast and left prices untested – the market’s memory. Video 1 · ▶ 1:02:23

The elephant in the room

A gap alone is insufficient for entry. Select the HTF location, structural trigger and intended return depth first. Video 1 · ▶ 1:02:55

Spotting FVGs on your chart

Video 1 · ▶ 1:03:21
Bullish FVG: outer-wick non-overlapETHUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCFVG2297.592343.62026-05-02 14:00 – 2026-05-03 04:45 UTCTradingView
Bearish FVG: outer-wick non-overlapBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCFVG78202.080635.512026-05-04 02:30 – 2026-05-04 17:15 UTCTradingView
The bullish FVG spans the first outer high to the third outer low; the bearish FVG uses the first outer low and third outer high. Both shaded intervals stop at their first invalidating close, showing that a three-candle gap can later fail.

FVG · step-through

  1. Read BTCUSDT · 15m · Binance in UTC.
  2. The bullish FVG spans the first outer high to the third outer low; the bearish FVG uses the first outer low and third outer high.
  3. Both shaded intervals stop at their first invalidating close, showing that a three-candle gap can later fail.

Bullish gaps often show up at support; bearish gaps tend to form after a rise into resistance. Video 1 · ▶ 1:04:39

FVGs and market structure

Video 1 · ▶ 1:04:57
Bullish structureGaps form in strong up moves – buyers so eager they skipped levels. A sign of trend strength.
Bearish structureGaps form in sharp drops as sellers push so fast that levels get skipped.
Turning pointsIf price fills a gap and then reverses, it may signal continuation of the existing trend.
RangesIn ranging markets, FVGs can mark the edges of the range.

Time frames. Shorter time frames have more gaps with less significance – useful for scalping, but they fill fast. 4h and daily show fewer gaps that can influence price for days. Mark the zone on the higher time frame, fine-tune entry on the lower one; price is fractal. Video 1 · ▶ 1:07:14

Entering on an FVG

Video 1 · ▶ 1:08:28

A bullish gap return reaches its upper edge first; choose that edge, its 50% consequent encroachment (CE), or the lower edge explicitly. A complete fill is one possible return depth. Require the chosen confirmation at the selected depth. Video 1 · ▶ 1:09:51

Watch the return: clean, swift moves through the gap suggest more movement in that direction; choppy, slow action means the level is heavily contested. Video 1 · ▶ 1:11:33

Bullish setupWait for price to return to the lower edge of the gap. A bounce there can be the long entry. Video 1 · ▶ 1:11:51
Bearish setupWait for price at the upper edge. If it struggles to break above, consider a short. Video 1 · ▶ 1:12:03
Candle confirmationA bullish engulfing at the lower edge = strong buying. A long wick at the upper edge of a bearish gap = selling pressure. Video 1 · ▶ 1:12:27

FVG + break of structure

Video 1 · ▶ 1:12:49

BOS is a completed close beyond the selected swing in the prevailing direction. An accompanying FVG is a separate displacement filter, not a condition for the BOS definition. Video 1 · ▶ 1:13:59

FVG inside a break of structureBTCUSDT · 1h · Binance · UTCBOSFVG88608.093836.012025-11-18 03:00 – 2025-11-20 14:00 UTCTradingView
Follow the lower highs and lows into the first completed close below the dashed prior swing low. The red FVG forms in the same bearish displacement, between the first and third outer wicks; it is a separate filter alongside the BOS. The later return enters the gap and then closes above its upper edge at 23:00 UTC on 19 November, ending the shaded zone rather than confirming a lasting rejection.
  1. The structure break is clean and strong.
  2. The FVG forms right where structure breaks.
  3. Price moves away quickly after creating the gap. Video 1 · ▶ 1:14:47
Rule

Don’t chase the initial move. The best trades come when price revisits these levels and shows a clear reaction. The gap becomes the key reference for the new trend. Video 1 · ▶ 1:16:06

FVG + supply/demand zone

Video 1 · ▶ 1:16:22

A supply or demand zone is a base preceding a directional departure; it may span several candles. An OB selects one opposing candle within that origin. A nearby FVG is a separate price-imbalance interval. Video 1 · ▶ 1:16:47

FVG next to a demand zoneBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCDemand baseFVG69266.0671777.02026-03-10 07:30 – 2026-03-10 22:15 UTCTradingView
Look at the three-candle demand base before the upward departure; its shading covers the complete wick range of the selected origin candles. The separate FVG lies above the base between non-overlapping outer wicks; its shading ends at the first close below the gap at 18:00 UTC. The next candle reaches the deeper demand base, where subsequent closes remain above its lower boundary.
The rhythm

Accumulation → expansion → gap creation → gap filling. Also check whether the move broke market structure. Video 1 · ▶ 1:19:23

FVGs in premium or discount

Video 1 · ▶ 1:19:30

Use the selected swing low–high interval: discount is below its arithmetic midpoint and premium is above. Map an aligned OB or FVG in that half, then wait for the planned trigger. Video 1 · ▶ 1:20:42

FVG in discountBTCUSDT · 1h · Binance · UTCPremiumDiscountFVG86760.0194150.02025-12-02 10:00 – 2025-12-04 21:00 UTCTradingView
Trace the bullish impulse from its confirmed swing low to high, then compare the green FVG with the lower shaded half. The entire outer-wick gap lies below the dealing-range midpoint in discount; the later pullback shows why the gap and the wider range must be read together.

Mark the chart · fvg-up

Mark the bullish three-candle uncovered interval.

Bullish FVG · three candlesBar 1: O 25, H 27, L 20, C 21.9724Bar 2: O 22, H 28, L 20, C 25.711Bar 3: O 26, H 28, L 22, C 23.704Bar 4: O 24, H 32, L 22, C 30Bar 5: O 30, H 58, L 28, C 56Bar 6: O 56, H 64, L 54, C 62Bar 7: O 62, H 69, L 60, C 66.5225Bar 8: O 67, H 69, L 57, C 59.7155Bar 9: O 59, H 61, L 46, C 51.3959Bar 10: O 48, H 50, L 40, C 42.4818Bar 11: O 42, H 57, L 40, C 51.8177Bar 12: O 55, H 70, L 53, C 64.1712123Bullish FVGBullish FVG · three candlesBar 1: O 25, H 27, L 20, C 21.9724Bar 2: O 22, H 28, L 20, C 25.711Bar 3: O 26, H 28, L 22, C 23.704Bar 4: O 24, H 32, L 22, C 30Bar 5: O 30, H 58, L 28, C 56Bar 6: O 56, H 64, L 54, C 62Bar 7: O 62, H 69, L 60, C 66.5225Bar 8: O 67, H 69, L 57, C 59.7155Bar 9: O 59, H 61, L 46, C 51.3959Bar 10: O 48, H 50, L 40, C 42.4818Bar 11: O 42, H 57, L 40, C 51.8177Bar 12: O 55, H 70, L 53, C 64.1712123Bullish FVG

Choose a location on the chart.

Answer and source figure

Bullish FVG: 32–54. Follow the two price boundaries to locate the interval. Compare figure 22.

Mark the chart · fvg-down

Mark the bearish three-candle uncovered interval.

Bearish FVG · mirrored three-candle exampleBar 1: O 65, H 70, L 63, C 67.1727Bar 2: O 68, H 70, L 62, C 65.1064Bar 3: O 64, H 68, L 62, C 65.6497Bar 4: O 66, H 68, L 58, C 60Bar 5: O 60, H 62, L 32, C 34Bar 6: O 34, H 36, L 26, C 28Bar 7: O 28, H 30, L 21, C 22.9943Bar 8: O 23, H 33, L 21, C 29.3556Bar 9: O 31, H 44, L 29, C 41.1093Bar 10: O 42, H 50, L 40, C 47.5234Bar 11: O 48, H 50, L 33, C 36.0972Bar 12: O 35, H 37, L 20, C 28.1237123Bearish FVGBearish FVG · mirrored three-candle exampleBar 1: O 65, H 70, L 63, C 67.1727Bar 2: O 68, H 70, L 62, C 65.1064Bar 3: O 64, H 68, L 62, C 65.6497Bar 4: O 66, H 68, L 58, C 60Bar 5: O 60, H 62, L 32, C 34Bar 6: O 34, H 36, L 26, C 28Bar 7: O 28, H 30, L 21, C 22.9943Bar 8: O 23, H 33, L 21, C 29.3556Bar 9: O 31, H 44, L 29, C 41.1093Bar 10: O 42, H 50, L 40, C 47.5234Bar 11: O 48, H 50, L 33, C 36.0972Bar 12: O 35, H 37, L 20, C 28.1237123Bearish FVG

Choose a location on the chart.

Answer and source figure

Bearish FVG: 36–58. Follow the two price boundaries to locate the interval. Compare figure 22.

Decision practice · module 5

1. Candles 1 and 3 touch at their outer wicks. Mark a positive-width FVG?
Answer and reasoning

No; there is no uncovered interval — A positive-width gap requires strict outer-wick non-overlap. Figure 22.

2. A demand origin lies below the FVG. Which is the gap?
Answer and reasoning

The interval between outer wicks 1 and 3 — The drawing separates the origin from the three-candle gap. Figure 24.

3. A bullish FVG forms in premium. Enter automatically?
Answer and reasoning

Check the dealing range and directional plan — A gap is a location; the surrounding range still matters. Figure 25.

4. The gap has been partly traversed. Which portion remains?
Answer and reasoning

The untouched interval — Update the remaining area after the deepest return. Figure 73.

Select answers to record your score.

6Manipulation, fakeouts & traps Video 1 · ▶ 1:22:59

The market will not make it easy

After this module: distinguish a sweep from an accepted break.

Prerequisites: Modules 1–2. Reading time ~20 min

Practice: 0 / 4

A breakout may reverse after crossing a marked liquidity boundary. Traders who entered the break may then face adverse movement; the chart does not establish their positions or intentions.

Wyckoff’s composite man

Video 1 · ▶ 1:23:22

Smart money is the course’s composite-operator model: an explanatory grouping of participants, rather than an identified trader. Describe its proposed mechanism as a hypothesis and keep the observed swings, volume and closes separate.

The composite-man model groups market activity into a single explanatory character. In the chart, describe a spring or upthrust through the observable breach and close: stops beyond the level can become executable orders when triggered. Video 1 · ▶ 1:24:19

Rule

Keep the mapped structural direction and measured traded volume as separate observations. Video 1 · ▶ 1:24:44

Repeated tests and changing orders

Video 1 · ▶ 1:25:31

A repeated test may execute resting orders, while new orders may also arrive or be cancelled. Test count alone does not establish remaining liquidity or level strength. Video 1 · ▶ 1:26:14

Repeated tests: observe the next closeBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCSupportBreak 14:15Reclaim 14:30Break 15:3088850.092384.612025-11-19 03:45 – 2025-11-19 18:30 UTCTradingViewRepeated tests: observe the next close · Time detailBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCSupportBreak 14:15Reclaim 14:30Break 15:3089339.092384.612025-11-19 12:00 – 2025-11-19 17:00 UTCTradingView
After repeated tests of 91,225.98, the 19 Nov 14:15 UTC candle closes below support, but the very next close at 14:30 reclaims it. Price rises again before a new breakdown at 15:30 and the later decline; this is a failed first break, not an uninterrupted departure. The time detail separates the two breaks and the reclaim; test count alone does not establish remaining liquidity.
The working hypothesis

Repeated tests may consume resting orders, while new orders can replenish a level. Compare the next completed close and departure; test count alone does not establish strength. Video 1 · ▶ 1:29:10

What real strength looks like

Video 1 · ▶ 1:27:00
Strong support rejects price onceBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCOBBOS77216.7681400.02026-09-18 04:30 – 2026-09-18 20:15 UTCTradingView
Look at the final red candle in the green origin zone and the broad green departure above it. Price closes above the dashed swing high; this single rejection does not guarantee that support will hold on a later return.

The drawing shows one sharp departure from support. A later return is possible; evaluate its close and follow-through rather than requiring the level to remain untested.

A slow return or repeated overlap leaves the level unresolved. Record whether the next close holds or accepts the opposite side. Video 1 · ▶ 1:28:26

A broad green body records a positive open-to-close move. Measure traded volume separately and map the departure zone before evaluating a return. Video 1 · ▶ 1:30:12

Common mistake

Do not require a return to the exact same print. Map the origin interval and wait for confirmation if price revisits it. Video 1 · ▶ 1:31:51

Liquidity clear-outs

Video 1 · ▶ 1:32:08
Liquidity clear-out below supportETHUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCCHoCHSSLOB1548.371589.752026-06-28 15:15 – 2026-06-29 04:45 UTCTradingView
The arrow marks the first wick below the low at 1,556.81, with both open and close back inside. The opposing CHoCH is followed by a return to the green origin and a further upward departure.

How retail sees it

“A false breakdown – my analysis was wrong.”

What actually happened

When the low is crossed, triggered protective stops can become market sell orders. Opposing buy orders can absorb that flow; the visible test is whether price subsequently closes back inside and breaks the selected opposing swing.

Rule

Map the visible low before its breach, then inspect the recovery and completed close. The illustrated entry follows confirmation at the reclaimed level. Video 1 · ▶ 1:29:45

The market maker playbook

Video 1 · ▶ 1:33:34

Large orders may execute over time and across prices. This model studies visible range boundaries, breaches and returns without assigning the pattern to a particular participant.

  1. Consolidation between clear support and resistance. Retail marks the levels and prepares to buy support and sell resistance. Moving averages cluster, indicators line up. Video 1 · ▶ 1:34:00
  2. A push just above resistance. Everyone sees the breakout, indicators confirm, averages cross – the perfect textbook setup. Video 1 · ▶ 1:34:21
  3. Retail buys the breakout. Their executed buys can meet opposing sell orders; the chart leaves seller identity open. Video 1 · ▶ 1:34:34
  4. Support is withdrawn. Price closes back below resistance. Breakout buyers with stops in the crossed interval may be stopped out. Video 1 · ▶ 1:34:44
Upside breakout trapBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCCHoCHOBBSLsweep78179.9879485.02026-09-07 17:45 – 2026-09-08 09:00 UTCTradingView
The upper wick trades above the earlier high near 79,419.17 before closing back below it. Follow the subsequent close beneath the dashed CHoCH; the failed upside breach is visible before the bearish continuation.
Buy weakness, sell strength

A new high is a continuation candidate after an accepted close and held retest. A breach followed by reclaim instead opens a rejection hypothesis, requiring an opposing shift. See the sweep-versus-run examples in module 12. Video 1 · ▶ 1:36:17

Consolidation traps

Video 1 · ▶ 1:37:04

Inside a range, an excursion can trigger conditional orders. A return inside selects a rejection hypothesis; a held outside close selects acceptance. Wait for the structural trigger at the mapped edge. Video 1 · ▶ 1:37:57

Triangle and breakout patterns can fail. Record the reference boundary and the completed reclaim; the shape does not identify who caused the failure. Video 1 · ▶ 1:40:45

ObservationConditional interpretationRequired confirmation
Strength at a prior highContinuation or rejection remains open.Outside close and held retest, or reclaim and opposing shift.
Weakness at a prior lowA breach alone does not identify accumulation.Completed reclaim and directional close-break.
Return to a mapped areaLocation for a test, with participant intent unobserved.Apply the selected setup trigger.
The lesson

Don’t trust obvious breaks or indicator signals during consolidation. Map the observable boundary breach, reclaim and subsequent structural close. Video 1 · ▶ 1:41:29

Stop clusters and shakeouts

Video 1 · ▶ 1:42:02

Protective orders may be placed beyond visible highs and lows. Trades and quotes measure executed flow and displayed liquidity; they do not reveal all untriggered stops. A spring is a low breach and reclaim; an upthrust is its high-side counterpart. Video 1 · ▶ 1:42:19

A shakeout is read here as a low breach followed by reclaim. It becomes a reversal candidate only after the selected opposing structural close-break. Video 1 · ▶ 1:43:02

Trade the shakeout, not the level

A low breach and close back inside frame an upward reversal hypothesis; a high breach and return frame its downward mirror. Require the opposing shift and a confirmed retest. Video 1 · ▶ 1:43:30

Acceptance versus rejection at a new extreme

Video 1 · ▶ 1:44:00
Trade in the direction of the latest highBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCOBNew high85114.086717.62026-09-22 02:45 – 2026-09-22 18:30 UTCTradingView
The dashed New high level marks a first close above the selected swing high after a local downward phase. Follow the later pullback into the green origin and its recovery; the accepted high and held return establish the continuation branch.

Most traders try to predict where price will stop – resistance to sell, support to buy. That’s backwards thinking.

An accepted close beyond the latest high or low, followed by a held retest, selects continuation context. A wick breach and return inside instead requires an opposing shift for the reversal branch.

After a new high, don’t look for resistance to sell – look for where price might pull back. After a new low, look for the retrace to sell. You stop fighting momentum and start trading with it. Video 1 · ▶ 1:44:50

Mark the chart · sweep-low

Mark the candle that breaches the mapped low.

SSL sweep and reclaimBar 1: O 52, H 54, L 47, C 49.7397Bar 2: O 49, H 51, L 36, C 40.3269Bar 3: O 38, H 47, L 36, C 43.5123Bar 4: O 45, H 47, L 35, C 38.4448Bar 5: O 37, H 50, L 35, C 44.928Bar 6: O 48, H 50, L 35, C 37.4138Bar 7: O 37, H 47.0592, L 35, C 45.75Bar 8: O 45, H 47, L 21, C 36Bar 9: O 36, H 55, L 34, C 53Bar 10: O 53, H 66, L 51, C 63.3636Bar 11: O 64, H 66, L 57, C 58.2946Bar 12: O 59, H 75, L 57, C 69.362212SSLSweepConfirmationSSL sweep and reclaimBar 1: O 52, H 54, L 47, C 49.7397Bar 2: O 49, H 51, L 36, C 40.3269Bar 3: O 38, H 47, L 36, C 43.5123Bar 4: O 45, H 47, L 35, C 38.4448Bar 5: O 37, H 50, L 35, C 44.928Bar 6: O 48, H 50, L 35, C 37.4138Bar 7: O 37, H 47.0592, L 35, C 45.75Bar 8: O 45, H 47, L 21, C 36Bar 9: O 36, H 55, L 34, C 53Bar 10: O 53, H 66, L 51, C 63.3636Bar 11: O 64, H 66, L 57, C 58.2946Bar 12: O 59, H 75, L 57, C 69.362212SSLSweepConfirmation

Choose a location on the chart.

Answer and source figure

Candle 8: O 45, H 47, L 21, C 36. Its completed close and wick locate the event. Compare figure 28.

Mark the chart · sweep-high

Mark the candle that breaches the mapped high.

Upside breakout trapBar 1: O 42, H 47, L 40, C 44.5463Bar 2: O 45, H 56, L 43, C 54.2246Bar 3: O 54, H 56, L 45, C 47.3979Bar 4: O 47, H 58, L 45, C 55.668Bar 5: O 56, H 58, L 40, C 42.9454Bar 6: O 42, H 58, L 40, C 52.0005Bar 7: O 56, H 58, L 45, C 46.819Bar 8: O 47, H 69, L 45, C 54Bar 9: O 54, H 56, L 39, C 41Bar 10: O 41, H 43, L 26.8544, C 27.0802Bar 11: O 29, H 36, L 27, C 33.6851Bar 12: O 34, H 36, L 17, C 19.581112BSLBreakout trapSell-offUpside breakout trapBar 1: O 42, H 47, L 40, C 44.5463Bar 2: O 45, H 56, L 43, C 54.2246Bar 3: O 54, H 56, L 45, C 47.3979Bar 4: O 47, H 58, L 45, C 55.668Bar 5: O 56, H 58, L 40, C 42.9454Bar 6: O 42, H 58, L 40, C 52.0005Bar 7: O 56, H 58, L 45, C 46.819Bar 8: O 47, H 69, L 45, C 54Bar 9: O 54, H 56, L 39, C 41Bar 10: O 41, H 43, L 26.8544, C 27.0802Bar 11: O 29, H 36, L 27, C 33.6851Bar 12: O 34, H 36, L 17, C 19.581112BSLBreakout trapSell-off

Choose a location on the chart.

Answer and source figure

Candle 8: O 47, H 69, L 45, C 54. Its completed close and wick locate the event. Compare figure 29.

Decision practice · module 6

1. A support level has been tested repeatedly. What makes a long actionable?
Answer and reasoning

A defined rejection and completed trigger — Repeated tests and a later breakdown must be distinguished. Figure 26.

2. A candle spikes below SSL then closes inside. What comes next?
Answer and reasoning

Inspect displacement and the opposing structure close — A reclaim is one event in the sequence. Figure 28.

3. Price breaks above highs then returns below. Which chase fails the drawing?
Answer and reasoning

Buying the breakout without waiting for its close — The upside breakout becomes a trap when acceptance fails. Figure 29.

4. Can the sweep candle reveal a particular trader’s intention?
Answer and reasoning

Record the breach and reclaim mechanism — Stops beyond an extreme can provide liquidity when triggered. Figure 30.

Select answers to record your score.

7Full chart execution Video 1 · ▶ 1:45:33

Putting the pieces together

After this module: connect confirmation, entry and target.

Prerequisites: Modules 4–6. Reading time ~31 min

Practice: 0 / 4

Full examples, top-down analysis and trade planning – how every concept above combines on real charts.

The core model: BOS → CHoCH → flipped zone → volume entry

Video 1 · ▶ 1:45:45
Buy model BOS CHoCH zone flip volume entryETHUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCFlipBOSCHoCHConfirm2370.142419.722026-09-02 12:30 – 2026-09-03 04:45 UTCTradingView
Follow the bearish BOS, bullish CHoCH and the 03 Sep 02:30 UTC return into the green Flip zone. That bullish confirmation records 4,036.56 volume units versus a maximum of 1,830.88 across its three predecessors. The displayed sequence ends at 04:45 before a later zone failure; the volume pane shows aggregate traded volume.
  1. Break of structure. Price moves decisively through a previous significant low – it looks like trend continuation. Video 1 · ▶ 1:45:52
  2. Change of character. Price moves up strongly and breaks structure in the opposite direction. The earlier break has failed; short entries may now face adverse movement. Video 1 · ▶ 1:46:16
  3. Mark the last supply before the CHoCH. The last place sellers were in control – now a potential demand zone (supply flipped to demand). Video 1 · ▶ 1:46:47
  4. Wait for the pullback into that zone and enter on a bullish candle with higher volume than the previous candles. Stop just below the zone. Video 1 · ▶ 1:47:21
The psychology

Stops can cluster beyond the prior low. A breach triggers sell orders that supply liquidity to opposing buyers; a subsequent reclaim and first opposing structural close-break establish the illustrated reversal sequence. The return to the origin is evaluated as a separate entry event. Video 1 · ▶ 1:48:15

Volume confirmation

The flipped zone is only potential demand – price breaks it in many cases. That’s why the entry needs the volume condition: no high-volume confirmation candle, no trade. Video 1 · ▶ 1:50:28

Look for this pattern at a preselected boundary and record when its confirmation conditions are met. Video 1 · ▶ 1:53:13

The model in context: continuation beats reversal

Video 1 · ▶ 1:55:38
1H advance and demand pullbackETHUSDT · 1h · Binance · UTC1H demand3923.04253.722025-10-26 02:00 – 2025-10-28 11:00 UTCTradingView
5m confirmation inside the hourly returnETHUSDT · 5m · Binance · UTCSupplyFlip / retestBOSCHoCHVolume confirm4066.584143.132025-10-28 00:40 – 2025-10-28 06:05 UTCTradingView
The hourly bullish break at 26 Oct 22:00 UTC precedes a pullback into demand at 4,054.48–4,072.70; this hourly zone holds through the five-minute confirmation. Inside that return, bearish BOS at 28 Oct 03:10 UTC gives way to bullish CHoCH at 28 Oct 04:10, closing through former supply at 4,085.57–4,100.39 and flipping it to potential demand. The 28 Oct 04:15 retest holds, then the completed 28 Oct 04:20 bullish candle prints 803.41510 ETH versus a previous-three maximum of 715.40560; the local flip later fails at 28 Oct 05:40 UTC.
Rule

Compare the larger context and the marked invalidation. A continuation branch requires the main trend to remain intact and a completed local confirmation. Video 1 · ▶ 1:55:52

The order block strategy: HTF to LTF

Video 1 · ▶ 1:57:46
Order block strategy higher and lower time frameSOLUSDT · 1h · Binance · UTCOBCHoCH79.2383.742026-07-05 11:00 – 2026-07-07 22:00 UTCTradingView
Order block strategy higher and lower time frameSOLUSDT · 5m · Binance · UTCOBCHoCH80.4681.672026-07-07 02:25 – 2026-07-07 06:50 UTCTradingView
The hourly panel marks a bullish origin and the later pullback while the larger upward break remains the context. The five-minute panel shows the same market at that return, where a smaller bullish OB sits inside the hourly zone and price closes above its local swing.

OB + FVG confluence · step-through

  1. Read SOLUSDT · 5m · Binance in UTC.
  2. The hourly panel marks a bullish origin and the later pullback while the larger upward break remains the context.
  3. The five-minute panel shows the same market at that return, where a smaller bullish OB sits inside the hourly zone and price closes above its local swing.

  1. Higher time frame direction. E.g. the hourly chart: find the current order flow (here an uptrend). Video 1 · ▶ 1:57:55
  2. Pick an OB that matches the trend. Before it formed, price should have taken liquidity (a dip that triggers stops below a low, then shoots back up). The OB should trigger a break in structure. Bigger OB candles are bigger footprints. Even better if price leaves it fast with an FVG. Extra confluence: Fibonacci level, trend line, moving average. Video 1 · ▶ 1:58:18
  3. Zoom in (e.g. 1h → 5m) and wait for price to return to the zone. Check realignment: the lower time frame should show bullish signs too. Look for a smaller OB inside the big one, a small sweep just before entry, a small double bottom or a small CHoCH. Video 1 · ▶ 1:59:55
  4. Enter on the breakout of the lower time frame OB. Stop just below a recent swing low – give it room, don’t be too precise. Video 1 · ▶ 2:01:33
  5. Target ideally at least 3× your risk, but at the next logical high in the HTF trend, not a random number. Consider partials: close half at the first target, let the rest run. Video 1 · ▶ 2:01:51
Pro tip

Order blocks must have a liquidity pool to target. Identify clear pools – e.g. a cluster of previous swing highs above a bullish OB. They are your road map once the OB triggers. Video 1 · ▶ 2:02:14

Fibonacci golden zone + FVG

Video 1 · ▶ 2:02:50

The 50–61.8% retracement is this chapter’s golden band. It differs from the ICT OTE 62–79% band (70.5% reference) in module 8. Both are location conventions; an overlapping FVG and completed trigger must be identified independently. Video 1 · ▶ 2:03:31

Golden band and FVG · failure, reclaim, confirmationETHUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCFVG50-61.8%Reclaim100% lowHigh / confirm2428.122483.742026-09-17 06:30 – 2026-09-17 17:45 UTCTradingView
The labelled low and high define the orange 50–61.8% band inside the green FVG, but the 17 Sep 13:30 UTC candle closes below both zones. Both zones end at that failure; the dotted line marks the next candle reclaim, and the High / confirm line ends at the later completed close above the impulse high.
Rule

Treat confluence zones as areas, not exact prices. Combine gap, Fibonacci, trend and candle confirmation at the selected area. Waiting for price to come to these zones also avoids many fake breakouts. Video 1 · ▶ 2:08:00

Volume profile

Video 1 · ▶ 2:08:33
Horizontal volume distributionBar 1: O 38, H 40, L 33, C 35.731Bar 2: O 35, H 48, L 33, C 46Bar 3: O 46, H 48, L 34, C 36Bar 4: O 36, H 48, L 34, C 46Bar 5: O 46, H 48, L 34, C 36Bar 6: O 36, H 47, L 34, C 45Bar 7: O 45, H 47, L 33, C 35Bar 8: O 35, H 48, L 33, C 46Bar 9: O 46, H 64, L 44, C 62Bar 10: O 62, H 64, L 40, C 42Bar 11: O 42, H 44, L 26, C 28Bar 12: O 28, H 30, L 18, C 20Horizontal volume distributionBar 1: O 38, H 40, L 33, C 35.731Bar 2: O 35, H 48, L 33, C 46Bar 3: O 46, H 48, L 34, C 36Bar 4: O 36, H 48, L 34, C 46Bar 5: O 46, H 48, L 34, C 36Bar 6: O 36, H 47, L 34, C 45Bar 7: O 45, H 47, L 33, C 35Bar 8: O 35, H 48, L 33, C 46Bar 9: O 46, H 64, L 44, C 62Bar 10: O 62, H 64, L 40, C 42Bar 11: O 42, H 44, L 26, C 28Bar 12: O 28, H 30, L 18, C 20
Figure 7.6 – Point of control and value area. ▶ 2:09:18

Schematic illustration, not market data

Volume profile groups measured traded volume by price. Thick sections show more recorded volume and thin sections less; the profile alone does not identify participants or their motives.

The point of control is the price with maximum traded volume, a gravitational centre for price.

Watch how price interacts with volume concentrations: rejected or accepted? A healthy uptrend shows progressively thicker profile in bullish regions; weak trends show thin, scattered volume. Combine with Fibonacci for confluence. Video 1 · ▶ 2:10:24

Footprint charts: absorption and imbalances

Video 1 · ▶ 2:11:26

A footprint records executed volume by price: bid-side market sells and ask-side market buys. Delta is ask volume minus bid volume; POC is the price row with the largest combined volume. A value area uses a stated share of the profile’s volume. Video 1 · ▶ 2:12:17

Bid (sell)Ask (buy)
105.75612148
105.50240205
105.25180196
105.00310342
104.7595388
104.5088301
104.2570122
Δ delta+107
Example footprint – One footprint candle (illustrative numbers). Green cells: buy imbalance – ask far outweighs bid, buyers aggressive. Red cell at the high: bid-side sell aggression. Absorption additionally requires observing price response across time. Outlined row: point of control. Video 1 · ▶ 2:24:35
AbsorptionHigh executed buying with limited upward progress may be read as sell absorption. At a prior high it supports a false-breakout hypothesis, subject to a completed reversal close; OHLC alone does not establish absorption. Video 1 · ▶ 2:25:17
ImbalanceMuch stronger buying or selling at a level; repeated across several levels in a candle, it drives a swift move. Video 1 · ▶ 2:26:33
Pullbacks in trendBig buy imbalances on every dip in an uptrend: check whether the next completed close retains the upward structure. Video 1 · ▶ 2:27:51
Early structure shiftA new high with less buy imbalance than before plus a spike in sell absorption, then a failure back below: early sign of a shift. Video 1 · ▶ 2:28:47
Recap

Repeated strong buy imbalances lead to uptrends, repeated sell imbalances to downtrends, and absorption near a prior top or bottom signals a potential turning point. You don’t have to guess – if a level is defended by big orders, it shows. Video 1 · ▶ 2:29:29

Impulse vs corrective phases

Video 1 · ▶ 2:14:46
Impulse and corrective phasesBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCOBUp break82804.6584199.02026-10-11 01:30 – 2026-10-11 18:45 UTCTradingView
Compare the compact candles around the dashed Up break with the broad green impulse on the right. The later red candles correct part of that expansion; a further continuation would require another completed confirmation rather than being assumed.

During an upward impulse, look for longs; during corrections, use different tactics. An impulse may break resistance; a correction may pause or reverse near support. Video 1 · ▶ 2:16:09

Liquidity hunting entries

Video 1 · ▶ 2:17:11
Buy limit below the recent lowBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCCHoCHRecent lowHyp. limit 7675076464.077544.02026-09-10 15:00 – 2026-09-11 08:15 UTCTradingView
The 11 Sep 03:00 UTC wick crosses the recent low at 76,769.69 and the dotted hypothetical buy limit at the round price 76,750, then closes back above the low. That first-touch illustration precedes the 04:15 CHoCH; the course branch waits for reclaim, a completed opposing shift and a retest.

Below a recent low, triggered sell stops can become market sells; above a recent high, triggered buy stops can become market buys. The course entry follows reclaim, a completed opposing shift and a retest.

A blind limit below a low or above a high is a distinct first-touch variant. The course uses a completed reclaim, opposing shift and retest before considering entry; see module 12 for the ordered confirmation gates. Video 1 · ▶ 2:19:44

Every time the market sets a new range, mark its high and low and the internal and external range liquidity. Trade in low-resistance conditions. Video 1 · ▶ 2:20:37

Volume divergence

Rising closes alongside falling measured volume describe a divergence between price travel and participation. Keep it as context until a completed structural event selects the next branch. Video 1 · ▶ 2:20:55

Putting it together intraday

Video 1 · ▶ 2:29:59

The best day-trading approach unifies structure and supply/demand logic with real-time price action. Don’t rely on one pattern or zone: piece together trend context, watch for a BOS or a retest near a zone, confirm on the footprint that buyers or sellers are stepping in, then pull the trigger.

Overnight decline: London consolidationBar 1: O 64, H 66, L 59, C 61Bar 2: O 61, H 63, L 51, C 53Bar 3: O 53, H 55, L 44, C 46Bar 4: O 46, H 48, L 37, C 39Bar 5: O 39, H 43, L 37, C 41Bar 6: O 41, H 43, L 36, C 38Bar 7: O 38, H 44, L 36, C 42Bar 8: O 42, H 44, L 37, C 39Bar 9: O 39, H 42, L 37, C 40Bar 10: O 40, H 42, L 29, C 31Bar 11: O 31, H 33, L 22, C 24Bar 12: O 24, H 26, L 16, C 18Supply retest before continuationBar 1: O 36, H 38, L 31, C 33Bar 2: O 33, H 44, L 31, C 42Bar 3: O 42, H 44, L 36, C 38Bar 4: O 38, H 51, L 36, C 49Bar 5: O 49, H 51, L 41, C 43Bar 6: O 43, H 60, L 41, C 58Bar 7: O 58, H 60, L 50, C 52Bar 8: O 52, H 66, L 50, C 64Bar 9: O 64, H 66, L 45, C 47Bar 10: O 47, H 49, L 38, C 40Bar 11: O 40, H 53, L 38, C 51Bar 12: O 51, H 53, L 41, C 43Bar 13: O 43, H 45, L 29, C 31Overnight decline: LondonconsolidationBar 1: O 64, H 66, L 59, C 61Bar 2: O 61, H 63, L 51, C 53Bar 3: O 53, H 55, L 44, C 46Bar 4: O 46, H 48, L 37, C 39Bar 5: O 39, H 43, L 37, C 41Bar 6: O 41, H 43, L 36, C 38Bar 7: O 38, H 44, L 36, C 42Bar 8: O 42, H 44, L 37, C 39Bar 9: O 39, H 42, L 37, C 40Bar 10: O 40, H 42, L 29, C 31Bar 11: O 31, H 33, L 22, C 24Bar 12: O 24, H 26, L 16, C 18Supply retest before continuationBar 1: O 36, H 38, L 31, C 33Bar 2: O 33, H 44, L 31, C 42Bar 3: O 42, H 44, L 36, C 38Bar 4: O 38, H 51, L 36, C 49Bar 5: O 49, H 51, L 41, C 43Bar 6: O 43, H 60, L 41, C 58Bar 7: O 58, H 60, L 50, C 52Bar 8: O 52, H 66, L 50, C 64Bar 9: O 64, H 66, L 45, C 47Bar 10: O 47, H 49, L 38, C 40Bar 11: O 40, H 53, L 38, C 51Bar 12: O 51, H 53, L 41, C 43Bar 13: O 43, H 45, L 29, C 31
Figure 7.9 – Buying the sell stops. ▶ 2:19:24

Schematic illustration, not market data

  1. Session bias from a higher time frame such as 30m – is there a dominant theme? Mark major supply and demand there. Video 1 · ▶ 2:31:38
  2. Watch how price interacts with those zones on a shorter time frame, maybe 5m. Video 1 · ▶ 2:31:54
  3. Emerging BOS aligned with your bias → look for confirmation: a strong candle retesting and rejecting a prior pivot, or footprint showing buyers overwhelming sellers. Video 1 · ▶ 2:32:02
  4. Exit or adjust if structure starts shifting again, e.g. a minor change of character. Video 1 · ▶ 2:32:24

Some traders scalp supply/demand interactions; others hold for the whole session as repeated BOS events confirm they’re right. Structure shifts during the day from expansion to consolidation, bullish to bearish – adapt. Video 1 · ▶ 2:31:00

Managing the trade with structure

Video 1 · ▶ 2:32:32
StopLong after a bullish BOS: stop below the higher low that preceded entry. If the uptrend is real, that low shouldn’t break.
TargetThe next major supply zone or selected structural boundary. Re-evaluate there: still supportive → trail the stop; if not, exit and lock in gains.
Changing levelsA level tested many times may weaken or accumulate orders. New orders may replenish the level while tests consume others. Use the next completed close and departure; bounce size alone leaves the resting inventory unknown. Video 1 · ▶ 2:34:45

Pitfalls

Video 1 · ▶ 2:33:17

Don’t

  • Read signals into every micro swing – intraday charts are noisy.
  • Leap at the first small BOS overshadowed by the larger trend.
  • Jump in after a massive directional candle.
  • Take a premature position on a tiny low-TF CHoCH against a dominant trend.

Do

  • Wait for the move to align with a confirmed BOS or retest.
  • Keep a layered view across time frames tied to major S/D references.
  • Use e.g. the 15m for structure and the 5m footprint to refine entries. Video 1 · ▶ 2:34:21

Define your own rules

Video 1 · ▶ 2:35:52

Your framework should revolve around consistent steps and definitions. The course uses a completed close beyond the selected swing for BOS. Record this rule before identifying a break. How many candles do you wait to confirm a zone retest? You might require two consecutive closes beyond a swing high for a bullish break, or call a supply zone valid only if price left it with a strong momentum candle. Clear definitions reduce impulse decisions.

  1. Define how you recognise an uptrend or downtrend.
  2. Clarify the BOS triggers for bullish and bearish continuation.
  3. Specify the difference between a potential CHoCH and a confirmed reversal.
  4. Map supply and demand zones in a consistent way. Video 1 · ▶ 2:36:33

Step by step: a day-trade setup

Video 1 · ▶ 2:37:03

Use the common 8-point pre-trade checklist.

Ticks are only for this session in your browser.

Decision practice · module 7

1. HTF demand is reached but LTF remains bearish. Enter?
Answer and reasoning

Wait for LTF realignment at the zone — The map and the entry trigger operate on different frames. Figure 35.

2. The gap and Fibonacci area overlap. What still needs checking?
Answer and reasoning

Structure trigger and invalidation — Confluence selects a POI; execution needs a defined event. Figure 36.

3. A correction breaks the protected swing. Keep the same continuation?
Answer and reasoning

Cancel and remap — The protected swing is the continuation boundary. Figure 34.

4. An entry is refined closer to the stop with the target unchanged. What compare?
Answer and reasoning

The new R:R and whether the order actually fills — Refinement changes both the ratio and fill location. Figure 66.

Select answers to record your score.

Order flow here means executed bid/ask trades. Order-flow imbalance compares those volumes; price imbalance means an outer-wick FVG. The two measurements are separate.

8Setup playbook · research beyond the video

Named SMC and ICT setups, step by step

After this module: select a setup and complete its execution card.

Prerequisites: Modules 1–7. Reading time ~55 min

Practice: 0 / 4

Twelve setups that traders run with the concepts above, each with an execution guide from pre-market prep to the final take profit. Ten use conventions from the ICT family, two are the classic SMC models.

Times

All model windows use America/New_York. Tallinn is ET +7 h when both regions share their seasonal clock state, and +6 h between the US second and EU last Sunday in March and between the EU last Sunday in October and US first Sunday in November. In 2026 those intervals are 8–29 March and 25 October–1 November.

Overview

SetupSchoolTypeWhen (NY)Core trigger
Silver BulletICTIntraday, both ways3–4, 10–11, 14–15Sweep + FVG formed inside the hour
2022 ModelICTIntraday reversal/continuationKill zonesSweep → displacement MSS → FVG
Power of 3 / Judas SwingICTDaily range playLondon 2–5, NY openFalse move from midnight open / Asia range
Optimal Trade EntryICTRetracement entryKill zones, any TF62–79% retrace of a displacement leg
UnicornICTReversalKill zonesBreaker block overlapping an FVG
Turtle SoupRaschke/Connors → ICTFade of a breakoutAnyFailed break of an old high/low
Market Maker Buy/Sell ModelICTMulti-session swingReversal in a kill zoneSmart money reversal at the objective
Inversion FVG (iFVG)ICT communityIntraday reversalNY from 9:30Close through an FVG, retest from the other side
SMT divergenceICTConfirmation filterAt key levelsNQ and ES disagree at a high/low
Candle Range TheoryICT communityHTF candle playAny HTF candleCandle 2 sweeps candle 1 and closes back in
Sweep + CHoCH + OBSMCReversalAnysweep, change of character, OB retest
CHoCH + discount OBSMCStructure reversalAnyPullback into discount OB/FVG after CHoCH

ICT Silver Bullet

Convention (not from the videos) · intraday

Execution card

  1. Bias Selected 1h / 15m direction
  2. POI FVG created inside the selected hour
  3. Trigger Liquidity sweep then displacement close
  4. Entry Confirmed FVG return
  5. Invalidation Beyond the swept extreme

Target Opposing session liquidity

Use the common 8-point checklist
Bias TF
1H / 15m
Entry TF
1–5m
Windows (NY)
03–04 · 10–11 · 14–15
Tallinn
10–11 · 17–18 · 21–22
Silver Bullet: untouched target, later FVG failureBTCUSDT · 5m · Binance · UTCSSLTarget BSL64172.064999.02026-08-06 06:00 – 2026-08-06 15:55 UTCTradingView
Silver Bullet: untouched target, later FVG failureBTCUSDT · 5m · Binance · UTCFailed FVG10 NY11 NY64172.064987.262026-08-06 12:00 – 2026-08-06 16:55 UTCTradingView
The 06 Aug 10:30 New York wick raid of SSL precedes displacement and the FVG formed inside 10–11 NY; the 02–05 NY London high at 64,999 supplies the Target BSL. That target remains untouched through the FVG returns and the 15:55 UTC close below its 64,650 floor, where the green zone ends. The first shallow return at 14:50 UTC holds, but the later failed return and recovery are a separate failure and reclaim, not a continuously valid entry zone.

A time-boxed model: one specific hour, one fair value gap created by displacement inside that hour, one target in the opposite liquidity pool. No gap in the window means no trade.

Review the common 8-point checklist before executing this card.

ICT 2022 Mentorship Model

Convention (not from the videos) · intraday

Execution card

  1. Bias Daily / 4h draw
  2. POI Post-sweep displacement FVG
  3. Trigger Opposing structural close-break
  4. Entry Return into the new FVG
  5. Invalidation Beyond the sweep extreme

Target Untouched opposing high or low

Use the common 8-point checklist
Bias TF
Daily / 4H / 1H
Entry TF
1–5m
When (NY)
London 02–05, NY AM 07–10
Tallinn
09–12, 14–17
2022 model: buy-side sweep, market structure shift, FVG entry, sell-side targetSOLUSDT · 5m · Binance · UTCCHoCHBSL116.73118.232026-10-01 12:05 – 2026-10-01 16:35 UTCTradingView
2022 model: buy-side sweep, market structure shift, FVG entry, sell-side targetSOLUSDT · 5m · Binance · UTCFVGTarget SSLInvalidation116.73118.232026-10-01 12:05 – 2026-10-01 16:35 UTCTradingView
The 01 Oct 14:35 UTC BSL sweep reaches 118.23 before bearish CHoCH and the red FVG at 117.78–117.87. The first FVG return at 15:15 occurs while the earlier equal lows at 116.73 remain untouched since their formation at 13:10–13:15. Target SSL marks that opposing pool and the sweep high marks invalidation; the displayed window ends without reaching the target.

The base ICT entry pattern: take liquidity on one side, shift structure with energy, and enter in the gap that energy left behind, aiming at the liquidity on the other side.

Review the common 8-point checklist before executing this card.

Power of 3 (AMD) & Judas Swing

Convention (not from the videos) · daily framework

Execution card

  1. Bias Daily expansion hypothesis
  2. POI Accumulation range boundary (the swept edge)
  3. Trigger Reclaim then displacement away from the raid
  4. Entry Retest of the departure origin
  5. Invalidation Beyond the raid extreme

Target Opposite range boundary then external liquidity

Use the common 8-point checklist
Bias TF
Daily / 4H
Entry TF
5–15m
When (NY)
Asia 20–00, London 02–05, NY open
Tallinn
03–07, 09–12, ~16:30
Power of three: accumulation, raid, distributionETHUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCAccumulation00 NY openAsia lowManipulationRaid invalidationDistribution / BSL2064.12145.262026-02-07 23:30 – 2026-02-08 17:00 UTCTradingView
On Sunday 08 Feb 2026, the grey Asia accumulation range spans 2,064.91–2,107.44; the 02:00 New York candle first raids its low below the midnight open of 2,087.72 and closes back inside. The 2,064.10 raid low remains intact: London recovery reaches the opposite Asia high first, then NY distribution extends above the pre-NY high of 2,137.57 to 2,145.26. These are New York session-clock windows on a continuously traded crypto market, not evidence of bank participation.

Each day tends to run accumulation → manipulation → distribution. On a bullish day the manipulation is an early push below the open, followed by a possible reclaim and upward extension. This sequence may be read as a bullish Judas-swing hypothesis; the reclaim and extension must be observed.

Review the common 8-point checklist before executing this card.

Optimal Trade Entry (OTE)

Convention (not from the videos) · entry technique

Execution card

  1. Bias Selected impulse direction
  2. POI Defined OTE band of that impulse
  3. Trigger Aligned close-break at the retracement
  4. Entry Confirmed retest inside the band
  5. Invalidation Beyond the impulse origin / protected swing

Target Impulse extreme or next mapped liquidity

Use the common 8-point checklist
Bias TF
HTF structure
Entry TF
Daily (swing) or 1–15m
When
After a BOS; intraday in kill zones
Levels
62 · 70.5 · 79%
Optimal trade entry: retracement into the 62 to 79 percent zone of the impulseBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCOTE 62-79%100% low0% high79233.080559.992026-09-06 11:00 – 2026-09-07 02:45 UTCTradingView
Measure from the labelled 100% low at 79,584.73 to the 0% high at 79,970.00; those two anchors define the orange 62–79% OTE band. Follow the later return into that band and recovery, rather than measuring from the earlier lower low or the later higher high.

After an impulse that breaks structure with displacement, a deep retracement can frame a separate continuation hypothesis. OTE is the 62–79% band of that leg; 70.5% is the preferred entry.

Review the common 8-point checklist before executing this card.

ICT Unicorn Model

Convention (not from the videos) · reversal

Execution card

  1. Bias Direction of the new displacement
  2. POI Breaker and FVG overlap
  3. Trigger Close confirms the failed zone’s new role
  4. Entry Confirmed return to the overlap
  5. Invalidation Beyond the breaker boundary

Target Untouched opposing liquidity

Use the common 8-point checklist
Bias TF
1H / 4H
Entry TF
1–15m
When
Kill zones
Key zone
Breaker ∩ FVG
Bullish unicorn: confirmed overlap returnBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCOrigin OBBreakerFVG = overlapSSLSweep64280.065107.992026-07-19 14:30 – 2026-07-20 02:00 UTCTradingViewBullish unicorn: confirmed overlap return · Time detailBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCBreakerFVG = overlap64347.8965107.992026-07-19 21:15 – 2026-07-20 00:30 UTCTradingView
After the 18:00 UTC sweep on 19 July, the 22:15 candle closes above the grey origin and turns it into a bullish breaker. The green FVG lies entirely inside the breaker, so its 64429.99–64662.72 band is the unicorn overlap. In the lower detail, the 23:00 candle retests that band and closes above it; the 23:30 bullish candle confirms the return by closing above the short dashed line at 64713.30.

Unicorn · step-through

  1. Read BTCUSDT · 15m · Binance in UTC.
  2. After the 18:00 UTC sweep on 19 July, the 22:15 candle closes above the grey origin and turns it into a bullish breaker.
  3. In the lower detail, the 23:00 candle retests that band and closes above it; the 23:30 bullish candle confirms the return by closing above the short dashed line at 64713.30.

A breaker block that overlaps a fair value gap. The breaker is a failed origin zone closed through after the liquidity sweep, then retested from its newly accepted side. No overlap → not a unicorn.

Review the common 8-point checklist before executing this card.

Turtle Soup

Convention (not from the videos) · Raschke/Connors fade

Execution card

  1. Bias Rejection hypothesis at the selected extreme
  2. POI Prior range high or low
  3. Trigger Breach followed by a close back inside
  4. Entry Retest after the reclaim
  5. Invalidation Beyond the rejection extreme

Target Opposite range boundary

Use the common 8-point checklist
Original
Daily, 20-day extremes
ICT version
Any TF, any obvious high/low
Old extreme
≥ 4 sessions old
Source
Street Smarts (1995)
Turtle soup: failed break of the 20-day highBTCUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTC20D highsweep80600.0105333.332025-11-12 00:00 – 2025-12-21 00:00 UTCTradingView
The highlighted daily candle exceeds the previous 20-day high at 94,150.00, then closes back below that reference. The following daily candles move lower; a failed high is observable without assuming who caused the reversal.

Named to mock the Turtle traders who bought 20-day breakouts. It fades those breakouts when they fail – in ICT language, a liquidity raid on an obvious high or low.

Review the common 8-point checklist before executing this card.

Market Maker Buy / Sell Model (MMBM / MMSM)

Convention (not from the videos) · swing framework

Execution card

  1. Bias Chosen buy or sell program
  2. POI HTF origin at the program turn
  3. Trigger Sweep and opposing close-break
  4. Entry Return into the new origin / FVG
  5. Invalidation Beyond the program extreme

Target Opposing external liquidity

Use the common 8-point checklist
Frame TF
1H – Daily
Entry TF
5–15m
When
Reversal in a kill zone
Type
Framework, not a signal
Market maker buy model: sell program, smart money reversal, buy programILLUSTRATIVE · 15m · Synthetic educational OHLCV · UTCRange 1 highRange 2 highRange 3 high94.53114.472026-01-05 06:00 – 2026-01-06 08:45 UTCTradingView
Read the three stepped trading areas on the way down into the lowest wick near the middle of this illustrative sequence. The subsequent upward leg revisits their dashed highs; these are price-program phases, not evidence identifying a market maker.

Price leaves an original consolidation, steps lower through two or three smaller ranges sweeping lows (sell program), reverses at an objective (smart money reversal) and retraces back up through the same ranges (buy program). The sell model is the mirror.

Review the common 8-point checklist before executing this card.

Inversion FVG (iFVG) Model

ICT community · NQ/ES

Execution card

  1. Bias Direction after the gap fails
  2. POI The original gap with inverted role
  3. Trigger Completed close through the gap
  4. Entry Retest from the newly accepted side
  5. Invalidation Beyond the far gap / protected swing

Target Next opposing liquidity

Use the common 8-point checklist
Bias TF
4H / 1H
Entry TF
1–5m
When (NY)
From 09:30
Tallinn
From 16:30
Inversion FVG: price closes through a bullish gap and retests it from belowBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCOriginal FVG82956.1185649.952026-09-30 01:30 – 2026-09-30 20:15 UTCTradingView
Inversion FVG: price closes through a bullish gap and retests it from belowBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCOriginal FVGiFVG82956.1185649.952026-09-30 01:30 – 2026-09-30 20:15 UTCTradingView
The first panel marks the original bullish three-candle gap before its failure. On the same price sequence in the second panel, a completed close crosses the gap and the later rally retests it from below.

When price closes through an FVG from the other side, the gap “inverts” – support becomes resistance (or the reverse). Combined with a sweep, it is a fast reversal trigger built for the NY index session.

Review the common 8-point checklist before executing this card.

SMT Divergence

Convention (not from the videos) · confirmation

Execution card

  1. Bias HTF directional map
  2. POI HTF POI on the execution instrument
  3. Trigger Relative extreme mismatch then local displacement close
  4. Entry Local FVG / iFVG retest
  5. Invalidation Beyond the execution instrument’s protected swing

Target Its own opposing liquidity

Use the common 8-point checklist
Pairs
NQ ↔ ES (also YM, EURUSD ↔ GBPUSD)
Entry TF
1–5m
Where
PDH/PDL, session extremes
Role
Filter, not a standalone entry
SMT divergence: NQ makes a higher high while ES makes a lower highNQ=F · 1h · Yahoo Finance · UTCPrior high09:00 NYBOS20254.020680.02024-10-13 22:00 – 2024-10-16 07:00 UTCTradingView
SMT divergence: NQ makes a higher high while ES makes a lower highES=F · 1h · Yahoo Finance · UTCPrior high09:00 NY5850.05918.52024-10-13 22:00 – 2024-10-16 07:00 UTCTradingView
At 15 Oct 2024 09:00 NY, compare both high tests with the dashed Prior high lines: NQ 20,637.25 and ES 5,915.50. NQ wicks above its reference while ES leaves a lower high, and the dashed NQ BOS marks a later bearish continuation close. The prior local structure was already bearish, so this mismatch supplies no new CHoCH; a completed displacement and its own POI retest remain separate trade gates.

Compare correlated markets at the same preselected liquidity reference and timestamps. When one takes out its prior high and the other does not (same session, within minutes), the one that swept is read as grabbing liquidity – a relative-extreme mismatch. Use it only at a liquidity sweep inside the selected kill zone, then require a local displacement close and retest; see the synchronised example and false-positive filters.

Review the common 8-point checklist before executing this card.

Candle Range Theory (CRT)

ICT community · HTF candle

Execution card

  1. Bias Selected candle-range direction
  2. POI Candle 1 range boundary
  3. Trigger Candle 2 breaches and closes inside
  4. Entry Confirmed reclaim retest
  5. Invalidation Beyond candle 2 sweep extreme

Target Candle 1 opposite boundary

Use the common 8-point checklist
Range TF
Monthly → 1H
Entry TF
15m – 1H
Common pair
Daily range, 15m–1H entry
Intraday variant
1 AM 4H candle = range, 5 AM = sweep
Candle range theory: candle two sweeps the range low and closes back insideBTCUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTCC1 lowC1 highsweep73724.3182850.02026-04-18 00:00 – 2026-05-17 00:00 UTCTradingView
The highlighted second daily candle sweeps the immediately preceding candle low at 79,500.00 and closes back inside its range. The first candle high remains the opposite boundary for this CRT template, and the next candles show the observed follow-through.

A candle defines a high–low range. When the next candle sweeps one end and closes back inside, the other end is the reference target for this template.

Review the common 8-point checklist before executing this card.

Liquidity Sweep + CHoCH + Order Block

SMC · reversal

Execution card

  1. Bias Reversal at the HTF POI
  2. POI Origin OB after the sweep
  3. Trigger CHoCH completed close-break
  4. Entry Confirmed return into that OB
  5. Invalidation Beyond the swept extreme

Target Opposing external liquidity

Use the common 8-point checklist
Bias TF
4H / 1H
Entry TF
1–15m
When
Any; best in active sessions
Convention (not from the videos) · Course reference:
Module 7
SMC reversal: liquidity sweep, change of character, entry at the order blockETHUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCCHoCHSSL1913.491936.992026-07-30 11:15 – 2026-07-31 00:45 UTCTradingView
SMC reversal: liquidity sweep, change of character, entry at the order blockETHUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCOB1913.491936.992026-07-30 11:15 – 2026-07-31 00:45 UTCTradingView
The arrow marks the first lower-wick raid of the dashed SSL, with both open and close above that low. The completed CHoCH follows the prior downward structure; the second panel shows the origin OB, its return and the subsequent upward departure.

Sweep → displacement → OB · step-through

  1. Read ETHUSDT · 15m · Binance in UTC.
  2. The arrow marks the first lower-wick raid of the dashed SSL, with both open and close above that low.
  3. The completed CHoCH follows the prior downward structure; the second panel shows the origin OB, its return and the subsequent upward departure.

The classic SMC reversal and the same idea as the video’s full model: a sweep beyond an obvious low, a change of character, then an entry at the order block where the reversal started.

Review the common 8-point checklist before executing this card.

CHoCH + Discount Order Block

SMC · reversal

Execution card

  1. Bias Structure shift direction
  2. POI Discount bullish OB; premium for the mirror
  3. Trigger Opposing CHoCH then pullback confirmation
  4. Entry Return into the selected origin
  5. Invalidation Beyond its protected swing

Target Next untouched structural extreme

Use the common 8-point checklist
Bias TF
4H / 1H
Entry TF
5–15m
When
Trending sessions
Convention (not from the videos) · Course reference:
Module 4, 5
SMC reversal: CHoCH, pullback into discount order blockBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCDiscountCHoCHOB83186.085273.652026-10-01 03:00 – 2026-10-01 23:45 UTCTradingView
The dashed CHoCH marks the completed break against the preceding downswing. The green OB lies in the lower half of the marked upward leg, where the later pullback tests the discount area.

This reversal template starts with a CHoCH against the preceding downtrend, followed by a pullback into the discount half of the upward leg and the marked bullish order block.

Review the common 8-point checklist before executing this card.

Mark the chart · breaker

Mark the broken origin examined in its new role.

Breaker: new low, then old zone breaksBar 1: O 60, H 62, L 55, C 56.9002Bar 2: O 57, H 59, L 45, C 48.4659Bar 3: O 47, H 54, L 45, C 52.2184Bar 4: O 52, H 54, L 37, C 37.6799Bar 5: O 39, H 47, L 37, C 45.6292Bar 6: O 45, H 47, L 27.2784, C 27.7767Bar 7: O 30, H 38, L 28, C 34.504Bar 8: O 36, H 38, L 22, C 24Bar 9: O 24, H 44, L 22, C 42.4429Bar 10: O 42, H 52, L 40, C 50Bar 11: O 50, H 52, L 43, C 45.749Bar 12: O 45, H 63, L 43, C 57.9212BreakerNew lowZone breakBreaker: new low, then old zonebreaksBar 1: O 60, H 62, L 55, C 56.9002Bar 2: O 57, H 59, L 45, C 48.4659Bar 3: O 47, H 54, L 45, C 52.2184Bar 4: O 52, H 54, L 37, C 37.6799Bar 5: O 39, H 47, L 37, C 45.6292Bar 6: O 45, H 47, L 27.2784, C 27.7767Bar 7: O 30, H 38, L 28, C 34.504Bar 8: O 36, H 38, L 22, C 24Bar 9: O 24, H 44, L 22, C 42.4429Bar 10: O 42, H 52, L 40, C 50Bar 11: O 50, H 52, L 43, C 45.749Bar 12: O 45, H 63, L 43, C 57.9212BreakerNew lowZone break

Choose a location on the chart.

Answer and source figure

Breaker: 40–47. Follow the two price boundaries to locate the interval. Compare figure 17.

Mark the chart · unicorn

Mark the FVG participating in the breaker overlap.

Unicorn: overlap of breaker and FVGBar 1: O 60, H 62, L 55, C 56.7588Bar 2: O 57, H 59, L 45, C 47.4553Bar 3: O 47, H 54, L 45, C 51.345Bar 4: O 52, H 54, L 37, C 40.6426Bar 5: O 39, H 47, L 37, C 43.5017Bar 6: O 45, H 47, L 28, C 32.8452Bar 7: O 39, H 47.2805, L 37, C 45.898Bar 8: O 36, H 40, L 22, C 24Bar 9: O 24, H 53, L 22, C 51Bar 10: O 51, H 57, L 49, C 55Bar 11: O 55, H 57, L 40, C 42Bar 12: O 39, H 50, L 37, C 46.6703Bar 13: O 48, H 63, L 46, C 60.31051Prior lowOverlapFVGBreakerSSL sweepUnicorn: overlap of breaker andFVGBar 1: O 60, H 62, L 55, C 56.7588Bar 2: O 57, H 59, L 45, C 47.4553Bar 3: O 47, H 54, L 45, C 51.345Bar 4: O 52, H 54, L 37, C 40.6426Bar 5: O 39, H 47, L 37, C 43.5017Bar 6: O 45, H 47, L 28, C 32.8452Bar 7: O 39, H 47.2805, L 37, C 45.898Bar 8: O 36, H 40, L 22, C 24Bar 9: O 24, H 53, L 22, C 51Bar 10: O 51, H 57, L 49, C 55Bar 11: O 55, H 57, L 40, C 42Bar 12: O 39, H 50, L 37, C 46.6703Bar 13: O 48, H 63, L 46, C 60.31051Prior lowOverlapFVGBreakerSSL sweep

Choose a location on the chart.

Answer and source figure

FVG: 40–49. Follow the two price boundaries to locate the interval. Compare figure 45.

Decision practice · module 8

1. A Unicorn has a gap but no failed zone. Complete?
Answer and reasoning

No; require breaker and FVG overlap — The two structures must coincide at the POI. Figure 45.

2. An OTE retracement reaches the band without a trigger. Action?
Answer and reasoning

Wait for the planned close confirmation — OTE is an entry location inside a directional plan. Figure 44.

3. The iFVG is tested after a close through it. Which side matters?
Answer and reasoning

The newly accepted side — The failed gap changes role after the closing breach. Figure 48.

4. An SMT divergence appears away from the POI. Enter?
Answer and reasoning

Keep it as context and wait for the execution model — A relative high/low mismatch needs location and confirmation. Figure 49.

Select answers to record your score.

AMD / Power of 3 and SMT

Convention (not from the videos). AMD reads one period in three phases: accumulation = the preceding range, manipulation = a sweep of its boundary, distribution = a confirmed departure and extension. In a bullish-day hypothesis, an excursion below the open may precede a rise; the bearish mirror starts above the open. Confirm the sequence on intraday candles.

One weekly-profile hypothesis is a Monday–Tuesday sweep, midweek extension and Friday retracement. A held break supports the trend day / close above PDH; a close back inside the range routes to the sweep or inside day card. Each diagram below contains three variations.

fig-117-ABTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCA: low76967.1377400.752026-09-11 22:00 – 2026-09-12 12:00 UTCTradingView
fig-117-BBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCB: high77758.6979220.612026-08-31 22:00 – 2026-09-01 12:15 UTCTradingView
fig-117-CSOLUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCC: low103.03104.592026-08-28 22:00 – 2026-08-29 13:00 UTCTradingView
Arrows mark the first wick raids: A at 12 Sep 05:00 UTC, B at 1 Sep 04:15 UTC and C at 29 Aug 04:00 UTC. A later extends upward; B first raids the high, then breaks above it before the later downward reclaim, while C loses its initial low reclaim and closes below the range again.
A: bullish weekIllustrative A · 1h · Synthetic teaching example · UTCA: Mon low4973.05069.112026-09-07 04:00 – 2026-09-12 03:00 UTCTradingViewA: bullish week · Time detailIllustrative A · 1h · Synthetic teaching example · UTCA: Mon low4973.05009.92026-09-07 19:00 – 2026-09-08 18:00 UTCTradingView
B: bearish weekBTCUSDT · 1h · Binance · UTCB: Mon high72512.4978080.02026-05-25 04:00 – 2026-05-30 03:00 UTCTradingViewB: bearish week · Time detailBTCUSDT · 1h · Binance · UTCB: Mon high75677.9778080.02026-05-26 02:00 – 2026-05-27 01:00 UTCTradingView
C: failed recoveryETHUSDT · 1h · Binance · UTCC: Mon low2405.852665.992026-09-07 04:00 – 2026-09-12 03:00 UTCTradingViewC: failed recovery · Time detailETHUSDT · 1h · Binance · UTCC: Mon low2441.682507.992026-09-07 18:00 – 2026-09-08 17:00 UTCTradingView
Read Mon–Fri in New York time and use the hourly details below: A retains illustrative prices, with a Tuesday low raid followed by a deeper excursion, Wednesday expansion, Thursday extension and Friday retracement. B is a real BTC bearish week with a Tuesday raid of Monday high; C is a real ETH counterexample where recovery above Monday low fails on Thursday, then Friday trades back through Monday’s range and above its high. Dashed levels mark Monday extremes and arrows mark their first Tuesday wick raids; A is synthetic, B and C use separate real weeks, and these AMD conventions are examples rather than forecasts.

SMT · choose the pair before the sweep

PairWhen to compareConfirmation
NQ / ESNasdaq and the broad US index in the same NY kill zone, 07:00–10:00 ET; match the prior swing timestamps.One crosses its high/low while the other leaves the corresponding extreme intact.
ES / YMWhen broad-market and Dow participation are relevant; use the same contract month and session.Compare simultaneous level tests on each instrument's own price scale.
NQ / YMWhen technology and Dow behaviour diverge; check ES for additional context.Require a local shift on the instrument selected for entry.
SMT · synchronised NQ / ES high testNQ=F · 1h · Yahoo Finance · UTCPrior high10:00 NYBOS24572.525217.52026-03-10 05:00 – 2026-03-12 14:00 UTCTradingView
SMT · synchronised NQ / ES high testES=F · 1h · Yahoo Finance · UTCPrior high10:00 NY6688.256852.02026-03-10 05:00 – 2026-03-12 14:00 UTCTradingView
At 11 Mar 2026 10:00 NY, compare both high tests with the dashed Prior high lines: NQ 25,125.00 and ES 6,822.50. NQ wicks above its reference while ES leaves a lower high, and the dashed NQ BOS marks a later bearish continuation close. The prior local structure was already bearish, so this mismatch supplies no new CHoCH; a completed displacement and its own POI retest remain separate trade gates.

Use SMT only at premarked liquidity during the selected kill zone. False positives include a delayed feed, different session boundaries or expiry months, a roll gap, unmatched swing times, sector news and a mere percentage-move difference. Synchronise timestamps and completed candles, compare each instrument with its own swing, then require a displacement close and POI retest on the chosen instrument. If both take their extremes or no local shift appears, the SMT branch remains inactive.

9Higher time frames · research beyond the video

Running SMC and ICT on 1H, 4H and 1D

After this module: connect HTF direction, location and session plan.

Prerequisites: Modules 1–8. Reading time ~21 min

Practice: 0 / 4

How the concepts from modules 1–8 change when the trade lives on the 1H–1D charts: where bias comes from, which time frames pair up, how time and opening gaps fit in, how entry, stop and target geometry is defined, and how observations are recorded.

The whole module in one line

1D/4H gives direction and the target (draw on liquidity), 1H gives the frame, and the trade starts only after a sweep, displacement and a market structure shift at a higher-time-frame PD array.

9.1 Time frame pairs

ICT’s 2022 mentorship notes put the draw on liquidity mostly on the daily chart and say most of the analysis should happen there. The 1H chart is the frame; 15m and 5m are for refining the entry. For a swing trader, shift the same chain up one or two steps.

Bias + PD arrayStructure / frameEntryTypical hold
Monthly / WeeklyDaily4H / 1HDays to weeks
Daily4H1H / 15m2–4 days
4H1H15m / 5mIntraday to 2 days
Rule

Pick one structure time frame (for example 4H) and read BOS and CHoCH only there. On 1D and 4H, count a break only on a candle body close beyond the swing. A wick through and a close back inside is a sweep, which frames an opposing hypothesis only after a completed structural shift.

Common mistake

Reading an internal 1H CHoCH against the 4H trend as a reversal. Against the higher trend, require an independent shift before selecting reversal or the start of a pullback.

9.2 Daily bias in five questions

Use the common five-question morning routine: contract and session, daily close and HTF POI, destination and invalidation, clock and calendar, then 1H → 15m → 1m confirmation.

9.3 Targets: IPDA ranges and the ERL ↔ IRL cycle

IPDA 20 / 40 / 60 daysICT says price “looks back” 20, 40 and 60 trading days. The 20-day high/low is the near target, 40 the intermediate, 60 the larger one. A close beyond the 60-day extreme is a “quarterly shift” – the larger range expanding.
External range liquidity (ERL)The dealing range’s highs and lows, where buy and sell stops sit.
Internal range liquidity (IRL)FVGs and imbalances inside the range.
The cycleAfter price takes ERL (a sweep), IRL is a candidate destination while the selected structure holds (an FVG). After an FVG retest, the target is ERL. This is the core rule for choosing HTF targets.
Standard deviation targets

Project the manipulation leg (the swing that swept liquidity before the shift): −1 is the first target, −2 to −2.5 the main zone, −4 for runners. One “deviation” is just the leg’s height, not a statistical standard deviation. The best SD target lines up with PDL/PWL or an HTF PD array.

OTE as confluence only

The 62–79% retracement (70.5% sweet spot) works as an extra filter. A controlled test on three equity markets (Expert Systems with Applications, 2022) found Fibonacci zones did no better than random zones of the same kind.

9.4 Time on higher time frames

Accumulation around the open, manipulation (the Judas swing that makes the day’s opposite extreme), then distribution into the close. The bullish AMD branch is open → low → high → close; the bearish branch reverses the extremes. Confirm the actual sequence on intraday bars; daily OHLC alone leaves their order open. With a bullish bias, look for longs below the day’s open; with a bearish bias, shorts above it. The same reading applies to the weekly candle (Monday/Tuesday manipulation) and to the 4H candle.

Chart trap: ICT anchors the day to New York midnight (00:00 NY, 07:00 Tallinn with ET +7 h; 06:00 with ET +6 h). Futures daily candles on TradingView open at 18:00 NY, so NQ1!/ES1!/GC1! daily candles are not the candle ICT reads. Draw the midnight open as its own line.

9.5 Top-down workflow

  1. SundayMonthly/Weekly: last PMH/PML and PWH/PWL, HTF FVGs and OBs, IPDA 20/40/60 ranges, premium or discount in the weekly range. Daily: external structure, last week’s candle, unfilled Daily FVGs, equal highs/lows, the last four NWOGs. Write the hypothesis and what kills it, for example “bullish week, Tuesday low in the Daily FVG, target PWH; a Daily close below the FVG cancels it”.
  2. DailyDid yesterday’s candle confirm the bias? Update the draw on liquidity.
  3. 4HStructure, active PD arrays, premium/discount in the 4H dealing range.
  4. 1HIs price at the HTF PD array? Has liquidity been taken?
  5. Entry TFIn a kill zone: sweep → displacement → MSS → FVG entry (models in module 8). Check the calendar and stand aside just before 08:30 NY data and FOMC (14:00 NY).

9.6 Risk and trade management on HTF

StopBeyond the extreme of the swing that made the sweep. Conservative: behind the HTF PD array. Keep it away from the obvious stop cluster, and give it a minimum distance so fixed costs do not eat the R.
TargetsTP1 nearest IRL or −1 SD (partial 30–50%), TP2 ERL or −2…−2.5 SD, runner −4 SD or the next HTF liquidity.
FrequencyFrequency depends on the explicitly selected instrument, session and setup definition.
  • Never widen the stop. Move to break-even only after TP1 or new structure in your favour; too early and the next sweep takes you out.
  • If an HTF body closes through your PD array, exit even if the stop has not been hit: the idea is dead.
  • Skip trades with less than 1:3 to the first ERL target.
  • Journal every trade: time, kill zone, PD array type, sweep yes/no, SMT yes/no, result in R.

9.7 ICT vs SMC terminology

TopicICT (original)SMC (community)
Reversal breakMSS, displacement requiredCHoCH, first opposing completed close-break
Small trap levelEngineered liquidity, short-term high/lowInducement (IDM)
Structure levelsShort-, intermediate-, long-term highs/lowsInternal/external, strong/weak
ZonesPD arrays: OB, FVG, breaker, mitigation, rejection, propulsion, vacuum, NWOG…POI, supply/demand, OB, FVG
Mitigation blockFailed OB without a liquidity sweepOften any retest of a zone
TimeKill zones, macros, PO3, IPDA, true openOften ignored

Where educators disagree: completed closing breach for BOS; whether an OB is the body or the whole candle and where it is invalidated (mean threshold, far edge or wick); whether a sweep is required for a valid OB; exact kill zone times (NY 7–9, 7–10 or 8:30–11). Pick one definition for each and keep it.

9.8 Definitions and observation

Separate price geometry, executed trades and explanatory models. A sweep names a breach and reclaim; reversal additionally needs an opposing completed structural shift. Use closed bars and fixed reference boundaries. Osler’s work on conditional orders distinguishes stop activation from a claim about deliberate hunting.

Decision practice · module 9

1. Daily and 4h conflict at the POI. Best plan?
Answer and reasoning

Define which boundary resolves the conflict — Top-down decisions need a selected frame and cancellation level. Figure 2.

2. The external high was already reached before your limit fill. Action?
Answer and reasoning

Reassess the destination and cancel the stale order — An already completed objective changes the entry premise. Figure 63.

3. Daily closes outside yesterday’s high. Call it a reclaim inside?
Answer and reasoning

No; compare the actual close with PDH — Acceptance outside and return inside are different branches. Figure 91.

4. A Daily bias is selected. What must be written beside it?
Answer and reasoning

The opposing boundary that cancels it — Bias is an explicit conditional plan. Figure 100.

Select answers to record your score.

Time and futures · Tallinn ↔ New York

Day in Tallinn time · timeline using the usual ET +7 h difference. Convention (not from the videos). This kill zone follows a fixed New York clock window rather than the local London open.
Session / eventET (New York)Tallinn +7 hTallinn +6 h
Asia range20:00–00:0003:00–07:00 (+1 day)02:00–06:00 (+1 day)
London kill zone02:00–05:0009:00–12:0008:00–11:00
NY kill zone07:00–10:0014:00–17:0013:00–16:00
RTH / cash open09:3016:3015:30
After open / RTH close10:00–16:0017:00–23:0016:00–22:00
Globex maintenance break17:00–18:0000:00–01:00 (+1 day)23:00–00:00
Period / ruleTallinn − ET2026 example
Both on standard time or both on daylight time+7 hRTH 16:30 Tallinn
Second Sunday in March (US) → last Sunday in March (EU)+6 h; 2–3 weeks in spring8–29 March; RTH 15:30
Last Sunday in October (EU) → first Sunday in November (US)+6 h; 1 week in autumn25 October – 1 November; RTH 15:30

ET means America/New_York: UTC−5 in winter and UTC−4 in summer. Tallinn uses UTC+2 in winter and UTC+3 in summer. The US clock change occurs at 02:00 local time; the EU change at 01:00 UTC. Convention (not from the videos); date rules: NIST and EU directive.

Opening range · 09:30 ET

OR5 = 09:30–09:35, OR15 = 09:30–09:45 and OR30 = 09:30–10:00 ET, start inclusive and end exclusive. Each range becomes fixed at its end: mark its highest high and lowest low. The 09:30 price is the RTH open, distinct from the Globex session boundary. Trading above the open with a defended OR low supports a long bias; below the open with a rejected OR high supports a short bias. A sweep and close back inside require subsequent structure confirmation; a held break uses the continuation branch.

Opening range · sweep and reclaimMODEL · synthetic · 1m · Original synthetic teaching data · UTCOR5 high 102.80OR5 low 100.10Open 101.00sweepBOS98.9105.862026-01-26 14:10 – 2026-01-26 15:21 UTCTradingView
The five candles from 14:30 through 14:34 UTC define OR5; the 14:41 low excursion closes back inside that fixed range. The later closing break above the marked OR5 high supplies subsequent confirmation, while the RTH open is the open of the 14:30 candle. This synthetic winter example uses 09:30 New York = 14:30 UTC; OR15 and OR30 become fixed only at their own later endpoints.
Opening range · failed upside breakMODEL · synthetic · 1m · Original synthetic teaching data · UTCOR5 highOR5 lowRTH opensweepBOS114.05121.12026-01-27 14:10 – 2026-01-27 15:21 UTCTradingView
The five candles from 14:30 through 14:34 UTC define OR5; the 14:41 upside excursion closes back inside that fixed range. The later closing break beneath the marked OR5 low confirms the failed-break short branch, rather than fading the first high excursion alone. This synthetic winter example uses 09:30 New York = 14:30 UTC; the RTH open is the open of the 14:30 candle.

Release calendar → decision process

CPI and NFP (Employment Situation) are scheduled at 08:30 ET; JOLTS uses 10:00 ET. A regular FOMC meeting decision uses 14:00 ET and its press conference 14:30 ET. With the usual time difference these correspond to 15:30, 17:00, 21:00 and 21:30 in Tallinn; during DST mismatch weeks they are one hour earlier. Check each date and exact release time with the publisher: BLS calendar · FOMC calendar.

  1. Before the release: record the time, preceding range, HTF POI and liquidity on both sides; wait when price is in the middle of the range.
  2. Spike: mark which boundary was crossed; the first impulse alone does not select the reversal branch.
  3. Afterwards: a close inside the range plus an opposite-direction closing break → reversal retest; holding outside plus a defended retest → continuation. Overlap on both sides → chop / wait.
News · compression, spike, reversalMODEL · synthetic · 1m · Original synthetic teaching data · UTC08:30 NYPre-news low144.33155.32026-01-28 13:00 – 2026-01-28 14:11 UTCTradingView
The small candles before the 13:30 UTC release boundary form the pre-news compression; the first large candle spikes upward. The subsequent close beneath the marked pre-release low and the later return from below illustrate the reversal branch after the spike. This is a synthetic 08:30 New York winter release scenario, not a claim about a historical news event.

Contract units and session boundaries

ContractUSD per pointTick (points)USD per tick
NQ200.255
MNQ20.250.50
ES500.2512.50
MES50.251.25

Value of one tick = value per point × 0.25. Convention (not from the videos) · References checked 19 October 2026: CME NQ, CME MNQ, CME ES, CME MES.

Quarterly codes H/M/U/Z = March/June/September/December; expiry is on the third Friday of the quarterly month. The customary roll date is the preceding Monday; choose the active contract using actual volume and compare the same expiry month. CME roll dates. Contract changes and back-adjustment on a continuous chart may create or remove an apparent gap.

Globex: Sunday through Friday, 18:00–17:00 ET, with a daily maintenance break at 17:00–18:00 ET. This course uses the US cash window, 09:30–16:00 ET, as its RTH convention. Check holiday changes in the CME calendar. NDOG connects the same contract's last trade in the preceding session with its first trade at the next 18:00 ET open; NWOG connects Friday's close with Sunday's open. A missing candle during the break is not an FVG. An RTH 16:00 close → 09:30 open, a midnight boundary, different contracts or an incomplete feed do not meet this NDOG/NWOG definition. Record both timestamps and the session template before drawing the gap.

PMH/PML = previous month high/low; PWH/PWL = previous week high/low. Above a weekly open is an open-relative position, not automatically the premium half of a weekly range.

10Gold · research beyond the video

Applying the framework to gold (GC, MGC, XAUUSD)

After this module: apply gold contract and session context.

Prerequisites: Modules 6 and 9. Reading time ~8 min

Practice: 0 / 4

The concepts carry over unchanged. What changes is the clock, the contract, the correlated markets used for SMT, and the size of the moves. This module covers those differences for 1H–1D trading.

Futures vs spot

GC futures trade above spot XAUUSD by the cost of carry, so the two charts show different prices. Mark levels on the instrument you trade; do not copy XAUUSD levels onto GC.

10.1 The contracts

GC
100 oz · $10 per $0.10 tick · $100 per $1
MGC (micro)
10 oz · $1 per $0.10 tick · $10 per $1
Globex hours
Sun–Fri 18:00–17:00 NY, 60-min break from 17:00
Daily settlement
13:29–13:30 NY, active month
Continuous chart

GC rolls between active months (February, April, June, August, October, December). An unadjusted GC1! chart shows a jump at each roll that looks like an FVG or a gap but is not one. For HTF FVG and PDH/PDL work, use a back-adjusted continuous chart or the contract you actually trade.

10.2 Gold’s clock

Gold trades almost around the clock, but price discovery passes through four centres, and each leaves reference times that work like the kill zones in 9.4.

EventNew YorkTallinn (usual)Why it matters
Globex open (Sunday = NWOG)18:0001:00Weekend news gaps; NDOG on weekdays
Shanghai Gold Exchange day open21:00 (20:00 in winter)04:00 (03:00 in Tallinn winter)Asia demand; part of the Asia range
Midnight open00:0007:00ICT day anchor
London open03:0010:00Often the Judas swing
LBMA AM price auction05:3012:30Benchmark, liquidity event
COMEX open (old pit) + US data08:20 / 08:3015:20 / 15:30Highest volatility, NY AM kill zone
LBMA PM price auction10:0017:00Often marks the London close reversal
COMEX settlement13:3020:30Liquidity drops after; afternoon moves are less reliable

The London auctions run at 10:30 and 15:00 London time. When the UK, EU and US clocks change on different dates, the NY and Tallinn columns shift by an hour for those weeks.

What research shows

A Copenhagen Business School thesis (2019) found a hat-shaped daily pattern: gold tended to rise during eastern trading hours and fall for the rest of the day, with drops around the London fix in the years of alleged manipulation. Strategies built on it beat the market before costs and underperformed after costs. Cheung, Cai and Wong (Journal of Futures Markets, 2001) showed intraday patterns and US announcements dominate COMEX gold volatility.

How to use it

Treat the London open and the 08:20–10:00 NY window (a gold-specific subset of the 07:00–10:00 NY AM model window) as gold’s main observation windows. Use the Asia range as the liquidity London and New York sweep. Avoid new HTF entries after the 13:30 settlement.

10.3 Macro drivers that shape HTF bias

US dollar (DXY)Compare the observed DXY–gold relationship over the selected session. ICT traders read a bullish DXY in the NY AM session as bearish for gold and use DXY as a bias filter.
Real yieldsHistorically strongly inverse. Since 2022 the link has weakened as central bank buying set a higher floor; Janus Henderson notes real yields still drive short-term direction but no longer set the floor.
Central banksEmerging-market central banks became the marginal buyer from 2022. Their buying is largely price-insensitive, which helps explain shallow pullbacks in strong trends.
EventsCPI, NFP, FOMC, Fed speakers and geopolitical shocks. Geopolitics hits on weekends, so Sunday gaps (NWOG) are common and often large.
Common mistake

Fading a strong Daily trend because price is “in premium”. In a central-bank-driven trend, premium can stay premium for weeks. Short only after a Daily sweep plus a 4H market structure shift, never on location alone.

10.4 How gold behaves at SMC levels

  • Deeper sweeps. Gold often runs well past an obvious high or low before turning. Wait for the body close back inside the range and the shift on the entry time frame; a limit order exactly at the level gets run over.
  • Size filters in dollars or ATR. A $2 FVG on 4H is noise when the daily range is $40–80. Use an ATR filter (for example ≥ 0.25–0.5 × ATR of that time frame) for FVGs and a tolerance for equal highs/lows.
  • Round numbers. $50 and $100 levels act like equal highs/lows: stops cluster just beyond them, consistent with Osler’s round-number finding in FX.
  • News candles. The first displacement on CPI or NFP can run through an FVG and reverse just as hard. Treat it as suspect until the next 1H close.
  • NWOG. Because weekend geopolitics moves gold, NWOGs are larger and more frequent than on NQ/ES. Their CE (50%) is a common magnet early in the week.

10.5 SMT for gold

PairBearish SMTBullish SMTNote
Gold vs silver (GC vs SI)Gold makes a higher high, silver does notGold makes a lower low, silver holds a higher lowThe classic ICT metals pair; compare the same levels on the same time frame
Gold vs DXY (inverted)Gold makes a higher high while DXY does not make a matching lower lowGold makes a lower low while DXY fails to make a higher highFlip DXY or compare highs with lows; correlation weakens in central-bank-driven phases

As with NQ/ES, SMT is a confirmation, not an entry. Wait for the shift and the FVG on the entry time frame. Some traders take the trade on the instrument that failed to make the new extreme.

10.6 Example: gold swing long (illustrative)

Prices are expressed relative to a reference level P so the example stays valid whatever gold is trading at. Assume a typical daily range of $40–80.

  1. ContextWeekly uptrend. An unfilled Daily bullish FVG sits at P−60 to P−40. Last week’s high (PWH) at P+70 is the draw on liquidity. DXY has made a lower high on the Daily.
  2. TuesdayLondon open (10:00 Tallinn) takes Monday’s low, drops into the Daily FVG and touches its CE at P−50. Silver holds a higher low: bullish SMT.
  3. Trigger1H displacement closes above the last 1H lower high at P−25 (MSS). It leaves a 1H FVG at P−38 to P−32.
  4. EntryLimit at P−34 in the 1H FVG, placed before the 08:20 NY COMEX open (15:20 Tallinn).
  5. StopP−62, below the sweep low and the Daily FVG: $28, which is $280 per MGC.
  6. TargetsTP1 at Monday’s high near P+10 (+1.6R, close half). TP2 at PWH P+70 (+3.7R). Runner to the −2.5 SD of the manipulation leg.
  7. InvalidA 4H body close below P−60 (the Daily FVG) ends the idea. Exit regardless of the stop.

10.7 Gold add-ons to the HTF checklist

Use the common 8-point pre-trade checklist.

Decision practice · module 10

1. Gold levels are mapped on spot but execution is on a futures contract. Next?
Answer and reasoning

Check the levels on the selected contract chart — A POI belongs to its specific price series. Figure 35.

2. A sudden contract-chart gap appears near a roll. First check?
Answer and reasoning

Whether the series changed contract — Identify the price-series boundary before interpreting a gap. Figure 22.

3. A major scheduled release is imminent at the POI. Plan field?
Answer and reasoning

Record the event time and confirmation plan — Session and event context belong in the common checklist. Figure 100.

4. Gold and its comparison market disagree on an extreme. Action?
Answer and reasoning

Check timing and then await the gold trigger — Relative extremes support context, while execution uses its own chart. Figure 49.

Select answers to record your score.

11Crypto · research beyond the video

SMC and ICT on crypto charts (BTC, ETH)

After this module: adapt session context to crypto.

Prerequisites: Modules 1–10. Reading time ~10 min

Practice: 0 / 4

How each concept from modules 1–9 has to be adjusted on a market that never closes: structure and PD arrays, liquidity and sweeps, time and opening references, SMT, and the named setups. 1H–1D focus, BTC and ETH only.

Scope

BTC and ETH only. On altcoins, structure and single-exchange wicks are mostly noise.

11.1 Concept map: what carries over and what changes

ConceptOn cryptoAdjustment
BOS / CHoCH / MSSUnchangedBody close on 4H/1D; ignore breaks that exist on one exchange only
Order blocks, breakersUnchangedSize filters in percent or ATR, not points
FVG / iFVG / CEUnchangedOnly displacement gaps exist (no session gaps); discount weekend FVGs
Premium / discount, OTEUnchangedDealing range from 4H/1D swings
BSL / SSLStrongerStops plus liquidation levels of leveraged positions
PDH/PDL, PWH/PWLDepends on anchorPick 00:00 UTC or NY midnight and never mix
Kill zonesWeakerActivity peaks, not session opens; test before relying on them
Power of 3Works on 24h candlesAnchor to the daily open you chose; weekly candle includes the weekend
NWOG / NDOGDo not existWeekly open line instead; old CME gaps as legacy PD arrays
SMTUnchangedBTC vs ETH as the main pair

11.2 Structure and PD arrays on a 24/7 chart

Choose one daily anchorMost exchanges and TradingView open the crypto daily candle at 00:00 UTC (02:00/03:00 Tallinn). ICT traders often use NY midnight instead (07:00 Tallinn). The anchor changes PDH/PDL, the daily FVGs and the PO3 open, so pick one and use it everywhere.
One chart for levelsWicks differ between Binance, Coinbase and the perps. Mark OBs, FVGs and swing points on the venue you trade, or on an aggregated index if you trade several.
Filters in percentA $300 FVG means different things at different BTC prices. Filter FVGs and equal highs/lows by ATR of that time frame, or by percent of price.
Weekend PD arraysWeekend volume is the lowest of the week, Saturday most of all. FVGs and OBs formed on thin weekend displacement deserve less weight than weekday ones.
Rule

On a continuous crypto feed, an FVG is identified by the same three-candle outer-wick inequality. Check missing data and venue interruptions separately before interpreting the interval as displacement.

11.3 Liquidity and sweeps

In crypto, the liquidity resting above highs and below lows is stops plus the liquidation prices of leveraged perpetual positions. When a sweep reaches a liquidation cluster, forced orders add to the move, so sweeps run further and faster than on NQ or gold.

  1. Map BSL/SSL as usual. Equal highs/lows, PDH/PDL, PWH/PWL, the weekend high and low.
  2. Add liquidation heatmaps as a second liquidity map. Glassnode describes the clusters as fragile pressure points where moves can cascade, not as magnets, and its own heatmap covers only Hyperliquid, about 16% of BTC open interest. Use it to confirm where the obvious pools are.
  3. Check whether the sweep flushed positions. A sweep with a sharp drop in open interest means positions were closed out, which fits the sweep-then-reverse idea. A move through the level with rising open interest is new positions joining a breakout.
  4. Funding. Positive or negative funding describes the contract’s payment direction; confirm an actual reclaim and shift before selecting a reversal.
  5. Wait for the shift. Mahadzva found sweeps alone predicted continuation in FX. On crypto, where sweeps overshoot, the body close back inside and the MSS matter even more.

11.4 Time: kill zones, PO3 and weekly profiles

ICT referenceCrypto equivalent (UTC)Tallinn winter / summerNote
Day open / midnight open00:00 (or NY midnight 05:00 / 04:00)02:00 / 03:00 (or 07:00)Volume and volatility spike at 00:00 UTC
Asia range00:00–07:0002:00–09:00 / 03:00–10:00Quietest hour near 05:00 UTC; the range to be swept
London kill zone07:00–10:00 / 06:00–09:0009:00–12:00 / 09:00–12:00Smaller volume spike at 08:00 UTC
NY AM kill zone12:00–15:00 / 11:00–14:0014:00–17:00US data and cash open; BTC tracks NQ most here
Crypto peak16:0018:00 / 19:00Highest volume and volatility of the day

Charting-platform swing indicators confirm only after their required bars close. Use closed data and explicit higher-time-frame alignment.

Power of 3

Read the 24h candle from the chosen open. In a bullish AMD hypothesis, an excursion below the open precedes upward distribution. The London window and the US open are separate observation windows for a Judas-swing hypothesis after the Asia range is set. In the stated UTC crypto template, the weekly candle begins Monday 00:00 UTC and includes the following weekend.

Weekly profiles

The weekend range supplies fixed high/low references. A later breach requires a completed reclaim and an opposing structural shift before a reversal entry is examined.

11.5 Opening gaps: weekly open and CME gaps

Spot and perpetual feeds use venue-defined daily intervals. The Monday 00:00 UTC weekly open and chosen daily open are price references; above or below an open is different from the upper or lower half of a completed dealing range.

CME bitcoin futures used to close at the weekend and leave a gap that worked like an NWOG. CME moved crypto futures and options to 24/7 trading on 29 May 2026; only a two-minute daily halt and a two-hour Saturday maintenance window remain, so new weekend gaps no longer form. Gaps left before June 2026 on BTC1!/MBT1! are old PD arrays: possible targets or reaction zones, never levels that must fill.

11.6 SMT for crypto

PairBearish SMTBullish SMTNote
BTC vs ETHBTC takes its high, ETH does notBTC takes its low, ETH holds a higher lowMain pair; 30-day correlation about +0.93 in October 2026
BTC vs NQBTC makes a higher high at the US open, NQ does notBTC makes a lower low, NQ holdsOnly during NQ hours; correlation was about +0.67 and changes

Same rule as modules 8 and 10: compare the same level on the same time frame and anchor, treat SMT as confirmation, and enter only after the shift and the FVG.

11.7 The named setups on crypto

SetupFit on cryptoHow to adapt
2022 ModelGoodRun it on 4H → 15m or 1D → 1H: sweep of PDH/PDL or the weekend extreme, 4H/1H MSS, FVG entry
Candle Range TheoryGoodCrypto’s gapless 24h and weekly candles suit it: candle 2 sweeps candle 1 and closes back inside
Turtle SoupGoodFailed break of the weekly high/low or 20-day extreme; expect a deeper overshoot
Power of 3 / JudasMediumJudas from the chosen daily open; works on the weekly candle with the weekend as accumulation
UnicornMediumUnchanged; the FVG overlap filters out thin weekend breakers
Silver BulletWeakIts windows are tied to NY sessions; on crypto use only the 10–11 NY window when BTC tracks NQ
Market Maker ModelsMediumMulti-week curves on 4H/1D; as subjective here as elsewhere

11.8 Stops and risk for crypto sweeps

Why stops slip

During a liquidation cascade, market orders can traverse a thin book and stops can fill beyond their trigger price. Observe the venue’s spread, available depth and actual fill; a distant structural stop is still an order trigger rather than a promised fill.

Rule

Place the structural stop beyond the sweep extreme and the nearest mapped liquidation cluster.

11.9 Example: BTC swing short (illustrative)

Prices as percentages from a reference level P; 00:00 UTC anchor.

  1. ContextDaily downtrend. Last week’s high (PWH) at P+3% sits just above equal highs, with a short liquidation cluster above it. A 4H bearish FVG at P+1.5% to P+2.5%. Last week’s low at P−6% is the draw on liquidity. Funding is clearly positive into the level.
  2. SweepMonday, NY AM window: price spikes through PWH to P+3.6%. Open interest drops as shorts are liquidated. ETH fails to take its own weekly high: bearish SMT.
  3. TriggerA 1H candle closes back below the equal highs, then below the last 1H higher low at P+1.8% (MSS), leaving a 1H FVG at P+2.2% to P+2.6%.
  4. EntryLimit at P+2.4% in the 1H FVG, inside the 4H FVG and in above the weekly open (an open reference, not a range midpoint).
  5. StopP+4.0%, above the sweep high: stop 1.6% above the entry zone.
  6. TargetsTP1 at P−1% (last 4H swing low, +2.1R, close half). TP2 at last week’s low P−6% (+5.3R).
  7. InvalidA 4H body close above P+3% (back above PWH).

11.10 Crypto add-ons to the HTF checklist

Use the common 8-point pre-trade checklist.

Decision practice · module 11

1. Two crypto venues show different lows. Which anchors the plan?
Answer and reasoning

The venue and instrument used for the entry — A sweep is measured against the selected price series. Figure 28.

2. Daily candles use different open times. Compare PDH/PDL directly?
Answer and reasoning

First align the day boundary — Changing the day boundary changes the endpoints. Figure 100.

3. A weekend extreme is swept but closes keep extending beyond it. Fade?
Answer and reasoning

Wait for a reclaim and structure trigger — The sweep-reversal branch requires recovery. Figure 56.

4. A BTC setup has no clear invalidation. Is the plan complete?
Answer and reasoning

No; specify the structural cancellation price — Execution needs the same ordered fields on every instrument. Figure 111.

Select answers to record your score.

The London row in this crypto table follows 07:00–10:00 Europe/London: 07:00–10:00 UTC in winter, 06:00–09:00 UTC in summer, and 09:00–12:00 Tallinn in both seasons. This differs from the fixed 02:00–05:00 New York model window during DST mismatch weeks. The Asia 00:00–07:00 UTC row is a crypto-specific observation window, separate from ICT Asia 20:00–00:00 ET. NY windows follow America/New_York; Tallinn normally adds seven hours and adds six in DST mismatch weeks.

12Part 2 · Lewis Kelly course

Context, confirmation and execution

After this module: connect the second course’s top-down rules.

Prerequisites: Modules 1–9. Reading time ~54 min

Practice: 0 / 4

Condensed study notes from the second course, focused on additions to modules 1–11. Examples are independently constructed.

00:00 · Price as information Video 2 · ▶ 0:00:00

The introduction motivates reading price behaviour; the foundations are already explained in module 1.

01:46 · Market structure Video 2 · ▶ 0:01:46

Track the swing that actually produced the break

Video 2 · ▶ 0:10:26

Modules 1 and 9 already distinguish internal corrections from external structure. Kelly adds a practical box method: retain the controlling low and high throughout a correction. After a confirmed upward break, find the lowest intervening price before that break; that becomes the new controlling low. Reverse the procedure after a downward break. A small internal low failing does not by itself reverse the external bias.

Track the swing that actually produced the breakBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCCHoCHControlling low80600.086459.532025-11-21 03:45 – 2025-11-21 20:45 UTCTradingView
The close at 13:00 is the first above the marked swing high. The lowest intervening candle at 12:15 sets the new controlling low at 80600.00; smaller internal swings do not replace it.

A pullback needs a consistent definition

Video 2 · ▶ 0:12:49

In the structure demonstration, the author requires a retracement lasting at least three candles before treating it as a swing pullback. He also rejects wick-only structural breaks. This is his convention for that demonstration; the later top-down example uses a different, two-candle micro trigger. Do not silently combine those definitions into one swing detector.

A pullback needs a consistent definitionBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCClose above102687.72104901.922025-11-11 23:15 – 2025-11-12 09:00 UTCTradingViewA pullback needs a consistent definition · Time detailBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCClose above103051.59104228.92025-11-12 05:30 – 2025-11-12 08:45 UTCTradingView
In the detail, the three red candles beginning at 07:15 form the correction beneath the marked high. The 08:15 close clears that high; the overview retains the preceding bullish leg and this demonstration uses a three-candle pullback.

What changes in your plan: Update the controlling pair after a confirmed external break, rather than after every small fluctuation.

25:38 · Liquidity Video 2 · ▶ 0:25:38

Map orders inside the active structural leg

Video 2 · ▶ 0:44:22

For basic pools, see module 2. The added sequence is: establish direction, bound the current swing, then mark plausible stop and breakout clusters within that context. For a long continuation, identify liquidity above the destination and liquidity that could be swept into a demand area below the current price. Distant sell-side pools are not sufficient reason to short an intact bullish swing. Entries, protective exits and profit-taking all create transactions; a price chart suggests possible clusters but does not reveal the actual outstanding orders.

Map orders inside the active structural legBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCCHoCHHigh takenLeg lowInternal SSL93005.5595673.92025-11-16 14:15 – 2025-11-17 07:15 UTCTradingView
The 93005.55 leg low bounds the broader bullish recovery that closes above CHoCH; the 94707.82 internal low forms before the next marked high is taken. Sell stops below Internal SSL could be taken while the broader leg low holds, with buy-side liquidity above 95487.80 as the destination; these are inferred clusters, not observed orders.

What changes in your plan: Name both the liquidity to be crossed before entry and the liquidity used as the destination.

48:21 · Sweep versus run Video 2 · ▶ 0:48:21

Rejection and continuation are different events

Video 2 · ▶ 1:09:41

The pool locations repeat module 2; the important distinction is what follows contact. A sweep exceeds a prior extreme and closes back inside the reference range on that candle or the immediately following candle. A run accepts prices beyond it and continues. Fading every high-break ignores the latter case. The chapter explains this through aggressive orders consuming passive quotes: stops and breakout buying can support continuation, while opposing interest can reject the move.

Rejection and continuation are different eventsBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCClose below86100.093160.02025-11-20 04:30 – 2025-11-20 21:30 UTCTradingView
The candle at 14:00 closes below the marked swing low. The following closes remain below it and price extends lower, illustrating acceptance rather than an immediate sweep and reclaim.

What changes in your plan: Classify the completed reaction before choosing a reversal trade.

1:14:34 · Daily bias Video 2 · ▶ 1:14:34

Read yesterday, then choose a destination

Video 2 · ▶ 1:16:58

Module 13 Part A contains the basic candle rules. Here the process starts with the completed daily candle: a close beyond the prior high or low favours continuation; an excursion beyond an extreme followed by a return inside suggests rejection. A small or conflicting candle can leave the read unresolved. Add nearby daily gaps and untaken highs or lows as possible destinations. A directional forecast concerns an excursion during the next day, not necessarily the colour of its eventual closing candle.

Read yesterday, then choose a destinationBTCUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTC80126.0487395.672026-09-19 00:00 – 2026-10-13 00:00 UTCTradingView
The highlighted daily candle closes above the preceding day's high, supporting a conditional continuation read. The next day trades above its 86800.00 high; that excursion is separate from predicting the next candle's closing colour.

Wait for the move against the daily idea

Video 2 · ▶ 1:19:43

The intraday application anticipates an initial move against the intended daily direction, then a reversal back toward it. In the long example, the session pulls lower, the 1-minute structure turns upward, and a 5-minute origin area supplies the proposed entry with protection under the low. Gaps and old highs provide destinations. The daily hypothesis can fail; it is not permission to buy an ongoing lower-time-frame decline.

Wait for the move against the daily ideaMODEL · synthetic · 1m · Original synthetic teaching data · UTCCHoCHOB99.84117.192026-01-13 07:00 – 2026-01-13 08:11 UTCTradingView
The initial decline runs against the illustrative bullish daily idea, then the marked close clears the last meaningful high of that decline. The later pullback returns to the shaded bullish origin after confirmation, with the reversal low as the protective reference. This synthetic one-minute detail illustrates the sequence; it does not independently establish daily bias or a five-minute zone.

What changes in your plan: Separate daily context, intraday manipulation and the eventual entry trigger.

1:24:50 · Daily examples continue Video 2 · ▶ 1:24:50

Daily examples continue with slowing momentum and an untouched destination.

Slowing momentum and an unmet draw

Video 2 · ▶ 1:26:41

the daily examples show why context remains conditional: reaching a daily area can slow a trend, ambiguous candles can give no clear read, and an expected destination need not be reached that day. The execution example later waits for an internal pullback and a 1-minute realignment before selecting a 5-minute zone. The daily context is not a substitute for that confirmation.

Slowing momentum and an unmet drawETHUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCUntaken highSmaller bodies3710.03864.232025-10-22 14:45 – 2025-10-23 00:30 UTCTradingView
The marked 15:00 high at 3864.23 remains untouched above the later recovery. After the 23:00–23:15 expansion, the final four bodies from 23:45 through 00:30 shrink from 9.63 to 6.10, 4.42 and 0.48 inside the shaded pause. The window ends at that contraction; it does not imply that the unmet high must be reached.

1:38:07 · Supply and demand Video 2 · ▶ 1:38:07

Draw the base before the expansion

Video 2 · ▶ 1:50:29

The origin-versus-gap distinction is introduced in module 5. The added construction rule uses the high and low of a balanced base immediately preceding a decisive departure. A rally identifies candidate demand; a sell-off identifies candidate supply. The base can span several candles, so it need not equal one order-block candle. The lesson uses the direction of external structure to choose between opposing zones, rather than trading both merely because each has a sharp departure.

Draw the base before the expansionSOLUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCDemand baseFVG141.21148.742026-01-13 11:45 – 2026-01-14 05:00 UTCTradingView
The three-candle base at 21:15–21:45 UTC spans 143.37–144.30 before the sharp upward departure. The separate FVG spans 143.67–146.50; the later pullback enters the gap while staying above the base.

Confirmation replaces a blind first-touch order

Video 2 · ▶ 2:05:26

The worked procedure reads direction on 15 minutes, waits for the chosen supply or demand area, then watches 1-minute structure reverse back into that direction. An execution area is then selected on 5 minutes. A narrow candidate can remain unfilled; the example acknowledges this and also examines a broader origin range. A smaller structural stop may improve the planned ratio to the same destination, but the new area must be selected explicitly.

Confirmation replaces a blind first-touch orderBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCWick rangeBody rangeCHoCH86306.7787970.02025-11-26 06:45 – 2025-11-26 16:30 UTCTradingView
After the upward closing break, the pullback at 15:45 touches the full wick range but stops above the narrower body range. A body-only limit would remain unfilled here; choosing the broader origin changes the planned entry and structural risk.

What changes in your plan: Record the confirmed entry area before the retest, including what to do if it never fills.

2:08:53 · Order blocks Video 2 · ▶ 2:08:53

An OB filter with a specific price-leg boundary

Video 2 · ▶ 2:12:31

The last opposing candle and FVG basics overlap module 4. Kelly uses the full candle extremes in the demonstration. The departure must leave a genuine three-candle non-overlap; touching outer wicks fail this filter. His selection checklist adds trend alignment, a liquidity raid at the origin, and a structural break somewhere in the same departure leg. The origin candle need not itself cross the external swing. After another external break, reassess candidates in the new active leg.

An OB filter with a specific price-leg boundaryETHUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCOBFVGCHoCH2975.33053.022025-11-30 03:15 – 2025-11-30 20:15 UTCTradingView
An OB filter with a specific price-leg boundaryETHUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCOBFVG2975.33053.022025-11-30 03:15 – 2025-11-30 20:15 UTCTradingView
The 11:45 down candle supplies the full-wick OB, and its departure leaves the separate FVG before the 12:30 close above the marked swing high. The detail viewport spans 2998–3010 and clips prices outside those bounds; the FVG itself is only 3006.96–3007.79, above the 2999.94–3006.96 OB.

Session liquidity, confirmation and order cancellation

Video 2 · ▶ 2:19:02

The example chooses a bullish higher-time-frame block beneath Asia lows while preparing for London. After price raids those lows into the block, the 1-minute decline must reverse through its relevant high with displacement. The new bullish origin and its gap supply the refined entry, protection is under the reversal low, and the next structural high supplies the destination. The example seeks at least 5R, which is a source-model preference rather than a universal risk rule. Cancel an unfilled order if the intended target is reached first.

Session liquidity, confirmation and order cancellationMODEL · synthetic · 1m · Original synthetic teaching data · UTCPending OBTarget first99.72116.482026-01-14 07:00 – 2026-01-14 08:11 UTCTradingView
After the bullish origin is left behind, price takes the marked old high before returning to the OB on the right. The target-before-fill rule cancels this pending idea at that high; the late return cannot fill the cancelled setup. This synthetic detail isolates cancellation; a session raid and higher-time-frame eligibility remain separate checks.

A second signal requires a fresh structure event

Video 2 · ▶ 2:26:19

If the original entry is missed or removed, the chapter examines a new lower-time-frame liquidation and upward break within the same broader idea. It retains the original protective low and the same destination. This is a newly confirmed opportunity; wait for its own entry rather than chasing.

A second signal requires a fresh structure eventETHUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCFirst shiftFresh breakProtected low1945.082165.752026-03-03 19:15 – 2026-03-04 18:15 UTCTradingView
The original reversal low at 1945.08 remains intact through the later pullback, and the 15:15 candle closes above the second marked high. This 15-minute view shows retained protection and a fresh structural break only; it does not establish the new liquidation and one-minute reversal required for a completed second entry signal.

What changes in your plan: Add a target-before-fill cancellation condition to pending orders.

2:28:13 · Order-block patterns and entry refinement Video 2 · ▶ 2:28:13

Sweep the high, then shift below the low

Video 2 · ▶ 2:28:40

The chapter begins with two OB patterns before discussing R. In sweep-shift, price raids an old high, then breaks the controlling low; the final up candle at that origin is the bearish candidate, with the next weak low as destination. The continuation variant is illustrated separately in module 8.

Sweep the high, then shift below the lowBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCCHoCHOBPrior highsweep104265.02106670.112025-11-09 22:45 – 2025-11-10 17:30 UTCTradingView
The 08:00 wick sweeps the 07:00 high at 106539.40 and closes back below it. The 08:30 close at 105942.89 breaks the 06:15 low at 105963.30; the shaded 07:45 up candle marks the bearish OB candidate. The zone ends at the 09:30 close above its high, which invalidates this candidate.

Refine after a reversal; keep the destination

Video 2 · ▶ 2:33:51

The technique waits for price to reach the higher-time-frame OB, observes a 1-minute reversal, and selects an execution block or gap on 5 minutes. The narrower structural risk interval can improve the quoted reward-to-risk while preserving the original destination. It is not a rule to halve any existing stop. Wait for the permitted session, and allow the order to miss. Original arithmetic example: a short targeting 24 has entry 60 and stop 72 for 3R; a confirmed entry at 57 with stop 63 offers 5.5R before costs.

1m reversal confirmationMODEL · synthetic · 1m · Original synthetic teaching data · UTCCHoCH102.57120.42026-01-15 08:00 – 2026-01-15 09:11 UTCTradingView
5m execution and plan comparisonMODEL · synthetic · 5m · Original synthetic teaching data · UTCOriginal E 120Old stop >130Target 107.39Entry 117.90Stop >120.40102.57130.02026-01-15 06:00 – 2026-01-15 09:15 UTCTradingView
The left panel confirms the one-minute reversal before the right panel selects the bullish 08:35 five-minute candle as a bearish execution OB; its 117.90 lower edge is revisited after confirmation. Compare the original 120.00 entry and 130.01 stop with the refined 117.90 entry and 120.41 stop, retaining the same 107.39 destination: price risk contracts from 10.01 to 2.51 and reward/risk rises from 1.26R to 4.19R before costs. Both panels are synthetic and the five-minute candles aggregate the same minute path; even the refined candidate remains below this OB model’s 5R preference.

What changes in your plan: Keep the destination fixed and require the 1-minute reversal before refining the execution area.

2:37:14 · Top-down analysis Video 2 · ▶ 2:37:14

Daily context → 15m location → 1m reversal

Video 2 · ▶ 2:40:02

Unlike the swing workflow in module 9, this intraday example starts with recent daily candles and a daily destination, then uses 15 minutes for the session and 1 minute for the reversal. Five minutes is used to place the order after confirmation. For a bearish continuation, the temporary daily rally can supply the selling opportunity; the current day’s low is the example destination. The temporarily green daily candle does not cancel a bearish context.

Daily context → 15m location → 1m reversalMODEL · synthetic · 1d · Original synthetic teaching data · UTC98.0144.472025-12-28 00:00 – 2026-01-16 00:00 UTCTradingView
Daily context → 15m location → 1m reversalMODEL · synthetic · 1m · Original synthetic teaching data · UTCCHoCHOB102.58120.252026-01-16 08:00 – 2026-01-16 09:11 UTCTradingView
The left panel ends with a provisional green day after a completed bearish daily candle; a temporary rally does not by itself reverse that context. The linked one-minute detail shows the rally rolling over through the marked low and returning to the bearish origin before falling again. Both panels are synthetic; fifteen-minute location and five-minute execution selection are separate workflow steps.

A countertrend bounce is a separate playbook

Video 2 · ▶ 2:45:14

The chapter also discusses a bounce after an extended bearish day. It relies on the possibility of a low-to-close recovery, not on declaring the daily trend bullish. One example fails, then a renewed trigger follows another low raid and a 15-minute failure to close beneath the reference. The micro trigger cited is a break and close above the high of a two-candle 1-minute retracement. A 3-minute gap is used in the renewed entry; the bounce example targets 3R. This variation must not inherit the continuation model’s assumptions.

A countertrend bounce is a separate playbookMODEL · synthetic · 1m · Original synthetic teaching data · UTC99.62117.292026-01-19 13:00 – 2026-01-19 14:11 UTCTradingView
Two red candles: 13:34–13:35MODEL · synthetic · 1m · Original synthetic teaching data · UTC2-bar high99.62112.962026-01-19 13:10 – 2026-01-19 13:49 UTCTradingView
The overview shows the failed bounce and renewed low raid; the detail enlarges the recovery and its two red pullback candles. The 13:34 and 13:35 highs are 103.98 and 103.28, so their combined reference is 103.98; the 13:36 close at 105.00 clears it. This synthetic one-minute countertrend trigger leaves the fifteen-minute confirmation and three-minute execution gap as separate checks.

What changes in your plan: Label the bounce variation separately and retain the failed first attempt in review.

2:51:46 · Candle closes and the entry model Video 2 · ▶ 2:51:46

Read the open, high, low and close

Video 2 · ▶ 2:52:53

Basic OHLC extends module 13 Part A; executed bid/ask flow extends module 7. A marketable buyer consumes offers; a marketable seller consumes bids. Thin available quotes can turn a modest order into a large price move. A touched limit need not fill completely. The close records where the interval ended, while the wick records an excursion that did not persist to that close. Candles alone do not reveal queue position, all transactions, absorption volume or institutional intent.

7 Nov OHLC: highlighted final candleETHUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTCH 3473.00L 3194.20O 3315.143057.04253.722025-10-24 00:00 – 2025-11-07 00:00 UTCTradingView
Look at the highlighted final candle on 7 November: the OHLC strip reports this same candle, including its close C 3436.05. The O 3315.14 line marks the bottom of its green body; the close is the top of that body. H 3473.00 and L 3194.20 mark the wick tips, showing the full excursion beyond the body.

The missing confirmation is a completed close

Video 2 · ▶ 3:11:30

A wick through a reference high followed by an inside close does not confirm an upward structural break. The reciprocal rule applies at lows. The extended examples keep the controlling external swing until a body close confirms the break; stops behind an internal low falsely promoted to external structure are exposed to the ongoing correction. A failed upward attempt can weaken its launching low without already reversing the external trend. Reassess direction only after the relevant close.

The missing confirmation is a completed closeETHUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCClose above2763.02885.752025-11-23 19:45 – 2025-11-24 12:45 UTCTradingView
At 04:00, the wick exceeds the marked high but its candle closes below the line. The later close at 05:00 is the first confirmed break above that same reference; the wick alone did not qualify.

Location → slowing → shift → execution

Video 2 · ▶ 3:33:02

The detailed continuation example first establishes external bullish direction, identifies an upside destination and chooses an interest area below stacked session lows. An origin range, a small OB and the day-opening reference supply location context. Only after the lows are raided into that area does he inspect 1-minute action. Selling can slow or repeatedly stall there, but that is insufficient: buyers must then displace the relevant high. After the shift, choose a sell-to-buy origin or overlapping gap on an execution time frame and protect beneath the reversal low. Refine a large origin only when a valid smaller structure exists.

Location → slowing → shift → executionMODEL · synthetic · 1m · Original synthetic teaching data · UTCCHoCHOB100.0117.42026-01-20 07:00 – 2026-01-20 08:11 UTCTradingView
Selling slows into the central cluster of small candles near the low, but that alone supplies no bullish confirmation. The marked closing shift comes next, followed by a return to the shaded origin; this is the order of slowing, shift and execution. The synthetic one-minute detail assumes a previously selected higher-time-frame location rather than establishing one from these candles.

Keep the order pending until the target is taken

Video 2 · ▶ 3:36:42

The example keeps its pending idea while the destination high remains untaken, despite intervening ranging and repeated returns. It ultimately targets the old high. One spoken reference to a swing low conflicts with that bullish context and the later high destination; these notes follow the consistent high-target explanation. References to 50 minutes elsewhere are inconsistent with surrounding 15-minute explanations, so they are not introduced as a new mandatory time frame.

Keep the order pending until the target is takenMODEL · synthetic · 1m · Original synthetic teaching data · UTCEntry originTarget later99.85117.262026-01-21 07:00 – 2026-01-21 08:11 UTCTradingView
The old high stays untouched through the first rally and the later pullback into the shaded origin. Only the final rally takes that destination; the target-before-fill cancellation condition had not occurred before the return. This synthetic sequence illustrates order-state timing; a fill or invalidation would also end a pending order.

What changes in your plan: Treat slowing as an observation and the structural close as the trigger; keep them distinct.

3:37:58 · Fair value gaps Video 2 · ▶ 3:37:58

Keep the untouched remainder and check volume evidence

Video 2 · ▶ 3:47:16

Three-candle geometry is already in module 5. The extension compares a partly retraced gap with its remaining untouched portion and a low-volume region in the profile. A large candle need not imply large traded volume. A news-driven move can traverse sparse available quotes; the OHLC pattern is only a candidate for inefficiency. Without actual volume-at-price data, do not claim the low-volume condition is verified.

Keep the untouched remainder and check volume evidenceBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCFVGUntouched63689.5466310.02026-02-24 16:15 – 2026-02-25 09:15 UTCTradingView
The bullish FVG lies between 64319.29 and 65423.53; the pullback at 03:30 enters only its upper part. By the right edge, 64319.29–64755.26 remains untouched; no volume-at-price evidence is supplied to verify a low-volume region.

Choose the gap through the trade context

Video 2 · ▶ 3:48:19

The selection process joins an eligible gap with external direction, a liquidity raid into the area, and a named pool beyond the entry as destination. The long example uses clustered session lows before entry and old daily, weekly or session highs overhead. Neither partial mitigation nor pattern recognition alone decides whether to trade. A countertrend gap can be crossed rather than defended.

Choose the gap through the trade contextBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCAsia lowSweepFVGPre-London highSwing low77226.6178200.02026-05-20 21:00 – 2026-05-21 09:45 UTCTradingView
The 07:15 UTC wick first raids the Asia low while remaining above the earlier controlling swing low, then the departure leaves the bullish FVG. The pre-London high already exists overhead when the gap forms; price reaches it at 08:00 before the later return to the gap, so that return cannot be treated as an entry toward an untouched target.

What changes in your plan: Record geometry and measured volume evidence as separate fields.

3:51:51 · The five-rule intraday model Video 2 · ▶ 3:51:51

Five ordered gates for the continuation model

Video 2 · ▶ 3:54:37
  1. Direction: use external 15-minute swings; avoid a range whose controlling pair cannot be identified.
  2. Time: execute only in the stated London 02:00–05:00 or New York 07:00–10:00 windows. The source calls these EST/New York times; it does not provide a complete daylight-saving conversion rule.
  3. Liquidation: require a session pool to be taken first. For London shorts the example takes Asia/Frankfurt highs; the corresponding long setup needs sell-side liquidity. One spoken high/low reference in the bullish explanation is inconsistent, so use the directional context rather than that isolated word.
  4. Reversal: wait for 1-minute structure to turn into the 15-minute direction.
  5. Execution: after that shift, normally choose a 5-minute OB, FVG or iFVG. Overlap is welcome but all three are not required.
Five ordered gates for the continuation modelMODEL · synthetic · 15m · Original synthetic teaching data · UTCLondon 02:00 NYAsia lowExternal lowExternal high91.65117.152026-01-22 20:00 – 2026-01-23 07:45 UTCTradingView
Five ordered gates for the continuation modelMODEL · synthetic · 1m · Original synthetic teaching data · UTCCHoCH99.6117.152026-01-23 06:48 – 2026-01-23 07:59 UTCTradingView
Five ordered gates for the continuation modelMODEL · synthetic · 5m · Original synthetic teaching data · UTC5m OB99.6117.152026-01-23 04:40 – 2026-01-23 07:55 UTCTradingView
In this synthetic example, Asia stays below the pre-Asia 113.00 external high, so 93.86 remains the bullish leg low as London breaks below and recovers the separate Asia low. After the one-minute 07:28 UTC candle closes above 108.83, select the completed 07:15 five-minute OB; its shading starts at 07:30 after confirmation. The 07:40 five-minute candle returns to that OB during London 02:00–05:00 New York time; all three panels use the same continuous synthetic minute path.

Entry, structural stop and target

Video 2 · ▶ 4:15:30

For the short demonstration, protect beyond the reversal high and aim toward the 15-minute swing low; invert this for longs. Compare the available reward with the structural risk before placing an order. The OB chapter prefers at least 5R, while the separate bounce model uses 3R; they are different playbooks.

Entry, structural stop and targetBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCOBCHoCHEntry 85868Stop >86674Target 83822.7683822.7686938.012025-12-01 06:15 – 2025-12-01 23:15 UTCTradingView
Compare the 85868.00 entry with the actual 14:30 reversal high at 86674.00; protection one tick above that high is 86674.01. The marked 83822.76 destination gives 2.54R before costs, so this candidate is rejected under this OB playbook’s 5R preference. The OB ends at its first invalidating close at 21:30; the later rally also crosses the structural stop reference, one tick below the planned stop.

What changes in your plan: Record the entry, protective swing and target before placing the order.

Decision practice · module 12

1. SSL is taken and price continues down. What is missing for the reversal?
Answer and reasoning

A close back inside and a shift — A run and a rejected breach lead to different plans. Figure 56.

2. An order is still pending when its target is reached. Action?
Answer and reasoning

Cancel and remap — The original objective has already been completed. Figure 63.

3. The full gap is 32–54; the return reaches 40. Remaining bullish area?
Answer and reasoning

32–40 — The top portion was traversed; the lower interval remains untouched. Figure 73.

4. Price slows at the POI but no opposing close-break occurs. Enter?
Answer and reasoning

Wait for the completed structure event — Location, slowing, shift and entry are ordered gates. Figure 71.

Select answers to record your score.

A protected swing is the selected structural low or high whose completed closing breach cancels the continuation thesis. Basic candle anatomy is in module 13 Part A; executed bid/ask flow is in module 7.

13Daily study reference

Daily candle playbook

After this module: select a daily scenario and LTF path.

Prerequisites: Modules 1–9 and 12. Reading time ~118 min

Practice: 0 / 4

Part A · candle catalogue. Part B · daily setups and top-down plans.

Daily candle = 4 numbers + context

Open and close define the body; high and low bound the full range. Tails show travel beyond the body, without identifying participants or the order of the extremes. Compare the completed bar with PDH, PDL and their 50% midpoint; then locate it in a fixed HTF swing range (premium/discount) and against premarked POIs. Note which extremes were crossed and whether the close retained that ground.

Use one instrument feed and one daily session boundary for the comparisons. The chart daily open and New York midnight open are separate anchors. A current-day open exists only after that day starts; none of the diagrams implies knowledge of it beforehand. The earlier modules’ fixed Tallinn clock examples are historical source notes: verify the chosen timezone and calendar rather than carrying a fixed offset into this playbook.

Video 2 · ▶ 1:15:03; Video 2 · ▶ 1:18:23; Video 1 · ▶ 0:05:06. Shape thresholds and the 4h/1h bridge are editorial conventions.

Futures daily reference

NQ/ES: select the active contract and a fixed session template. Globex is 18:00–17:00 ET; the course RTH template is 09:30–16:00 ET. Their highs, lows and candles differ. Overnight high/low belongs to the chosen pre-RTH interval, distinct from the full prior session. Contract roll and back-adjustment can change historical reference prices. A Monday session starts Sunday evening; Friday ends before the weekend. Use the exchange calendar for holidays and shortened days. London and NY are observation windows; daily OHLC leaves the timing and order of the extremes open.

In these four-day shape drawings, PDH/PDL means the day before the outlined study day (D1). For the next-day plan, yesterday becomes the outlined study day: next-day PDH/PDL = study high/low. An older D1 or two-day boundary remains fixed and is named separately.

After scheduled news, update the mapped structure and entry conditions.

Part A · candle catalogue

A17. Broad-body bullish

Broad-body bullishBTCUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTCBody 50%65000.074900.02026-03-20 00:00 – 2026-04-13 00:00 UTCTradingView
The highlighted 05 Apr 2026 candle has a broad bullish body and closes near its high, with a visible lower wick. A pullback holding the body midpoint at 68,167.30 would support a high retest; a failed recovery through it would favour a deeper rotation.

How to recognise

Broad body: between two-thirds and 80% of range, with the close in the outer tenth. The open is outside the outer tenth, distinguishing this example from the trend-day card.

What it says

The net open-to-close move favours buyers. Neither the body nor its colour identifies resting orders.

Next-day hypotheses · A primary

If a pullback holds the body midpoint, examine a return to the highlighted high.

B alternative

If the midpoint fails, examine a deeper rotation toward the low.

Invalidation

A completed 15m close through the defended body midpoint followed by a failed recovery cancels A and activates the deeper-rotation branch. The study extreme bounds that alternative.

Context filter

More coherent with rising HTF swings and room above; weaker directly beneath an opposing weekly POI.

Convention (not from the videos)

Scenario tree · Broad-body bullish

  • A · illustrated thesis: If a pullback holds the body midpoint, examine a return to the highlighted high. Eligible daily models: Wait for a newly completed daily boundary event; reassess the matrix using that new day..
  • B · opposing thesis: If the midpoint fails, examine a deeper rotation toward the low. This requires a new close-break and held retest; re-evaluate the completed daily evidence before selecting a different setup.
  • Balance: If the broad-body bullish thesis fails to resolve and closes overlap, suspend its directional branch and remap the outer range.

A18. Broad-body bearish

Broad-body bearishDX-Y.NYB · 1d · Yahoo Finance · UTCBody 50%97.6399.342026-04-08 04:00 – 2026-05-12 04:00 UTCTradingView
The highlighted 30 Apr 2026 candle has a broad bearish body and closes near its low, with a visible upper wick. A retracement capped by the body midpoint at 98.465 would support a low retest; reclaiming it would favour rotation toward the high.

How to recognise

Broad body: between two-thirds and 80% of range, with the close in the outer tenth. The open is outside the outer tenth, distinguishing this example from the trend-day card.

What it says

Sellers controlled the net change during this day; the next day can still retrace.

Next-day hypotheses · A primary

If a retracement fails below the midpoint, examine a revisit of the highlighted low.

B alternative

If the midpoint is reclaimed, examine rotation toward the high.

Invalidation

A completed 15m close through the defended body midpoint followed by a failed recovery cancels A and activates the deeper-rotation branch. The study extreme bounds that alternative.

Context filter

Fits falling HTF swings; nearby daily demand can interrupt the reading.

Convention (not from the videos)

Scenario tree · Broad-body bearish

  • A · illustrated thesis: If a retracement fails below the midpoint, examine a revisit of the highlighted low. Eligible daily models: Wait for a newly completed daily boundary event; reassess the matrix using that new day..
  • B · opposing thesis: If the midpoint is reclaimed, examine rotation toward the high. This requires a new close-break and held retest; re-evaluate the completed daily evidence before selecting a different setup.
  • Balance: If the broad-body bearish thesis fails to resolve and closes overlap, suspend its directional branch and remap the outer range.

A19. Long lower wick · bullish body

Long lower wick · bullish bodyBTCUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTCPDHPDL62510.2874050.02026-02-12 00:00 – 2026-03-08 00:00 UTCTradingView
On 28 Feb 2026, the highlighted green candle trades below the previous low of 64,914.46 and closes back inside the previous range. If the reclaimed previous low holds on a retest, watch toward the previous high; losing it would reopen the lower tail.

How to recognise

Lower wick is at least half the range and exceeds twice the body; C > O. L is below PDL here, C returns inside. Shape families can overlap; this card highlights the named property.

What it says

Lower prices were visited but not retained at the close; possible stop activation is an interpretation.

Next-day hypotheses · A primary

If the lower tail remains defended, examine a move toward PDH.

B alternative

If the recovery stalls under PD 50%, examine another test of the tail.

Invalidation

Acceptance back through the reclaimed D1 PDL, followed by a failed recovery, cancels A. A close through the study extreme is the wider structural cancellation.

Context filter

A premarked discount POI supports the thesis; a strong downtrend or a news spike weakens it.

Convention (not from the videos)

Scenario tree · Long lower wick · bullish body

  • A · illustrated thesis: If the lower tail remains defended, examine a move toward PDH. Eligible daily models: Sweep and return · Rejection wick at an HTF POI.
  • B · opposing thesis: If the recovery stalls under PD 50%, examine another test of the tail. This requires a new close-break and held retest; re-evaluate the completed daily evidence before selecting a different setup.
  • Balance: If the long lower wick · bullish body thesis fails to resolve and closes overlap, suspend its directional branch and remap the outer range.

A20. Long lower wick · bearish body

Long lower wick · bearish bodyBTCUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTCPDHPDL86420.097924.492025-12-23 00:00 – 2026-01-16 00:00 UTCTradingView
On 08 Jan 2026, the highlighted red candle has a long lower tail and closes above the previous low of 90,675.52. The negative body and rejection of lower prices coexist; a recovery above the body needs to hold before favouring the previous high over another low test.

How to recognise

Same long lower-tail geometry, but C < O. C remains above PDL: a red body can still reject lower prices. Shape families can overlap; this card highlights the named property.

What it says

The bounce from the low and the negative open-to-close move convey different information.

Next-day hypotheses · A primary

If price reclaims the body and holds above PDL, examine PDH.

B alternative

If the body caps the recovery, examine renewed selling toward the low.

Invalidation

Acceptance back through the reclaimed D1 PDL, followed by a failed recovery, cancels A. A close through the study extreme is the wider structural cancellation.

Context filter

Require an actual LTF turn at support; a red body does not by itself negate the tail or confirm a reversal.

Convention (not from the videos)

Scenario tree · Long lower wick · bearish body

  • A · illustrated thesis: If price reclaims the body and holds above PDL, examine PDH. Eligible daily models: Sweep and return · Rejection wick at an HTF POI.
  • B · opposing thesis: If the body caps the recovery, examine renewed selling toward the low. This requires a new close-break and held retest; re-evaluate the completed daily evidence before selecting a different setup.
  • Balance: If the long lower wick · bearish body thesis fails to resolve and closes overlap, suspend its directional branch and remap the outer range.

A21. Long upper wick · bearish body

Long upper wick · bearish bodyETHUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTCPDHPDL2220.362423.752026-04-20 00:00 – 2026-05-14 00:00 UTCTradingView
On 06 May 2026, the highlighted red candle extends above the previous high of 2,399.50 before closing back inside the previous range. A retest rejected below the previous high would favour the previous low; reclaiming that high would weaken the rejection reading.

How to recognise

Upper wick is at least half the range and exceeds twice the body; C < O. H exceeds PDH here. Shape families can overlap; this card highlights the named property.

What it says

The day explored higher prices before settling lower; a stop-run narrative remains hypothetical.

Next-day hypotheses · A primary

If the upper tail caps a retracement, examine PDL.

B alternative

If price reclaims the body, examine a new test of the high.

Invalidation

Acceptance back through the reclaimed D1 PDH, followed by a failed recovery, cancels A. A close through the study extreme is the wider structural cancellation.

Context filter

More coherent at HTF supply; less coherent during an accepted breakout with rising HTF structure.

Convention (not from the videos)

Scenario tree · Long upper wick · bearish body

  • A · illustrated thesis: If the upper tail caps a retracement, examine PDL. Eligible daily models: Sweep and return · Rejection wick at an HTF POI.
  • B · opposing thesis: If price reclaims the body, examine a new test of the high. This requires a new close-break and held retest; re-evaluate the completed daily evidence before selecting a different setup.
  • Balance: If the long upper wick · bearish body thesis fails to resolve and closes overlap, suspend its directional branch and remap the outer range.

A22. Long upper wick · bullish body

Long upper wick · bullish bodyBTCUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTCPDHPDL58115.0167292.152026-06-06 00:00 – 2026-06-30 00:00 UTCTradingView
On 22 Jun 2026, the highlighted green candle has a long upper tail and closes below the previous high of 64,588.00. A positive body alone does not resolve the bias; watch whether the previous high stays rejected or is reclaimed on a later retest.

How to recognise

The upper tail is long even though C > O; close lies back below PDH. Shape families can overlap; this card highlights the named property.

What it says

A positive body and rejection of the high coexist. Do not convert colour directly into daily bias.

Next-day hypotheses · A primary

If PDH stays rejected, examine rotation toward PD 50% and PDL.

B alternative

If PDH is reclaimed and held, examine continuation above the tail.

Invalidation

Acceptance back through the reclaimed D1 PDH, followed by a failed recovery, cancels A. A close through the study extreme is the wider structural cancellation.

Context filter

The source explicitly leaves a bullish sweep-back candle ambiguous; HTF location must decide whether to wait.

Video 2 · ▶ 1:24:22 · Named shape and numeric thresholds: Convention (not from the videos)

Scenario tree · Long upper wick · bullish body

  • A · illustrated thesis: If PDH stays rejected, examine rotation toward PD 50% and PDL. Eligible daily models: Sweep and return · Rejection wick at an HTF POI.
  • B · opposing thesis: If PDH is reclaimed and held, examine continuation above the tail. This requires a new close-break and held retest; re-evaluate the completed daily evidence before selecting a different setup.
  • Balance: If the long upper wick · bullish body thesis fails to resolve and closes overlap, suspend its directional branch and remap the outer range.

A23. Doji / spinning top

Doji / spinning topETHUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTCPDHPDL1505.682038.02026-05-31 00:00 – 2026-06-24 00:00 UTCTradingView
The highlighted 16 Jun 2026 doji has a tiny body between two substantial wicks, entirely inside the preceding daily range. Wait for a range edge to break and hold; a break that returns inside instead leaves rotation toward the opposite edge possible.

How to recognise

Body is at most 10% of range (doji); a modestly larger body with two material tails is a spinning top. This example is a doji inside the prior range. Shape families can overlap; this card highlights the named property.

What it says

The net change is small despite two-sided travel. OHLC does not reveal which extreme came first.

Next-day hypotheses · A primary

If a range edge is accepted and retested, follow that conditional expansion.

B alternative

If the first break returns inside, examine rotation to the opposite edge.

Invalidation

For an upward range branch, a failed upper-edge retest cancels A; for a downward branch, a failed lower-edge retest cancels A. Return to balance until a fresh boundary event.

Context filter

Wait in the middle of a range. At a major POI, still require a directional response.

Video 2 · ▶ 1:16:10 · Named shape and numeric thresholds: Convention (not from the videos)

Scenario tree · Doji / spinning top

  • A · illustrated thesis: If a range edge is accepted and retested, follow that conditional expansion. Eligible daily models: Inside day: breakout versus fakeout.
  • B · opposing thesis: If the first break returns inside, examine rotation to the opposite edge. This requires a new close-break and held retest; re-evaluate the completed daily evidence before selecting a different setup.
  • Balance: Balance is the starting state for this card. Keep both outer boundaries fixed until a close and retest resolve one side.

A24. Dragonfly doji

Dragonfly dojiSOLUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTCPDHPDL95.82124.952026-09-05 00:00 – 2026-09-28 00:00 UTCTradingView
The highlighted 20 Sep 2026 dragonfly doji has its open and close near the high above a long lower tail, after dipping below PDL at 110.08. If the upper cluster holds on a retest, watch toward PDH at 114.09; losing the cluster would expose the tail midpoint and low, while acceptance below PDL would weaken the bullish branch.

How to recognise

O and C are in the upper 10%; body is at most 10%; lower wick is at least two-thirds of range. Shape families can overlap; this card highlights the named property.

What it says

Price returned near its opening area after a deep lower excursion; no order-flow absorption is proven.

Next-day hypotheses · A primary

If the upper cluster is held on retest, examine PDH.

B alternative

If the upper cluster fails, examine the tail midpoint before the low.

Invalidation

Acceptance back through the reclaimed D1 PDL, followed by a failed recovery, cancels A. A close through the study extreme is the wider structural cancellation.

Context filter

Useful as a rejection description at discount support; in a falling trend it can be only a pause.

Convention (not from the videos)

Scenario tree · Dragonfly doji

  • A · illustrated thesis: If the upper cluster is held on retest, examine PDH. Eligible daily models: Sweep and return · Rejection wick at an HTF POI.
  • B · opposing thesis: If the upper cluster fails, examine the tail midpoint before the low. This requires a new close-break and held retest; re-evaluate the completed daily evidence before selecting a different setup.
  • Balance: If the dragonfly doji thesis fails to resolve and closes overlap, suspend its directional branch and remap the outer range.

A25. Gravestone doji

Gravestone dojiDX-Y.NYB · 1d · Yahoo Finance · UTCPDHPDL99.38101.82026-06-09 04:00 – 2026-07-15 04:00 UTCTradingView
The highlighted 6 Jul 2026 gravestone doji has its open and close in the bottom tenth of its range beneath a long upper wick; compare its tiny body with the surrounding ordinary daily candles. If that lower body cluster caps a bounce, PDL at 100.56 from the previous completed session is the downside reference; recovering the cluster instead brings the upper tail back into view. PDH at 101.43 marks the other edge of that previous session, while a close above the study high at 101.15 would invalidate a bearish reading of the doji.

How to recognise

O and C are in the lower 10%; body is at most 10%; upper wick is at least two-thirds of range. Shape families can overlap; this card highlights the named property.

What it says

An upward excursion was unwound by the close; the cause cannot be read from OHLC.

Next-day hypotheses · A primary

If the lower cluster caps a bounce, examine PDL.

B alternative

If that cluster is recovered, examine a retest into the upper tail.

Invalidation

Acceptance back through the reclaimed D1 PDH, followed by a failed recovery, cancels A. A close through the study extreme is the wider structural cancellation.

Context filter

More relevant at premium supply; weaker at the start of an accepted HTF uptrend.

Convention (not from the videos)

Scenario tree · Gravestone doji

  • A · illustrated thesis: If the lower cluster caps a bounce, examine PDL. Eligible daily models: Sweep and return · Rejection wick at an HTF POI.
  • B · opposing thesis: If that cluster is recovered, examine a retest into the upper tail. This requires a new close-break and held retest; re-evaluate the completed daily evidence before selecting a different setup.
  • Balance: If the gravestone doji thesis fails to resolve and closes overlap, suspend its directional branch and remap the outer range.

A26. Inside day

Inside dayBTCUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTCPDHPDL83822.7694588.992025-11-26 00:00 – 2025-12-20 00:00 UTCTradingView
The highlighted 12 Dec 2025 candle fits strictly between the preceding day's high of 93,555.00 and low of 89,260.63. Direction remains unresolved until a parent edge breaks and holds; a failed break can rotate back through the parent range.

How to recognise

H < PDH and L > PDL, strictly. Neither prior extreme is exceeded; equality is not inside in this catalogue. Shape families can overlap; this card highlights the named property.

What it says

The entire range contracts within its parent day. Direction is unresolved.

Next-day hypotheses · A primary

If a parent edge breaks, holds and retests, examine expansion beyond that edge.

B alternative

If the break fails back inside, examine the parent midpoint then opposite edge.

Invalidation

For an upward range branch, a failed upper-edge retest cancels A; for a downward branch, a failed lower-edge retest cancels A. Return to balance until a fresh boundary event.

Context filter

Mark the mother range; avoid choosing direction from the small body alone, especially before scheduled news.

Convention (not from the videos)

Scenario tree · Inside day

  • A · illustrated thesis: If a parent edge breaks, holds and retests, examine expansion beyond that edge. Eligible daily models: Inside day: breakout versus fakeout.
  • B · opposing thesis: If the break fails back inside, examine the parent midpoint then opposite edge. This requires a new close-break and held retest; re-evaluate the completed daily evidence before selecting a different setup.
  • Balance: Balance is the starting state for this card. Keep both outer boundaries fixed until a close and retest resolve one side.

A27. Outside day · bullish

Outside day · bullishETHUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTCPDHPDL1938.822415.52026-03-22 00:00 – 2026-04-15 00:00 UTCTradingView
The highlighted 07 Apr 2026 green candle exceeds both the previous high of 2,174.79 and low of 2,087.50. The positive body does not reveal which extreme came first; holding the upper half would support extension, while losing it would reopen the wide range.

How to recognise

H > PDH, L < PDL and C > O; both prior extremes are exceeded. This is range engulfing, not merely body engulfing. Shape families can overlap; this card highlights the named property.

What it says

Both sides were visited; the final body favours buyers, but the sequence of the visits is unknown.

Next-day hypotheses · A primary

If the upper half holds, examine extension above the highlighted high.

B alternative

If price loses the upper half, examine rotation through the wide range.

Invalidation

A completed close and failed recovery through the defended study boundary cancels A; reassess the opposing boundary for B.

Context filter

An HTF bullish location helps; a nearby resistance ceiling makes a trap interpretation plausible.

Convention (not from the videos)

Scenario tree · Outside day · bullish

  • A · illustrated thesis: If the upper half holds, examine extension above the highlighted high. Eligible daily models: Sweep and return · Outside day: continuation versus trap.
  • B · opposing thesis: If price loses the upper half, examine rotation through the wide range. This requires a new close-break and held retest; re-evaluate the completed daily evidence before selecting a different setup.
  • Balance: If the outside day · bullish thesis fails to resolve and closes overlap, suspend its directional branch and remap the outer range.

A28. Outside day · bearish

Outside day · bearishSOLUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTCPDHPDL70.5879.042026-07-11 00:00 – 2026-08-04 00:00 UTCTradingView
The highlighted 27 Jul 2026 red candle exceeds both the previous high of 77.10 and low of 74.47. The negative body does not reveal which extreme came first; a bounce capped in the lower half would support extension, while reclaiming the midpoint would favour rotation.

How to recognise

H > PDH, L < PDL and C < O. The broad range exceeds both prior extremes. Shape families can overlap; this card highlights the named property.

What it says

Two-sided travel finished with a negative body. A daily bar does not identify the first sweep.

Next-day hypotheses · A primary

If the lower half caps a bounce, examine extension below the highlighted low.

B alternative

If the midpoint is reclaimed, examine rotation toward the high.

Invalidation

A completed close and failed recovery through the defended study boundary cancels A; reassess the opposing boundary for B.

Context filter

Check weekly demand below; do not chase a large range after its downside destination has been reached.

Convention (not from the videos)

Scenario tree · Outside day · bearish

  • A · illustrated thesis: If the lower half caps a bounce, examine extension below the highlighted low. Eligible daily models: Sweep and return · Outside day: continuation versus trap.
  • B · opposing thesis: If the midpoint is reclaimed, examine rotation toward the high. This requires a new close-break and held retest; re-evaluate the completed daily evidence before selecting a different setup.
  • Balance: If the outside day · bearish thesis fails to resolve and closes overlap, suspend its directional branch and remap the outer range.

A29. PDH sweep · close back inside

PDH sweep · close back insideETHUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTCPDHPDL1750.21981.242026-07-11 00:00 – 2026-08-04 00:00 UTCTradingView
The highlighted 27 Jul 2026 red candle wicks above the previous high of 1,967.36, but closes back inside the previous range. Watch for a retest rejected below that high before favouring the previous midpoint and low; a held reclaim would weaken this branch.

How to recognise

H > PDH while PDL < C < PDH; C < O in this example. A wick through PDH is not acceptance. Shape families can overlap; this card highlights the named property.

What it says

The high was exceeded then surrendered at the close. Stops near PDH are a possible mechanism, not observed orders.

Next-day hypotheses · A primary

If a retest fails below PDH, examine PD 50% then PDL.

B alternative

If PDH is reclaimed with a held retest, examine continuation above the sweep.

Invalidation

Acceptance back through the reclaimed D1 PDH, followed by a failed recovery, cancels A. A close through the study extreme is the wider structural cancellation.

Context filter

More coherent near HTF supply with an unvisited lower draw; neutralise if demand blocks the path.

Video 2 · ▶ 1:18:23 · Named shape and numeric thresholds: Convention (not from the videos)

Scenario tree · PDH sweep · close back inside

  • A · illustrated thesis: If a retest fails below PDH, examine PD 50% then PDL. Eligible daily models: Sweep and return · Rejection wick at an HTF POI.
  • B · opposing thesis: If PDH is reclaimed with a held retest, examine continuation above the sweep. This requires a new close-break and held retest; re-evaluate the completed daily evidence before selecting a different setup.
  • Balance: If the pdh sweep · close back inside thesis fails to resolve and closes overlap, suspend its directional branch and remap the outer range.

A30. PDL sweep · close back inside

PDL sweep · close back insideSOLUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTCPDHPDLPD 50%80.098.412026-05-07 00:00 – 2026-05-31 00:00 UTCTradingView
The highlighted 23 May 2026 green candle wicks below the previous low of 84.00, but closes back inside the previous range. Watch for a retest holding above that low before favouring the previous midpoint and high; renewed acceptance below it would weaken this branch.

How to recognise

L < PDL while PDL < C < PDH; C > O here. Distinguish a reclaim from a close remaining below PDL. Shape families can overlap; this card highlights the named property.

What it says

The low was exceeded and recovered.

Next-day hypotheses · A primary

If PDL holds on a return, examine PD 50% then PDH.

B alternative

If PDL is lost with acceptance, examine continuation below the sweep.

Invalidation

Acceptance back through the reclaimed D1 PDL, followed by a failed recovery, cancels A. A close through the study extreme is the wider structural cancellation.

Context filter

A discount HTF POI helps frame a long thesis; an opposing trend or already reached draw argues for waiting.

Video 2 · ▶ 1:16:45 · Named shape and numeric thresholds: Convention (not from the videos)

Scenario tree · PDL sweep · close back inside

  • A · illustrated thesis: If PDL holds on a return, examine PD 50% then PDH. Eligible daily models: Sweep and return · Rejection wick at an HTF POI.
  • B · opposing thesis: If PDL is lost with acceptance, examine continuation below the sweep. This requires a new close-break and held retest; re-evaluate the completed daily evidence before selecting a different setup.
  • Balance: If the pdl sweep · close back inside thesis fails to resolve and closes overlap, suspend its directional branch and remap the outer range.

A31. Close above PDH

Close above PDHETHUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTCPDHPDLPD 50%2716.043447.442025-11-23 00:00 – 2025-12-17 00:00 UTCTradingView
The highlighted 09 Dec 2025 bullish body crosses the previous high of 3,180.51 and closes above it. A later retest must hold the old high to support continuation; returning inside and failing to recover it would favour the previous midpoint.

How to recognise

C > PDH with a directional body. Here the body crosses the old high; acceptance still needs subsequent holding action. Shape families can overlap; this card highlights the named property.

What it says

The session closed beyond the earlier high rather than merely wicking through it.

Next-day hypotheses · A primary

If PDH holds as support on a pullback, examine the new high and next unvisited liquidity.

B alternative

If the breakout returns inside and cannot reclaim PDH, examine PD 50%.

Invalidation

A completed 15m close back through D1 PDH and failed recovery cancels acceptance. The study extreme is the wider alternative-branch boundary.

Context filter

Room to a higher HTF draw matters; a close into a bearish OB can leave conflicting evidence.

Video 2 · ▶ 1:17:18 · Named shape and numeric thresholds: Convention (not from the videos)

Scenario tree · Close above PDH

  • A · illustrated thesis: If PDH holds as support on a pullback, examine the new high and next unvisited liquidity. Eligible daily models: Displacement day → next-day retrace · Accepted extreme + midpoint pullback.
  • B · opposing thesis: If the breakout returns inside and cannot reclaim PDH, examine PD 50%. This requires a new close-break and held retest; re-evaluate the completed daily evidence before selecting a different setup.
  • Balance: If the close above pdh thesis fails to resolve and closes overlap, suspend its directional branch and remap the outer range.

A32. Close below PDL

Close below PDLBTCUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTCPDHPDLPD 50%98944.36116400.02025-10-19 00:00 – 2025-11-12 00:00 UTCTradingView
The highlighted 04 Nov 2025 bearish body crosses the previous low of 105,306.56 and closes below it. A later retest capped below the old low would support continuation; reclaiming and holding it would favour rotation toward the previous midpoint.

How to recognise

C < PDL; distinguish this completed close from an unfinished candle trading below the line. Shape families can overlap; this card highlights the named property.

What it says

Lower prices persisted into the closing print. Continued selling remains a conditional thesis.

Next-day hypotheses · A primary

If a PDL retest fails from below, examine the new low and next lower draw.

B alternative

If PDL is reclaimed and held, examine rotation back to PD 50%.

Invalidation

A completed 15m close back through D1 PDL and failed recovery cancels acceptance. The study extreme is the wider alternative-branch boundary.

Context filter

Fits a falling HTF structure; demand or a fully visited lower draw reduces room for continuation.

Video 2 · ▶ 1:28:06 · Named shape and numeric thresholds: Convention (not from the videos)

Scenario tree · Close below PDL

  • A · illustrated thesis: If a PDL retest fails from below, examine the new low and next lower draw. Eligible daily models: Displacement day → next-day retrace · Accepted extreme + midpoint pullback.
  • B · opposing thesis: If PDL is reclaimed and held, examine rotation back to PD 50%. This requires a new close-break and held retest; re-evaluate the completed daily evidence before selecting a different setup.
  • Balance: If the close below pdl thesis fails to resolve and closes overlap, suspend its directional branch and remap the outer range.

A33. Narrow-range day

Narrow-range daySOLUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTCPDHPDL122.36148.742025-12-29 00:00 – 2026-01-22 00:00 UTCTradingView
The highlighted 14 Jan 2026 candle is inside the previous day and has a smaller range than each of the three preceding candles. Compression gives no direction; wait for an edge to break and hold, or for a failed break to return inside.

How to recognise

The highlighted range is smaller than each of the three preceding ranges (NR4 here); it is also inside the prior day. Shape families can overlap; this card highlights the named property.

What it says

Recent travel contracted. Contraction does not specify either direction or the timing of expansion.

Next-day hypotheses · A primary

If a compressed edge breaks and holds, examine expansion toward the parent edge.

B alternative

If a break reverses inside, examine a fakeout rotation.

Invalidation

For an upward range branch, a failed upper-edge retest cancels A; for a downward branch, a failed lower-edge retest cancels A. Return to balance until a fresh boundary event.

Context filter

A defined parent range helps; spreads, illiquid sessions and impending news can make apparent compression misleading.

Convention (not from the videos)

Scenario tree · Narrow-range day

  • A · illustrated thesis: If a compressed edge breaks and holds, examine expansion toward the parent edge. Eligible daily models: Inside day: breakout versus fakeout · Narrow-range expansion.
  • B · opposing thesis: If a break reverses inside, examine a fakeout rotation. This requires a new close-break and held retest; re-evaluate the completed daily evidence before selecting a different setup.
  • Balance: Balance is the starting state for this card. Keep both outer boundaries fixed until a close and retest resolve one side.

A34. Trend day · open low, close high

Trend day · open low, close highDX-Y.NYB · 1d · Yahoo Finance · UTCBody 50%98.56100.082026-08-06 04:00 – 2026-09-10 04:00 UTCTradingView
The highlighted 28 Aug 2026 candle opens in the bottom tenth and closes in the top tenth of its daily range. The body midpoint at 99.405 is a pullback reference; losing it and failing to recover would weaken continuation, and daily endpoints do not prove a one-way intraday path.

How to recognise

O is in the bottom tenth and C in the top tenth; body exceeds 80%. This describes endpoints, not a proven monotonic intraday path. Shape families can overlap; this card highlights the named property.

What it says

A large positive net move spans the day. Intraday pullbacks may be hidden within it.

Next-day hypotheses · A primary

If a pullback holds the midpoint or broken PDH, examine renewed upward travel.

B alternative

If those references fail, examine a deeper correction rather than automatic continuation.

Invalidation

A completed 15m close through the defended body midpoint followed by a failed recovery cancels A and activates the deeper-rotation branch. The study extreme bounds that alternative.

Context filter

Check the distance to weekly resistance and avoid buying an already extended intraday leg.

Convention (not from the videos)

Scenario tree · Trend day · open low, close high

  • A · illustrated thesis: If a pullback holds the midpoint or broken PDH, examine renewed upward travel. Eligible daily models: Displacement day → next-day retrace · Accepted extreme + midpoint pullback.
  • B · opposing thesis: If those references fail, examine a deeper correction rather than automatic continuation. This requires a new close-break and held retest; re-evaluate the completed daily evidence before selecting a different setup.
  • Balance: If the trend day · open low, close high thesis fails to resolve and closes overlap, suspend its directional branch and remap the outer range.

A35. Trend day · open high, close low

Daily playbook: Trend day · open high, close lowGC=F · 1d · Yahoo Finance · UTC4415.05586.22026-01-06 05:00 – 2026-02-10 05:00 UTCTradingView
Look at the highlighted red day: its open is in the top tenth and its close in the bottom tenth of the range. Its body spans more than 80% of the day; this describes the completed session and does not guarantee another decline.

How to recognise

O is in the top tenth and C in the bottom tenth; body exceeds 80%. Shape families can overlap; this card highlights the named property.

What it says

Sellers dominated the session net change; a closing print near the low can still be followed by a bounce.

Next-day hypotheses · A primary

If the midpoint caps a retracement, examine renewed downward travel.

B alternative

If the midpoint and PDL are recovered, examine a larger correction.

Invalidation

A completed 15m close through the defended body midpoint followed by a failed recovery cancels A and activates the deeper-rotation branch. The study extreme bounds that alternative.

Context filter

Avoid fading just because price is low, and avoid selling directly into a reached HTF demand area.

Convention (not from the videos)

Scenario tree · Trend day · open high, close low

  • A · illustrated thesis: If the midpoint caps a retracement, examine renewed downward travel. Eligible daily models: Displacement day → next-day retrace · Accepted extreme + midpoint pullback.
  • B · opposing thesis: If the midpoint and PDL are recovered, examine a larger correction. This requires a new close-break and held retest; re-evaluate the completed daily evidence before selecting a different setup.
  • Balance: If the trend day · open high, close low thesis fails to resolve and closes overlap, suspend its directional branch and remap the outer range.

A36. Overlapping / chop days

Daily playbook: Overlapping / chop daysNQ=F · 1d · Yahoo Finance · UTCBalance highBalance low28227.7530807.752026-05-14 04:00 – 2026-06-18 04:00 UTCTradingView
Compare the highlighted day with the two candles immediately before it: all three share a substantial price interval. The highlighted body remains inside the prior range, so alternating candle colours here describe balance rather than a directional entry.

How to recognise

The last three days share a substantial common interval; the highlighted body remains inside the prior range. Shape families can overlap; this card highlights the named property.

What it says

Repeated overlap describes balance. Candle colour changes inside it do not create a directional plan.

Next-day hypotheses · A primary

If the multi-day boundary is accepted, examine expansion from balance.

B alternative

If an edge excursion fails, examine rotation through the common interval.

Invalidation

For an upward range branch, a failed upper-edge retest cancels A; for a downward branch, a failed lower-edge retest cancels A. Return to balance until a fresh boundary event.

Context filter

Use the outer multi-day box, not each internal tail. Stay neutral in the middle or before an event.

Convention (not from the videos)

Scenario tree · Overlapping / chop days

  • A · illustrated thesis: If the multi-day boundary is accepted, examine expansion from balance. Eligible daily models: Inside day: breakout versus fakeout · Narrow-range expansion.
  • B · opposing thesis: If an edge excursion fails, examine rotation through the common interval. This requires a new close-break and held retest; re-evaluate the completed daily evidence before selecting a different setup.
  • Balance: Balance is the starting state for this card. Keep both outer boundaries fixed until a close and retest resolve one side.

A37. Wide range · small body

Daily playbook: Wide range · small bodyES=F · 1d · Yahoo Finance · UTC7232.257632.252026-05-14 04:00 – 2026-06-18 04:00 UTCTradingView
The highlighted day has a range more than one and a half times the prior day, but its body uses no more than 10% of that range. Long tails on both sides show two-way travel ending near the open; OHLC alone does not establish absorption.

How to recognise

Range exceeds 1.5 times the prior range while body is at most 10%; both tails are substantial. Shape families can overlap; this card highlights the named property.

What it says

Large two-way travel ended near the open. Calling this absorption requires trade/quote evidence beyond OHLC.

Next-day hypotheses · A primary

If one extreme is accepted with an LTF retest, examine extension in that direction.

B alternative

If price remains inside, examine balance rather than a trend signal.

Invalidation

For an upward range branch, a failed upper-edge retest cancels A; for a downward branch, a failed lower-edge retest cancels A. Return to balance until a fresh boundary event.

Context filter

Event-driven bars and thin liquidity can create this shape; wait for normal execution conditions.

Convention (not from the videos)

Scenario tree · Wide range · small body

  • A · illustrated thesis: If one extreme is accepted with an LTF retest, examine extension in that direction. Eligible daily models: Sweep and return · Outside day: continuation versus trap.
  • B · opposing thesis: If price remains inside, examine balance rather than a trend signal. This requires a new close-break and held retest; re-evaluate the completed daily evidence before selecting a different setup.
  • Balance: Balance is the starting state for this card. Keep both outer boundaries fixed until a close and retest resolve one side.

A38. Two strong same-direction days

Daily playbook: Two strong same-direction daysSOLUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTC95.82122.942026-09-01 00:00 – 2026-09-25 00:00 UTCTradingView
Compare the highlighted green day with the preceding green day: both bodies exceed two-thirds of their ranges. The second close is above the first high, showing two strong completed advances without predicting the next session.

How to recognise

Both of the last two bodies exceed two-thirds of their ranges, both close up, and the second C exceeds the first H. Shape families can overlap; this card highlights the named property.

What it says

Consecutive positive closes show persistent net direction, without establishing the next day outcome.

Next-day hypotheses · A primary

If the second body midpoint is held, examine continuation to the latest high.

B alternative

If the second body is lost, examine a correction into the first day.

Invalidation

A completed 15m close through the defended body midpoint followed by a failed recovery cancels A and activates the deeper-rotation branch. The study extreme bounds that alternative.

Context filter

Check the next HTF ceiling; successive expansion can leave poor entry location despite aligned direction.

Related video example: four bearish EURUSD days; this two-day bullish illustration is a convention.

Video 2 · ▶ 2:38:57 · Named shape and numeric thresholds: Convention (not from the videos)

Scenario tree · Two strong same-direction days

  • A · illustrated thesis: If the second body midpoint is held, examine continuation to the latest high. Eligible daily models: Displacement day → next-day retrace · Accepted extreme + midpoint pullback.
  • B · opposing thesis: If the second body is lost, examine a correction into the first day. This requires a new close-break and held retest; re-evaluate the completed daily evidence before selecting a different setup.
  • Balance: If the two strong same-direction days thesis fails to resolve and closes overlap, suspend its directional branch and remap the outer range.

A39. Strong day + small pullback

Daily playbook: Strong day + small pullbackETHUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTC1800.02199.02026-02-09 00:00 – 2026-03-05 00:00 UTCTradingView
The highlighted red inside day is less than half the range of the preceding strong green day. Its smaller counter-direction move has not erased that expansion; continuation still requires a defended location and confirmation.

How to recognise

The prior body exceeds two-thirds of range; current C < O, the current day is inside and its range is less than half the prior range. Shape families can overlap; this card highlights the named property.

What it says

The smaller counter-direction day has not erased the preceding expansion. That is a description, not a continuation signal.

Next-day hypotheses · A primary

If the pullback high is reclaimed after a defended POI, examine the impulse high.

B alternative

If the pullback low fails with acceptance, examine the impulse midpoint then origin.

Invalidation

A completed close and failed recovery through the defended study boundary cancels A; reassess the opposing boundary for B.

Context filter

A shallow pullback near a valid HTF origin helps frame the thesis; an opposing weekly POI argues against chasing.

Convention (not from the videos)

Scenario tree · Strong day + small pullback

  • A · illustrated thesis: If the pullback high is reclaimed after a defended POI, examine the impulse high. Eligible daily models: Inside day: breakout versus fakeout · Narrow-range expansion.
  • B · opposing thesis: If the pullback low fails with acceptance, examine the impulse midpoint then origin. This requires a new close-break and held retest; re-evaluate the completed daily evidence before selecting a different setup.
  • Balance: If the strong day + small pullback thesis fails to resolve and closes overlap, suspend its directional branch and remap the outer range.

Cheat sheet · conditional plans

CandleReadingPrimary hypothesisInvalidation4h / 1h / 15m task
Broad-body bullishThe net open-to-close move favours buyers. Neither the body nor its colour identifies resting orders.If a pullback holds the body midpoint, examine a return to the highlighted high.A completed 15m close through the defended body midpoint followed by a failed recovery cancels A and activates the deeper-rotation branch. The study extreme bounds that alternative.4h: locate HTF POI; 1h: refine boundary; 15m: Map demand / wait for bullish shift
Broad-body bearishSellers controlled the net change during this day; the next day can still retrace.If a retracement fails below the midpoint, examine a revisit of the highlighted low.A completed 15m close through the defended body midpoint followed by a failed recovery cancels A and activates the deeper-rotation branch. The study extreme bounds that alternative.4h: locate HTF POI; 1h: refine boundary; 15m: Map supply / wait for bearish shift
Long lower wick · bullish bodyLower prices were visited but not retained at the close; possible stop activation is an interpretation.If the lower tail remains defended, examine a move toward PDH.Acceptance back through the reclaimed D1 PDL, followed by a failed recovery, cancels A. A close through the study extreme is the wider structural cancellation.4h: locate HTF POI; 1h: refine boundary; 15m: Map demand / wait for bullish shift
Long lower wick · bearish bodyThe bounce from the low and the negative open-to-close move convey different information.If price reclaims the body and holds above PDL, examine PDH.Acceptance back through the reclaimed D1 PDL, followed by a failed recovery, cancels A. A close through the study extreme is the wider structural cancellation.4h: locate HTF POI; 1h: refine boundary; 15m: Map demand / wait for bullish shift
Long upper wick · bearish bodyThe day explored higher prices before settling lower; a stop-run narrative remains hypothetical.If the upper tail caps a retracement, examine PDL.Acceptance back through the reclaimed D1 PDH, followed by a failed recovery, cancels A. A close through the study extreme is the wider structural cancellation.4h: locate HTF POI; 1h: refine boundary; 15m: Map supply / wait for bearish shift
Long upper wick · bullish bodyA positive body and rejection of the high coexist. Do not convert colour directly into daily bias.If PDH stays rejected, examine rotation toward PD 50% and PDL.Acceptance back through the reclaimed D1 PDH, followed by a failed recovery, cancels A. A close through the study extreme is the wider structural cancellation.4h: locate HTF POI; 1h: refine boundary; 15m: Map supply / wait for bearish shift
Doji / spinning topThe net change is small despite two-sided travel. OHLC does not reveal which extreme came first.If a range edge is accepted and retested, follow that conditional expansion.For an upward range branch, a failed upper-edge retest cancels A; for a downward branch, a failed lower-edge retest cancels A. Return to balance until a fresh boundary event.4h: locate HTF POI; 1h: refine boundary; 15m: Map both outer edges / wait for acceptance or reclaim
Dragonfly dojiPrice returned near its opening area after a deep lower excursion; no order-flow absorption is proven.If the upper cluster is held on retest, examine PDH.Acceptance back through the reclaimed D1 PDL, followed by a failed recovery, cancels A. A close through the study extreme is the wider structural cancellation.4h: locate HTF POI; 1h: refine boundary; 15m: Map demand / wait for bullish shift
Gravestone dojiAn upward excursion was unwound by the close; the cause cannot be read from OHLC.If the lower cluster caps a bounce, examine PDL.Acceptance back through the reclaimed D1 PDH, followed by a failed recovery, cancels A. A close through the study extreme is the wider structural cancellation.4h: locate HTF POI; 1h: refine boundary; 15m: Map supply / wait for bearish shift
Inside dayThe entire range contracts within its parent day. Direction is unresolved.If a parent edge breaks, holds and retests, examine expansion beyond that edge.For an upward range branch, a failed upper-edge retest cancels A; for a downward branch, a failed lower-edge retest cancels A. Return to balance until a fresh boundary event.4h: locate HTF POI; 1h: refine boundary; 15m: Map both outer edges / wait for acceptance or reclaim
Outside day · bullishBoth sides were visited; the final body favours buyers, but the sequence of the visits is unknown.If the upper half holds, examine extension above the highlighted high.A completed close and failed recovery through the defended study boundary cancels A; reassess the opposing boundary for B.4h: locate HTF POI; 1h: refine boundary; 15m: Map demand / wait for bullish shift
Outside day · bearishTwo-sided travel finished with a negative body. A daily bar does not identify the first sweep.If the lower half caps a bounce, examine extension below the highlighted low.A completed close and failed recovery through the defended study boundary cancels A; reassess the opposing boundary for B.4h: locate HTF POI; 1h: refine boundary; 15m: Map supply / wait for bearish shift
PDH sweep · close back insideThe high was exceeded then surrendered at the close. Stops near PDH are a possible mechanism, not observed orders.If a retest fails below PDH, examine PD 50% then PDL.Acceptance back through the reclaimed D1 PDH, followed by a failed recovery, cancels A. A close through the study extreme is the wider structural cancellation.4h: locate HTF POI; 1h: refine boundary; 15m: Map supply / wait for bearish shift
PDL sweep · close back insideThe low was exceeded and recovered.If PDL holds on a return, examine PD 50% then PDH.Acceptance back through the reclaimed D1 PDL, followed by a failed recovery, cancels A. A close through the study extreme is the wider structural cancellation.4h: locate HTF POI; 1h: refine boundary; 15m: Map demand / wait for bullish shift
Close above PDHThe session closed beyond the earlier high rather than merely wicking through it.If PDH holds as support on a pullback, examine the new high and next unvisited liquidity.A completed 15m close back through D1 PDH and failed recovery cancels acceptance. The study extreme is the wider alternative-branch boundary.4h: locate HTF POI; 1h: refine boundary; 15m: Map demand / wait for bullish shift
Close below PDLLower prices persisted into the closing print. Continued selling remains a conditional thesis.If a PDL retest fails from below, examine the new low and next lower draw.A completed 15m close back through D1 PDL and failed recovery cancels acceptance. The study extreme is the wider alternative-branch boundary.4h: locate HTF POI; 1h: refine boundary; 15m: Map supply / wait for bearish shift
Narrow-range dayRecent travel contracted. Contraction does not specify either direction or the timing of expansion.If a compressed edge breaks and holds, examine expansion toward the parent edge.For an upward range branch, a failed upper-edge retest cancels A; for a downward branch, a failed lower-edge retest cancels A. Return to balance until a fresh boundary event.4h: locate HTF POI; 1h: refine boundary; 15m: Map both outer edges / wait for acceptance or reclaim
Trend day · open low, close highA large positive net move spans the day. Intraday pullbacks may be hidden within it.If a pullback holds the midpoint or broken PDH, examine renewed upward travel.A completed 15m close through the defended body midpoint followed by a failed recovery cancels A and activates the deeper-rotation branch. The study extreme bounds that alternative.4h: locate HTF POI; 1h: refine boundary; 15m: Map demand / wait for bullish shift
Trend day · open high, close lowSellers dominated the session net change; a closing print near the low can still be followed by a bounce.If the midpoint caps a retracement, examine renewed downward travel.A completed 15m close through the defended body midpoint followed by a failed recovery cancels A and activates the deeper-rotation branch. The study extreme bounds that alternative.4h: locate HTF POI; 1h: refine boundary; 15m: Map supply / wait for bearish shift
Overlapping / chop daysRepeated overlap describes balance. Candle colour changes inside it do not create a directional plan.If the multi-day boundary is accepted, examine expansion from balance.For an upward range branch, a failed upper-edge retest cancels A; for a downward branch, a failed lower-edge retest cancels A. Return to balance until a fresh boundary event.4h: locate HTF POI; 1h: refine boundary; 15m: Map both outer edges / wait for acceptance or reclaim
Wide range · small bodyLarge two-way travel ended near the open. Calling this absorption requires trade/quote evidence beyond OHLC.If one extreme is accepted with an LTF retest, examine extension in that direction.For an upward range branch, a failed upper-edge retest cancels A; for a downward branch, a failed lower-edge retest cancels A. Return to balance until a fresh boundary event.4h: locate HTF POI; 1h: refine boundary; 15m: Map both outer edges / wait for acceptance or reclaim
Two strong same-direction daysConsecutive positive closes show persistent net direction, without establishing the next day outcome.If the second body midpoint is held, examine continuation to the latest high.A completed 15m close through the defended body midpoint followed by a failed recovery cancels A and activates the deeper-rotation branch. The study extreme bounds that alternative.4h: locate HTF POI; 1h: refine boundary; 15m: Map demand / wait for bullish shift
Strong day + small pullbackThe smaller counter-direction day has not erased the preceding expansion. That is a description, not a continuation signal.If the pullback high is reclaimed after a defended POI, examine the impulse high.A completed close and failed recovery through the defended study boundary cancels A; reassess the opposing boundary for B.4h: locate HTF POI; 1h: refine boundary; 15m: Map demand / wait for bullish shift

Part B · daily setups

Daily bias workflow

Daily playbook: Daily bias workflowES=F · 1d · Yahoo Finance · UTCDay highDay lowDay 50%6751.57043.02026-01-13 05:00 – 2026-02-18 05:00 UTCTradingView
The highlighted completed day closes above the preceding high at 6,935.25; its own high and low are 6,965.50 and 6,751.50. Fix its range midpoint at 6,858.50 before examining the next session; a separate intraday turn and retest are still required.

Daily bias · step-through

  1. Read ES=F · 1d · Yahoo Finance in UTC.
  2. The highlighted completed day closes above the preceding high at 6,935.25; its own high and low are 6,965.50 and 6,751.50.
  3. Fix its range midpoint at 6,858.50 before examining the next session; a separate intraday turn and retest are still required.

  1. Read only the last completed daily bar. Fix its high, low, midpoint and closing location relative to the preceding day.
  2. Separate a close beyond an extreme from a wick that returns inside. For overlap or conflicting clues, write neutral rather than forcing direction.
  3. Name an unvisited destination: a previous high/low, equal extremes or a genuine HTF FVG/OB area. An opposing POI can interrupt the route; a reached draw calls for reassessment, not automatic continuation.
  4. Write A, B and a specific invalidation before examining entry. An unfinished daily candle can change colour; it is not yesterday’s evidence.
  5. For a bullish thesis, a downward opening excursion is a possible entry-location scenario; for a bearish thesis, an upward excursion. Neither sequence is mandatory. Do not chase if no pullback occurs.
  6. Check 15m correction structure at the location, then wait for 1m order flow to turn; a 5m origin retest can refine entry. The source uses Daily → 15m → 1m, with 5m refinement. The 4h/1h bridge in this playbook is an optional convention, not an extra Kelly rule.
  7. Reassess after the draw is visited or invalidation closes through.

Open-to-close versus close-to-close

C − O gives body colour. Current C minus previous C gives the close-to-close change; gaps can give the two different signs. A move above yesterday’s high can occur during a red day, and a bullish close can follow an early fall. A directional excursion is different from the final body.

Conflicts and incomplete objectives

A bullish close above PDH into a bearish OB has mixed evidence. A bullish body with a PDH sweep back inside also remains ambiguous. A target need not be reached within one day; do not reinterpret an unfinished objective as a confirmed trade or a reason to hold automatically.

Late-day bounce is a separate idea

A bearish daily bar can close above its low, but it can also close at the low. A countertrend idea after the lower draw is visited needs its own HTF location, bullish LTF shift and invalidation; the continuation thesis alone cannot authorise it.

Draws, inversion and a protected swing

Equal highs/lows can supply a destination while an overlapping HTF area supplies context. A close through a previously supportive FVG can motivate an inversion-and-retest hypothesis, but the exact outer-wick gap must exist first. After compression, a three-bar swing low may become a reference to defend; its existence alone does not resolve daily direction. Re-mark the plan when a draw is reached or the reference fails.

Momentum and the close

Compare successive closes as well as each body. A close above an old high differs from a high that was touched and surrendered, even when both bars are green. The source uses agreement/disagreement language for closes; OHLC alone cannot establish fair value or identify the orders responsible.

Session path and range limits

The source illustrates a daily session boundary at 17:00 Eastern on its feed, and uses London/New York as observation windows. Those are source-example anchors, not a universal candle schedule. A historical average range is a descriptive measure, not a maximum daily move; never justify fading an extreme solely because a range estimate has been reached. A fresh reversal shift and a separate invalidation are still required.

Confirmation before refinement

The continuation example waits while 1m structure is still bullish against a bearish daily thesis; only the bearish turn permits examination of a 5m retest. In the long example, a bullish turn precedes a possible 5m bullish origin retest, with the defended low as the stop reference. A missed retest is no entry.

Video 2 · ▶ 1:15:03; Video 2 · ▶ 1:18:23; Video 2 · ▶ 1:20:32; Video 2 · ▶ 1:21:40; Video 2 · ▶ 1:23:50; Video 2 · ▶ 1:24:22; Video 2 · ▶ 1:27:02; Video 2 · ▶ 1:28:06; Video 2 · ▶ 1:28:39; Video 2 · ▶ 1:30:50; Video 2 · ▶ 1:31:22; Video 2 · ▶ 1:31:55; Video 2 · ▶ 1:32:28; Video 2 · ▶ 1:33:01; Video 2 · ▶ 1:33:35; Video 2 · ▶ 1:34:42; Video 2 · ▶ 1:35:47; Video 2 · ▶ 1:36:20; Video 2 · ▶ 1:36:52; Video 2 · ▶ 1:37:25; Video 2 · ▶ 2:38:24; Video 2 · ▶ 2:40:02; Video 2 · ▶ 2:41:07; Video 2 · ▶ 2:41:41; Video 2 · ▶ 2:42:14; Video 2 · ▶ 2:43:17; Video 2 · ▶ 2:44:22; Video 2 · ▶ 2:45:29; Video 2 · ▶ 2:46:02; Video 2 · ▶ 2:47:08; Video 2 · ▶ 2:53:37; Video 2 · ▶ 2:55:16; Video 2 · ▶ 2:56:24; Video 2 · ▶ 3:09:05; Video 2 · ▶ 3:09:38; Video 2 · ▶ 3:11:14; Video 2 · ▶ 3:12:21; Video 2 · ▶ 3:50:34

B1. Sweep and return

Daily playbook: Sweep and returnNQ=F · 1d · Yahoo Finance · UTCsweepPDLPDHPD 50%22961.525599.252026-03-09 04:00 – 2026-04-13 04:00 UTCTradingView
The highlighted lower wick crosses the prior daily low at 23,880.00 and the completed close returns inside the prior range. The prior midpoint at 24,114.13 and high at 24,348.25 are references to inspect; a lower-timeframe shift and defended retest are still required.

Mechanism (hypothesis)

A failed auction below a known low can trigger stops and attract responsive buying.

How to read the daily

  1. Fix PDL before the day starts.
  2. Require a completed L < PDL and C back inside.
  3. Name PDH or a nearer unvisited upper POI; reject the plan if an opposing area blocks it.

Top-down plan

Time frameTask and filter
Daily biasStudy day reclaims D1 low: upward rejection hypothesis while the reclaimed edge holds.
4h / 1h POIMap demand around the recovered PDL; a 4h/1h close accepting below the swept low cancels the long location.
15m structure / shiftWait for a completed 15m break above the correction swing high after the low reclaim.
5m / 1m entryAfter that break, a 5m/1m retest must hold a higher low; do not buy the first wick below PDL.

Entry / stop / target

Entry is a confirmed retest inside the mapped demand; stop below its defended sweep low. First inspect PD 50%, then PDH if still unvisited.

Skip if

Skip a close still below PDL, a missing shift, or an upper draw already visited.

Video 2 · ▶ 1:16:45. Execution conditions, stop placement and skip rules are authored planning conventions.

Execution card

  1. Bias Daily scenario selected from Sweep and return
  2. POI Daily boundary refined on the entry frame
  3. Trigger LTF displacement and CHoCH at the selected POI
  4. Entry Confirmed return inside 283.568–291.368 in the bullish drawing
  5. Invalidation Study-day boundary 272.835; invert for the bearish branch

Target Named opposing daily liquidity; remap after it is reached

Use the common 8-point checklist

B2. Inside day: breakout versus fakeout

Daily playbook: Inside day: breakout versus fakeoutSOLUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTCMother highMother lowMother 50%121.36146.912025-11-23 00:00 – 2025-12-17 00:00 UTCTradingView
The highlighted inside day is strictly contained by the mother high at 144.93 and low at 131.62. The following day trades below the mother low but closes back inside, illustrating a failed downside break rather than accepted breakout.

Mechanism (hypothesis)

A compressed mother range provides visible boundaries where breakout orders and protective stops may cluster. A failed break and a held break imply different plans.

How to read the daily

  1. Require strict containment in the mother day.
  2. Keep both mother edges and its midpoint fixed.
  3. Choose breakout only after acceptance; choose fakeout only after re-entry.

Top-down plan

Time frameTask and filter
Daily biasNeutral inside the mother range; an accepted boundary and held retest select direction.
4h / 1h POILocate a demand POI at the upper mother edge for a held bullish breakout, or at the lower edge after a downward fakeout.
15m structure / shiftBreakout: close above the mother high and hold. Fakeout: recover the mother low then break the internal correction high.
5m / 1m entryEnter only a retest of the recovered/broken boundary with a higher low, rather than an isolated stop order at the edge.

Entry / stop / target

Stop beyond the retest low (or fakeout low); target the next upper pool for breakout, mother midpoint then mother high for fakeout.

Skip if

Skip the mother-range middle, an unclosed breakout candle, or both sides repeatedly failing.

Convention (not from the videos). Execution conditions, stop placement and skip rules are authored planning conventions.

Execution card

  1. Bias Daily scenario selected from Inside day: breakout versus fakeout
  2. POI Daily boundary refined on the entry frame
  3. Trigger LTF displacement and CHoCH at the selected POI
  4. Entry Confirmed return inside 367.134–371.015 in the bullish drawing
  5. Invalidation Study-day boundary 320.564; invert for the bearish branch

Target Named opposing daily liquidity; remap after it is reached

Use the common 8-point checklist

B3. Outside day: continuation versus trap

Daily playbook: Outside day: continuation versus trapNQ=F · 1d · Yahoo Finance · UTCPDHPDL25025.026349.02025-12-24 14:30 – 2026-01-30 05:00 UTCTradingView
The highlighted outside day crosses both prior-day extremes and closes above its own midpoint at 25,339.25. The next daily close extends higher in this example; daily candles do not show which extreme traded first or establish an intraday retest.

Mechanism (hypothesis)

Both edges may activate breakout and stop orders. The closing location proposes a side, while next-day acceptance tests whether that interpretation survives.

How to read the daily

  1. Require H above PDH and L below PDL.
  2. Record C relative to the outside midpoint and prior range.
  3. Do not assume the order of high and low from a daily bar.

Top-down plan

Time frameTask and filter
Daily biasAbove the outside-day midpoint selects the bullish branch; lost midpoint selects the trap branch.
4h / 1h POIMark demand in the upper half for continuation and the opposite supply that would invalidate it.
15m structure / shiftContinuation needs a held upper-half retest and bullish shift; a completed loss of the midpoint puts the continuation plan on hold.
5m / 1m entryUse a higher-low retest after the shift; for a trap wait for a separate bearish shift rather than immediately reversing.

Entry / stop / target

Stop below the selected defended swing; target the outside high then an unvisited upper pool. A trap plan instead maps midpoint then outside low.

Skip if

Skip if the range makes the logical stop unaffordable or a nearby weekly ceiling leaves no usable path.

Convention (not from the videos). Execution conditions, stop placement and skip rules are authored planning conventions.

Execution card

  1. Bias Daily scenario selected from Outside day: continuation versus trap
  2. POI Daily boundary refined on the entry frame
  3. Trigger LTF displacement and CHoCH at the selected POI
  4. Entry Confirmed return inside 377.194–389.641 in the bullish drawing
  5. Invalidation Study-day boundary 331.554; invert for the bearish branch

Target Named opposing daily liquidity; remap after it is reached

Use the common 8-point checklist

B4. Rejection wick at an HTF POI

Daily playbook: Rejection wick at an HTF POIDX-Y.NYB · 1d · Yahoo Finance · UTCFVG98.75100.312026-05-26 04:00 – 2026-06-16 04:00 UTCTradingView
The highlighted 9 June lower tail enters the bullish daily FVG formed by the 4-8 June candles, while the close finishes above the zone. The tail rejects part of the pre-existing gap; a lower-timeframe shift and defended retest remain separate requirements.

Mechanism (hypothesis)

Responsive orders may oppose an excursion into a pre-existing demand area.

How to read the daily

  1. Mark the daily OB, FVG or swing area before contact.
  2. Require the tail to intersect it and the close to leave its lower part.
  3. Keep body colour separate from rejection direction.

Top-down plan

Time frameTask and filter
Daily biasDefended lower tail frames an upward thesis; body colour is a separate observation.
4h / 1h POIRefine the daily swing-support POI to a defended demand band without inventing an unverified OB or FVG.
15m structure / shiftRequire a bullish correction break after contact; multiple touches without departure are not the trigger.
5m / 1m entryRetest the departure origin and hold above the new swing low; enter only while still inside the mapped higher-TF location.

Entry / stop / target

Stop below the rejection extreme or the wider thesis boundary if needed; target PD 50%, PDH or the nearer opposing liquidity.

Skip if

Skip a POI selected only after the reaction, a close through the area, or no shift.

Convention (not from the videos). Execution conditions, stop placement and skip rules are authored planning conventions.

Execution card

  1. Bias Daily scenario selected from Rejection wick at an HTF POI
  2. POI Daily boundary refined on the entry frame
  3. Trigger LTF displacement and CHoCH at the selected POI
  4. Entry Confirmed return inside 338.607–346.565 in the bullish drawing
  5. Invalidation Study-day boundary 335.546; invert for the bearish branch

Target Named opposing daily liquidity; remap after it is reached

Use the common 8-point checklist

B5. Displacement day → next-day retrace

Daily playbook: Displacement day → next-day retraceSOLUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTCDay 50%Day open75.6394.052026-02-08 00:00 – 2026-03-04 00:00 UTCTradingView
Next-day retracementSOLUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCCHoCH84.3488.712026-02-26 06:00 – 2026-02-27 05:45 UTCTradingView
Compare the highlighted displacement day on the daily chart with the next-day retracement on the 15-minute chart. Both panels use SOLUSDT from the same Binance snapshot and UTC calendar; the lower panel continues into the following morning to show the later reaction.

Mechanism (hypothesis)

A large directional close can leave a fast-travel origin. A return tests whether responsive buyers defend that origin; there is no obligation to retrace or fill a gap.

How to read the daily

  1. Require a body exceeding two-thirds of range and C above PDH.
  2. Mark the completed day midpoint and open.
  3. Use a daily FVG only if three candles actually leave an outer-wick gap.

Top-down plan

Time frameTask and filter
Daily biasA broad daily body closes beyond D1 high; examine the selected retracement while acceptance holds.
4h / 1h POIChoose the midpoint/open demand band in this illustration; no daily FVG is asserted. Reject a 4h/1h close through the origin.
15m structure / shiftWait for the retracement to stop making lower lows and close above its correction high at the band.
5m / 1m entryUse the confirmed higher-low retest; if price departs without returning, record no entry.

Entry / stop / target

Stop beyond the defended pullback low; target the displacement high then next upper liquidity, conditional on available room.

Skip if

Skip a retrace through the origin, a gap identified without valid outer wicks, or price already at the target.

Convention (not from the videos). Execution conditions, stop placement and skip rules are authored planning conventions.

Execution card

  1. Bias Daily scenario selected from Displacement day → next-day retrace
  2. POI Daily boundary refined on the entry frame
  3. Trigger LTF displacement and CHoCH at the selected POI
  4. Entry Confirmed return inside 473.682–483.055 in the bullish drawing
  5. Invalidation Study-day boundary 448.687; invert for the bearish branch

Target Named opposing daily liquidity; remap after it is reached

Use the common 8-point checklist

B6. Accepted extreme + midpoint pullback

Daily playbook: Accepted extreme + midpoint pullbackETHUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTCOld PDHDay 50%2623.573249.02025-11-16 00:00 – 2025-11-30 00:00 UTCTradingView
The highlighted acceptance day closes above old PDH at 2,858.16 and its own midpoint at 2,875.00. The next day tests both nearby references with a low of 2,857.32 and closes above them; this daily overlap still needs a mapped intraday POI and confirmation before entry.

Mechanism (hypothesis)

A former breakout boundary may become a defended reference. This role change is a hypothesis tested by a pullback, rather than inferred from one close.

How to read the daily

  1. Require C > PDH.
  2. Mark the completed day midpoint and old PDH separately.
  3. Require the next day to defend a chosen overlapping POI; a midpoint alone is not an order.

Top-down plan

Time frameTask and filter
Daily biasDaily close accepts D1 high; continuation needs a defended overlapping POI next day.
4h / 1h POIMap the broken PDH and day-midpoint band in a rising 4h/1h structure; wait if they conflict with supply.
15m structure / shiftRequire a bullish shift from that band, not just the day remaining green.
5m / 1m entryRetest the shift origin with a higher low, after the 15m turn has filtered out the ongoing correction.

Entry / stop / target

Stop below the defended pullback swing; target the completed high then next upper liquidity. Loss of the origin cancels the thesis.

Skip if

Skip accepted re-entry into the old range, no pullback, or no remaining upper draw.

Video 2 · ▶ 1:17:18. Execution conditions, stop placement and skip rules are authored planning conventions.

Execution card

  1. Bias Daily scenario selected from Accepted extreme + midpoint pullback
  2. POI Daily boundary refined on the entry frame
  3. Trigger LTF displacement and CHoCH at the selected POI
  4. Entry Confirmed return inside 512.981–522.939 in the bullish drawing
  5. Invalidation Study-day boundary 481.299; invert for the bearish branch

Target Named opposing daily liquidity; remap after it is reached

Use the common 8-point checklist

B7. Narrow-range expansion

Daily playbook: Narrow-range expansionSOLUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTCNR highNR lowParent highParent low81.490.732026-04-15 00:00 – 2026-04-29 00:00 UTCTradingView
The highlighted day has the smallest range of the last four completed days, inside the two larger preceding ranges. The following daily close moves above the compressed high; acceptance and a held intraday retest must be assessed before treating that expansion as an entry.

Mechanism (hypothesis)

Compression leaves nearby edges where conditional orders may gather. Their presence and the release time are unobserved; expansion is a scenario.

How to read the daily

  1. Require the smallest range of the last four completed days.
  2. Mark both compressed edges and the larger parent range.
  3. Remain neutral until acceptance or a failed break resolves a side.

Top-down plan

Time frameTask and filter
Daily biasNeutral inside compression until an accepted close and retest resolve one side.
4h / 1h POIFor a bullish break, map the upper compressed edge as candidate demand within the parent context.
15m structure / shiftRequire a completed close above compression followed by a hold; a wick alone keeps bias neutral.
5m / 1m entryUse a higher-low boundary retest; no return means no planned entry.

Entry / stop / target

Stop below the retest low; target parent high before considering a further upper pool. Failed upside acceptance cancels the bullish branch.

Skip if

Skip abnormal spread, an imminent event, or a parent ceiling immediately above the entry.

Convention (not from the videos). Execution conditions, stop placement and skip rules are authored planning conventions.

Execution card

  1. Bias Daily scenario selected from Narrow-range expansion
  2. POI Daily boundary refined on the entry frame
  3. Trigger LTF displacement and CHoCH at the selected POI
  4. Entry Confirmed return inside 534.17–536.196 in the bullish drawing
  5. Invalidation Study-day boundary 518.304; invert for the bearish branch

Target Named opposing daily liquidity; remap after it is reached

Use the common 8-point checklist

B8. Failed two-day range break

Daily playbook: Failed two-day range breakBTCUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTC2-day low2-day 50%2-day high74967.9782300.02026-08-25 00:00 – 2026-09-18 00:00 UTCTradingView
The highlighted wick trades below both preceding daily lows and closes back above the fixed two-day low at 76,464.00. The two-day midpoint at 78,112.00 is a separate reference from either individual daily midpoint.

Mechanism (hypothesis)

A visible two-day extreme may attract breakout participation.

How to read the daily

  1. Freeze the high and low of the two preceding completed days.
  2. Require a wick below both lows and a close back above the two-day low.
  3. Do not substitute a moving intraday low for that fixed reference.

Top-down plan

Time frameTask and filter
Daily biasThe study day reclaims the fixed low of the two preceding days; keep that older boundary distinct from next-day PDL.
4h / 1h POIMap a demand POI around the recovered two-day low; accepting below the sweep low ends the plan.
15m structure / shiftRequire re-entry to persist and a completed bullish break of the internal correction high.
5m / 1m entryTake only a retest that defends the reclaim; a second break below with no recovery is not a cheaper entry.

Entry / stop / target

Stop beyond the failed-break low; inspect the two-day midpoint then high. The drawn PD midpoint belongs to one day and is a separate reference.

Skip if

Skip a close outside, a reference changed after the break, or repeated unconfirmed reclaims.

Convention (not from the videos). Execution conditions, stop placement and skip rules are authored planning conventions.

Execution card

  1. Bias Daily scenario selected from Failed two-day range break
  2. POI Daily boundary refined on the entry frame
  3. Trigger LTF displacement and CHoCH at the selected POI
  4. Entry Confirmed return inside 501.953–508.054 in the bullish drawing
  5. Invalidation Study-day boundary 496.386; invert for the bearish branch

Target Named opposing daily liquidity; remap after it is reached

Use the common 8-point checklist

B9. Daily open / midnight open

Daily playbook: Daily open / midnight openETHUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTCUTC day open2910.253402.892025-12-27 00:00 – 2026-01-20 00:00 UTCTradingView
The highlighted completed day closes above the prior high, establishing the daily prerequisite for this example. The following UTC day trades below its own open and closes above it; this feed uses UTC midnight, and demand plus an intraday confirmation must be checked separately.

Mechanism (hypothesis)

A chosen open is a reference for intraday excursion, not a valuation model. A dip below it can improve long location only when the separate bullish thesis survives.

How to read the daily

  1. Choose the chart daily boundary and record its timezone/session.
  2. Draw the next day open only once it exists.
  3. For a bullish thesis, wait below that open at a valid demand POI, then require confirmation.

Top-down plan

Time frameTask and filter
Daily biasThe open is a next-session location filter; the bullish daily thesis still needs a valid demand POI and confirmation.
4h / 1h POIMap demand below the prospective open but above the thesis invalidation; use a fixed HTF swing for premium/discount, not the open alone.
15m structure / shiftAfter the dip, require bullish structure to replace the correction; trading below open alone does not qualify.
5m / 1m entryUse a higher-low retest after confirmation; a continuing downward 1m structure means wait.

Entry / stop / target

Stop below the defended intraday low; target the open, PDH, then a still-unvisited upper draw. A daily thesis invalidation overrides entry preference.

Skip if

Skip mixed session anchors, a missing new-day open or a broken HTF long thesis. New York midnight and the feed daily open can differ; avoid fixed Tallinn offsets.

Video 2 · ▶ 1:20:32; From Video 1 (Power of 3 source notes) · Convention (not from the videos) for the midnight-open distinction. Execution conditions, stop placement and skip rules are authored planning conventions.

Execution card

  1. Bias Daily scenario selected from Daily open / midnight open
  2. POI Daily boundary refined on the entry frame
  3. Trigger LTF displacement and CHoCH at the selected POI
  4. Entry Confirmed return inside 544.176–563.201 in the bullish drawing
  5. Invalidation Study-day boundary 528.322; invert for the bearish branch

Target Named opposing daily liquidity; remap after it is reached

Use the common 8-point checklist

B10. Weekly boundary versus daily bias

Daily playbook: Weekly boundary versus daily biasBTCUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTCPWHPWL61248.8666956.152026-07-03 00:00 – 2026-07-27 00:00 UTCTradingView
The highlighted day trades above the previous week high at 65,600.00, then closes back below it at 65,255.51; that upper target has already been visited. The fixed week runs Monday 00:00 UTC to the following Monday; reassess acceptance or rejection here and require a fresh setup before considering either direction.

Mechanism (hypothesis)

Daily continuation can run into a weekly pool where responsive selling may appear. A weekly boundary filters available room; it does not force reversal.

How to read the daily

  1. Mark previous week high/low with the same session calendar.
  2. Locate the completed daily close relative to that fixed box.
  3. If an upper weekly boundary is near, require a new plan for acceptance or rejection there.

Top-down plan

Time frameTask and filter
Daily biasWeekly boundary is a room filter; choose acceptance or rejection at that boundary before carrying the daily direction through it.
4h / 1h POIMap the nearer daily demand and weekly supply. If their usable intervals collide, wait for the weekly test to resolve.
15m structure / shiftBullish shift must occur with room before weekly resistance; a rejection at that resistance suspends the continuation idea.
5m / 1m entryOnly a confirmed retest aligned with the selected weekly branch qualifies; no averaging into the boundary.

Entry / stop / target

Stop beyond the defended swing; target PDH or PWH, whichever lies first. A PWH rejection requires a fresh bearish setup, not a blind reverse order.

Skip if

Skip a target already visited, mixed week calendars, or no room between entry and weekly boundary.

From Video 1 (HTF and weekly context source notes) · Convention (not from the videos) for this weekly room filter. Execution conditions, stop placement and skip rules are authored planning conventions.

Execution card

  1. Bias Daily scenario selected from Weekly boundary versus daily bias
  2. POI Daily boundary refined on the entry frame
  3. Trigger LTF displacement and CHoCH at the selected POI
  4. Entry Confirmed return inside 645.186–655.696 in the bullish drawing
  5. Invalidation Study-day boundary 611.747; invert for the bearish branch

Target Named opposing daily liquidity; remap after it is reached

Use the common 8-point checklist

B11. Daily + 4h + 15m: aligned or conflicting

Neutral daily: inside prior rangeETHUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTCConditional drawRange low2775.193447.442025-12-10 00:00 – 2026-01-03 00:00 UTCTradingView
Local recovery; daily still neutralETHUSDT · 4h · Binance · UTC4h OB2888.73077.392025-12-22 08:00 – 2026-01-01 04:00 UTCTradingView
Local turn; execution on holdETHUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCBOS2924.542961.232025-12-28 12:45 – 2025-12-28 22:30 UTCTradingViewLocal turn; execution on hold · Time detailETHUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCBOS2928.892944.672025-12-28 19:30 – 2025-12-28 22:30 UTCTradingView
The highlighted 27 December daily bar closes inside the prior 2,894.26–2,994.38 range: daily bias is neutral, so the upper boundary is only a conditional draw, not an approved target. On 28 December the four-hour pullback holds above that daily lower boundary and recovers from the marked OB, but this local recovery does not resolve the daily overlap. In the 15m close-up, the 21:30 UTC wick crosses the 20:45 high at 2937.76 but closes below it; the 21:45 candle first closes above it at 22:00 UTC (BOS after the smaller 21:30 closing break), while execution stays on hold pending a clear daily thesis, destination and separate retest.

Mechanism (hypothesis)

Nested structure can separate a daily destination from the correction used for entry. Agreement is a planning filter whose usefulness must be tested on the chosen instrument.

How to read the daily

  1. Record the completed daily thesis and draw.
  2. Classify 4h swings as aligned, correcting or structurally opposing.
  3. Wait for 15m to turn in the daily direction at a mapped POI; remain neutral if the daily itself is unclear.

Top-down plan

Time frameTask and filter
Daily biasDaily chooses the thesis; 4h location and the completed 15m shift permit entry review, while HTF invalidation cancels it.
4h / 1h POIAligned 4h HH/HL: map demand. Corrective 4h: wait at demand. Opposing 4h LL/LH through daily invalidation: cancel the long thesis.
15m structure / shiftAligned bullish 15m at demand permits examination of entry; bearish 15m correction means wait; broken daily invalidation means stop planning longs.
5m / 1m entryA 5m/1m bullish turn and retest refine execution only after location and 15m agree. A tiny shift cannot overrule a failed daily thesis.

Entry / stop / target

Stop below the actual defended execution swing; target nearest upper daily pool. If the entry-to-stop interval leaves no room to the target, skip.

Skip if

Skip unclear daily bias, 4h invalidation, a 15m shift away from the POI, or a 1m entry against the still-active correction.

Video 1 · ▶ 0:05:06; Video 2 · ▶ 2:41:41 · Convention (not from the videos) for the full matrix. Execution conditions, stop placement and skip rules are authored planning conventions.

Execution card

  1. Bias Daily scenario selected from Daily + 4h + 15m: aligned or conflicting
  2. POI Daily boundary refined on the entry frame
  3. Trigger LTF displacement and CHoCH at the selected POI
  4. Entry Confirmed return inside 678.238–688.885 in the bullish drawing
  5. Invalidation Study-day boundary 644.359; invert for the bearish branch

Target Named opposing daily liquidity; remap after it is reached

Use the common 8-point checklist

Alignment decision table

Daily4h / 15m state → action
Bullish4h HH/HL and bullish 15m shift at demand → examine a confirmed retest.
Bullish4h correction and bearish 15m → wait at the POI; no entry yet.
Bullish4h acceptance through daily invalidation → cancel long plan.
Bearish4h LL/LH and bearish 15m shift at supply → examine a lower-high retest; invert the two wait/cancel branches.
NeutralAny LTF signal → no daily directional setup until a defined boundary resolves.

Decision practice · module 13

1. Yesterday swept PDL and closed inside. Today has no LTF trigger. Action?
Answer and reasoning

Keep the long hypothesis pending — The daily shape provides context; entry follows confirmation. Figure 101.

2. An inside day breaks upward but immediately closes back inside. Which branch?
Answer and reasoning

Reassess as a failed breakout — A close back inside switches the decision branch. Figure 102.

3. Daily is bullish while 4h corrects and 15m stays bearish. Action?
Answer and reasoning

Wait at the POI for alignment — The alignment decision table requires the entry frame to turn. Figure 111.

4. The outlined study day’s low is accepted below. Keep its long scenario?
Answer and reasoning

Invalidate and use the alternative map — The preselected daily boundary cancels the original scenario. Figure 100.

Select answers to record your score.

Review desk

Flashcards · A–Z glossary · Execution checklist · Plan and journal

Flashcards · 72 concepts

Open the card, then mark it. “Not yet” returns after one intervening card; “I knew it” waits at least four cards.

Acceptance

A completed close beyond the selected boundary followed by holding that side. Module 1

Accumulation

Wyckoff: a consolidation interpreted before upward expansion. In AMD: the initial range before manipulation, in either direction. Module 2

AMD

Accumulation, manipulation and distribution: a three-phase session map. Module 8

Ask

The offered price at which a buyer can transact. Module 7

Bias

The selected directional hypothesis with a named cancellation boundary. Module 9

Bid

The quoted price at which a seller can transact. Module 7

BOS

A completed close through a prior swing in the prevailing structural direction. Module 1

Breaker

A failed origin zone retested from its newly accepted side. Module 4

BSL

Buy-side liquidity mapped above a selected high or group of highs. Module 2

Candle body

The interval between a candle’s open and close. Module 13

CHoCH

The first opposing completed close-break of the selected structural swing. Module 1

Close

The final traded price of the chosen candle interval. Module 12

Confluence

Two or more independently defined conditions meeting at the same POI. Module 7

Correction

A move against the selected higher-frame directional leg. Module 7

CRT

A candle-range model using a defined range, breach, reclaim and opposite boundary. Module 8

Daily open

The opening price of the explicitly selected daily session. Module 13

Dealing range

The selected swing low-to-high interval used for premium and discount. Module 1

Demand

A mapped origin area from which an upward departure began. Module 4

Discount

The lower half of the explicitly selected reference interval. Module 1

Displacement

A directional price expansion evaluated together with its closing structure event. Module 5

Distribution

A bounded consolidation before a downward expansion in the illustrated model. Module 2

Draw on liquidity

The named untouched high or low selected as a destination. Module 9

Entry

The planned order location after the required trigger. Module 7

Equilibrium

The arithmetic midpoint of the selected reference interval. Module 1

ERL

External range liquidity beyond the selected range boundaries. Module 9

FVG

The uncovered interval between the outer wicks of candles 1 and 3; a return is a hypothesis. Module 5

HH

A swing high above the previous selected swing high. Module 1

HL

A swing low above the previous selected swing low. Module 1

HTF

The higher time frame used to map direction and location. Module 9

iFVG

An FVG closed through and then examined as an area with inverted role. Module 8

Imbalance

Price imbalance means an outer-wick FVG; order-flow imbalance compares executed bid/ask volume. These are separate measurements. Module 5

Inducement

A visible intermediate extreme whose breach may precede a larger structural event. Module 2

Invalidation

The preselected price event that cancels the current setup hypothesis. Module 7

IRL

Internal range liquidity or arrays inside the selected dealing range. Module 9

Journal

A record of setup, session, outcome in R, image and decision error code. Module 2

Judas swing

An initial session move against the later planned directional expansion. Module 8

Kill zone

A selected New York session window used by an intraday model. Module 8

LH

A swing high below the previous selected swing high. Module 1

Limit order

An order to transact at the selected price or better. Module 12

Liquidity

Available opposing orders, with stops mapped beyond visible extremes. Module 2

LL

A swing low below the previous selected swing low. Module 1

LTF

The lower time frame used to define the execution trigger. Module 7

Mean threshold

The midpoint of a selected order block’s own high-to-low interval. Module 4

Mitigation

A return into a previously mapped origin zone. Module 4

MSS

The ICT displacement-based structural shift; CHoCH names the first opposing completed close-break in the structure model. Module 1

OB

The selected last opposing candle before the qualifying directional departure. Module 4

Order flow

Executed bid/ask trades; external swing structure describes price direction separately. Module 7

Order-flow imbalance

Unequal executed bid-side and ask-side volume under an explicitly selected comparison rule. Module 7

OTE

A defined retracement band examined for a confirmed entry inside the chosen leg. Module 8

PDH

The high of the previous completed day using the selected session boundary. Module 13

PDL

The low of the previous completed day using the selected session boundary. Module 13

PMH / PML

Previous completed month high and low on the selected price series. Module 9

POI

A preselected area in which the execution trigger will be sought. Module 1

Premium

The upper half of the explicitly selected reference interval. Module 1

Price imbalance

The outer-wick non-overlap of candles 1 and 3 in the course FVG convention. Module 5

Protected swing

The swing whose breach cancels the selected continuation structure. Module 12

PWH / PWL

Previous completed week high and low on the selected price series. Module 9

R

The entry-to-stop distance used as one outcome unit: stop −1R, target e.g. +2R. Module 7

Reclaim

A completed close back inside the previously breached boundary. Module 6

Retest

A later return to a mapped level or zone; called mitigation when returning to an origin interval in this course. Module 4

Run

A breach that continues beyond the selected extreme rather than reclaiming it. Module 12

Silver Bullet

An intraday model combining a selected window, liquidity event and confirmed FVG entry. Module 8

Smart money

The composite-operator explanatory model; it does not identify an observed participant’s intention. Module 1

SMT

A relative high/low mismatch between selected correlated markets over a matching interval. Module 8

Spring / upthrust

A low-side breach and reclaim, or its high-side mirror, evaluated with a completed structural trigger. Module 6

SSL

Sell-side liquidity mapped below a selected low or group of lows. Module 2

Supply

A mapped origin area from which a downward departure began. Module 4

Sweep

A breach of a fixed extreme and a close back inside on that candle or the immediately following candle; a later return after acceptance is a separate event. Module 2

Target

The preselected destination used to evaluate room from entry. Module 9

Trigger

The completed price event required before an entry becomes eligible. Module 7

Unicorn

A breaker and FVG overlap evaluated with a directional trigger. Module 8

Wick

The price excursion beyond a candle’s open-to-close body. Module 13

Glossary · A–Z

Acceptance
A completed close beyond the selected boundary followed by holding that side. Module 1
Accumulation
Wyckoff: a consolidation interpreted before upward expansion. In AMD: the initial range before manipulation, in either direction. Module 2
AMD
Accumulation, manipulation and distribution: a three-phase session map. Module 8
Ask
The offered price at which a buyer can transact. Module 7
Bias
The selected directional hypothesis with a named cancellation boundary. Module 9
Bid
The quoted price at which a seller can transact. Module 7
BOS
A completed close through a prior swing in the prevailing structural direction. Module 1
Breaker
A failed origin zone retested from its newly accepted side. Module 4
BSL
Buy-side liquidity mapped above a selected high or group of highs. Module 2
Candle body
The interval between a candle’s open and close. Module 13
CHoCH
The first opposing completed close-break of the selected structural swing. Module 1
Close
The final traded price of the chosen candle interval. Module 12
Confluence
Two or more independently defined conditions meeting at the same POI. Module 7
Correction
A move against the selected higher-frame directional leg. Module 7
CRT
A candle-range model using a defined range, breach, reclaim and opposite boundary. Module 8
Daily open
The opening price of the explicitly selected daily session. Module 13
Dealing range
The selected swing low-to-high interval used for premium and discount. Module 1
Demand
A mapped origin area from which an upward departure began. Module 4
Discount
The lower half of the explicitly selected reference interval. Module 1
Displacement
A directional price expansion evaluated together with its closing structure event. Module 5
Distribution
A bounded consolidation before a downward expansion in the illustrated model. Module 2
Draw on liquidity
The named untouched high or low selected as a destination. Module 9
Entry
The planned order location after the required trigger. Module 7
Equilibrium
The arithmetic midpoint of the selected reference interval. Module 1
ERL
External range liquidity beyond the selected range boundaries. Module 9
FVG
The uncovered interval between the outer wicks of candles 1 and 3; a return is a hypothesis. Module 5
HH
A swing high above the previous selected swing high. Module 1
HL
A swing low above the previous selected swing low. Module 1
HTF
The higher time frame used to map direction and location. Module 9
iFVG
An FVG closed through and then examined as an area with inverted role. Module 8
Imbalance
Price imbalance means an outer-wick FVG; order-flow imbalance compares executed bid/ask volume. These are separate measurements. Module 5
Inducement
A visible intermediate extreme whose breach may precede a larger structural event. Module 2
Invalidation
The preselected price event that cancels the current setup hypothesis. Module 7
IRL
Internal range liquidity or arrays inside the selected dealing range. Module 9
Journal
A record of setup, session, outcome in R, image and decision error code. Module 2
Judas swing
An initial session move against the later planned directional expansion. Module 8
Kill zone
A selected New York session window used by an intraday model. Module 8
LH
A swing high below the previous selected swing high. Module 1
Limit order
An order to transact at the selected price or better. Module 12
Liquidity
Available opposing orders, with stops mapped beyond visible extremes. Module 2
LL
A swing low below the previous selected swing low. Module 1
LTF
The lower time frame used to define the execution trigger. Module 7
Mean threshold
The midpoint of a selected order block’s own high-to-low interval. Module 4
Mitigation
A return into a previously mapped origin zone. Module 4
MSS
The ICT displacement-based structural shift; CHoCH names the first opposing completed close-break in the structure model. Module 1
OB
The selected last opposing candle before the qualifying directional departure. Module 4
Order flow
Executed bid/ask trades; external swing structure describes price direction separately. Module 7
Order-flow imbalance
Unequal executed bid-side and ask-side volume under an explicitly selected comparison rule. Module 7
OTE
A defined retracement band examined for a confirmed entry inside the chosen leg. Module 8
PDH
The high of the previous completed day using the selected session boundary. Module 13
PDL
The low of the previous completed day using the selected session boundary. Module 13
PMH / PML
Previous completed month high and low on the selected price series. Module 9
POI
A preselected area in which the execution trigger will be sought. Module 1
Premium
The upper half of the explicitly selected reference interval. Module 1
Price imbalance
The outer-wick non-overlap of candles 1 and 3 in the course FVG convention. Module 5
Protected swing
The swing whose breach cancels the selected continuation structure. Module 12
PWH / PWL
Previous completed week high and low on the selected price series. Module 9
R
The entry-to-stop distance used as one outcome unit: stop −1R, target e.g. +2R. Module 7
Reclaim
A completed close back inside the previously breached boundary. Module 6
Retest
A later return to a mapped level or zone; called mitigation when returning to an origin interval in this course. Module 4
Run
A breach that continues beyond the selected extreme rather than reclaiming it. Module 12
Silver Bullet
An intraday model combining a selected window, liquidity event and confirmed FVG entry. Module 8
Smart money
The composite-operator explanatory model; it does not identify an observed participant’s intention. Module 1
SMT
A relative high/low mismatch between selected correlated markets over a matching interval. Module 8
Spring / upthrust
A low-side breach and reclaim, or its high-side mirror, evaluated with a completed structural trigger. Module 6
SSL
Sell-side liquidity mapped below a selected low or group of lows. Module 2
Supply
A mapped origin area from which a downward departure began. Module 4
Sweep
A breach of a fixed extreme and a close back inside on that candle or the immediately following candle; a later return after acceptance is a separate event. Module 2
Target
The preselected destination used to evaluate room from entry. Module 9
Trigger
The completed price event required before an entry becomes eligible. Module 7
Unicorn
A breaker and FVG overlap evaluated with a directional trigger. Module 8
Wick
The price excursion beyond a candle’s open-to-close body. Module 13

Pre-trade · 8 checks

Plan, journal and weekly review

Daily → multi-timeframe

Completed UTC dayBTCUSDT · 1d · Binance · UTCDay open57800.1967292.152026-06-07 00:00 – 2026-07-01 00:00 UTCTradingView
Same day with hourly contextBTCUSDT · 1h · Binance · UTCDay open59102.765622.832026-06-22 00:00 – 2026-06-24 23:00 UTCTradingView
Same UTC dayBTCUSDT · 15m · Binance · UTCDay open59102.763239.062026-06-24 00:00 – 2026-06-24 23:45 UTCTradingView
Compare the highlighted UTC daily bar with the same day on the hourly and 15-minute charts. The 24 hourly bars and 96 quarter-hour bars reproduce its exact open, high, low and close; the hourly panel also includes two earlier days for context.
1h illustrative viewSTUDY · 1h · Authored synthetic OHLC · UTC1h OB20004.120166.552026-06-01 12:00 – 2026-06-03 23:00 UTCTradingView
15m illustrative viewSTUDY · 15m · Authored synthetic OHLC · UTC15m shift1H POI20004.120104.162026-06-02 22:30 – 2026-06-03 18:15 UTCTradingView
1m illustrative viewSTUDY · 1m · Authored synthetic OHLC · UTC1H POI16:45 confirmedLow / 17:09 retest20006.920027.082026-06-03 16:00 – 2026-06-03 17:29 UTCTradingView
Follow the synthetic 1H POI at 20,006.90–20,018.37 across all three panels: the 14:30 UTC 15m candle confirms its upward shift when it closes at 14:45 UTC. In the minute view, the deeper 16:30 low at 20,007.00 defines the defended boundary; the 16:44 candle closes at 16:45 UTC above 20,014.94 to complete the marked recovery. The defended-low line ends beneath the 17:09 retest candle, whose 20,007.99 low remains inside the hourly POI and above 20,007.00 before the rise; a conditional entry requires invalidation below the defended low and a separate risk check.

Five morning questions

  1. Which contract, feed and session boundary define the last completed daily O/H/L/C and PDH/PDL?
  2. Does the close accept the boundary, reject it or remain inside / overlapping? Which HTF zone surrounds it?
  3. Where is the next untouched liquidity reference, what invalidates branch A and which branch B then applies?
  4. When are today's session and next release in ET and Tallinn time, using today's time difference?
  5. Which 1H POI → 15m closing confirmation → 1m retest am I waiting for, and what keeps the plan on hold?

Continue with the shared eight-point execution checklist.

Setup × daily context

Prefer = this illustration meets the row’s daily prerequisite; Confirmation required = a separate two-day, open, weekly or timeframe filter is needed; Avoid = this illustration lacks the daily prerequisite. Open and week are independent filters. Every eligible cell requires an HTF POI and completed LTF confirmation. Convention (not from the videos).

SetupBroad-body bullishBroad-body bearishLong lower wick · bullish bodyLong lower wick · bearish bodyLong upper wick · bearish bodyLong upper wick · bullish bodyDoji / spinning topDragonfly dojiGravestone dojiInside dayOutside day · bullishOutside day · bearishPDH sweep · close back insidePDL sweep · close back insideClose above PDHClose below PDLNarrow-range dayTrend day · open low, close highTrend day · open high, close lowOverlapping / chop daysWide range · small bodyTwo strong same-direction daysStrong day + small pullback
Sweep and returnAvoidAvoidPreferPreferPreferPreferAvoidPreferPreferAvoidPreferPreferPreferPreferAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidPreferAvoidAvoid
Inside day: breakout versus fakeoutAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidPreferAvoidAvoidPreferAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidPreferAvoidAvoidPreferAvoidAvoidPrefer
Outside day: continuation versus trapAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidPreferPreferAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidPreferAvoidAvoid
Rejection wick at an HTF POIAvoidAvoidPreferPreferPreferPreferAvoidPreferPreferAvoidAvoidAvoidPreferPreferAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoid
Displacement day → next-day retraceAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidPreferPreferAvoidPreferPreferAvoidAvoidPreferAvoid
Accepted extreme + midpoint pullbackAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidPreferPreferAvoidPreferPreferAvoidAvoidPreferAvoid
Narrow-range expansionAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidPreferAvoidAvoidPreferAvoidAvoidPrefer
Failed two-day range breakAvoidAvoidConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredAvoidConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredAvoidConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidAvoidConfirmation requiredAvoidAvoid
Daily open / midnight openConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation required
Weekly boundary versus daily biasConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation required
Daily + 4h + 15m: aligned or conflictingConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredAvoidConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredAvoidConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredAvoidConfirmation requiredConfirmation requiredAvoidAvoidConfirmation requiredConfirmation required

When timeframes conflict

HTF / LTF situationActionWhat changes the decision
HTF bullish, LTF falling towards demandWait for a sweep and bullish CHoCH at the POI; treat the decline as a correction while the HTF low holds.A close below the protected HTF low → neutralise the bias.
HTF bearish, LTF rising towards supplyWait for a high sweep and bearish CHoCH at the POI.Acceptance above the protected HTF high → build a new plan.
LTF shift in the middle of the HTF rangeWait for the HTF boundary; a local break alone does not select the daily direction.HTF boundary + liquidity event + defended retest.
Daily neutral, 1H/15m alignedUse the range boundary and the opposite boundary as target; keep the daily reading neutral.A close outside the range and a defended retest.
Daily target already visitedStop looking for entries towards the old target and remap the context.A new HTF destination and independent confirmation.
Video 1: original course. Video 2: Lewis Kelly · The ULTIMATE Smart Money Concepts Guide (condensed study notes). Notes based on two YouTube videos: Video 1 and Video 2. Original reference: “17 Years Into ONE Smart Money Concepts Trading Course (Full SMC Strategy)”. Text is a structured summary, not a transcript. Figures are schematic.

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