Three Layers:
1. Auction logic
2. Scenario validation
3. Entry protocol
Refined version of "Trade the Sequence"
1. Auction Logic
*A. IF sweep THEN reclaim
**a. sweep = information i.e. buyers entered
**b. reclaim = decision bar
**c. no reclaim = no trade
*B. IF reclaim THEN hinge
**a. reclaim proves sellers failed
**b. hinge = compression
**c. no hinge = no structure
*C. IF hinge THEN break
**a. break indicates direction
**b. break validates the scenario
**c. no break = no trade
*D. IF break THEN trade setup is valid
**a. break must close above the lip
**b. break must show displacement
2. Scenario Validation
*A. Validate the scenario before trading the sequence
**a. is it Scenario-1 (S-1)?
**b. is it Scenario-2 (S-2)?
**c. is it Scenario-3 (S-3)?
*B. Break quality
**a. break MUST show displacement
**b. reclaim bar is NOT a break bar
*C. Shelf integrity
**a. shelves must remain intact
**b. if shelves break the sequence resets
3. Entry Protocol (hierarchy)
*A. Primary entry = lip pullback
**a. most reliable
**b. highest R/R
**c. cleanest continuation
*B. Secondary entry = lip shelf
**a. slightly weaker
**b. still valid
**c. works best in Scenario-1 (S-1)
*C. Tertiary entry = apex shelf
**a. only valid when apex shelf is tight
**b. works best in Scenario-3 (S-3)
Scenario-1 (S-1) BTO requirements
1. Sweep Order (the structural requirement)
*A. First there must be a buy-side sweep
**a. during Globex session - 18.00.00 - 19.59.59
**b. during Asian session - 20.00.00 - 02.59.59
**c. during London session - 03.00.00 - 05.59.59
**d. during NY ETH session - 06.00.00 - 09.29.59
**e. at the 09.30.00 Open or shortly thereafter
**f. Can be shallow
**g. does not require a high-top wick
**h. sometimes has no wick at all
2. Second there must be a sell-side sweep
*A. S-1 hard time rule
**a. must happen at 09.30.00
**b. must happen no later than 09.45.00
*B. Can be shallow or no wick at all
3. Hard time rule: 09.30.00 - 09.45.00
*A. 09.30.00 - 09.45.00
**a. volatility is highest
**b. sweeps are shallow
**c. reclaims are fast
**d. apex shelves are tight
**e. lip shelves are tight
**f. breaks are explosive
*B. 09.45.01 = S-2
IF you find this beneficial
THEN please check back.
To this post will be added in the "add note" section:
1. OHM Scenario-2 (S-2) requirements
2. OHM Scenario-3 (S-3) requirements
Deep Dive Focus: In-depth look at one concept
Daily Focus: Overnight sweeps, key PX shelves, OHM scenarios, hinge/break trade setups
Teaching Principle: Correct Mechanics + Correct Structure + Correct Logic = Correct Trade
1. Auction logic
2. Scenario validation
3. Entry protocol
Refined version of "Trade the Sequence"
1. Auction Logic
*A. IF sweep THEN reclaim
**a. sweep = information i.e. buyers entered
**b. reclaim = decision bar
**c. no reclaim = no trade
*B. IF reclaim THEN hinge
**a. reclaim proves sellers failed
**b. hinge = compression
**c. no hinge = no structure
*C. IF hinge THEN break
**a. break indicates direction
**b. break validates the scenario
**c. no break = no trade
*D. IF break THEN trade setup is valid
**a. break must close above the lip
**b. break must show displacement
2. Scenario Validation
*A. Validate the scenario before trading the sequence
**a. is it Scenario-1 (S-1)?
**b. is it Scenario-2 (S-2)?
**c. is it Scenario-3 (S-3)?
*B. Break quality
**a. break MUST show displacement
**b. reclaim bar is NOT a break bar
*C. Shelf integrity
**a. shelves must remain intact
**b. if shelves break the sequence resets
3. Entry Protocol (hierarchy)
*A. Primary entry = lip pullback
**a. most reliable
**b. highest R/R
**c. cleanest continuation
*B. Secondary entry = lip shelf
**a. slightly weaker
**b. still valid
**c. works best in Scenario-1 (S-1)
*C. Tertiary entry = apex shelf
**a. only valid when apex shelf is tight
**b. works best in Scenario-3 (S-3)
Scenario-1 (S-1) BTO requirements
1. Sweep Order (the structural requirement)
*A. First there must be a buy-side sweep
**a. during Globex session - 18.00.00 - 19.59.59
**b. during Asian session - 20.00.00 - 02.59.59
**c. during London session - 03.00.00 - 05.59.59
**d. during NY ETH session - 06.00.00 - 09.29.59
**e. at the 09.30.00 Open or shortly thereafter
**f. Can be shallow
**g. does not require a high-top wick
**h. sometimes has no wick at all
2. Second there must be a sell-side sweep
*A. S-1 hard time rule
**a. must happen at 09.30.00
**b. must happen no later than 09.45.00
*B. Can be shallow or no wick at all
3. Hard time rule: 09.30.00 - 09.45.00
*A. 09.30.00 - 09.45.00
**a. volatility is highest
**b. sweeps are shallow
**c. reclaims are fast
**d. apex shelves are tight
**e. lip shelves are tight
**f. breaks are explosive
*B. 09.45.01 = S-2
IF you find this beneficial
THEN please check back.
To this post will be added in the "add note" section:
1. OHM Scenario-2 (S-2) requirements
2. OHM Scenario-3 (S-3) requirements
Deep Dive Focus: In-depth look at one concept
Daily Focus: Overnight sweeps, key PX shelves, OHM scenarios, hinge/break trade setups
Teaching Principle: Correct Mechanics + Correct Structure + Correct Logic = Correct Trade
Anmerkung
This "Add note" idea woke me up early this morning. It wasn't part of my original intention regarding this post, but it is necessary. The requirements of OHM S-2 & OHM S-3 will still be posted here but this comes first.Market Turmoil Protocol
When economic or geopolitical turmoil is present trade with heightened caution.
1. wait for clarity
2. reduce size
3. limit attempts
4. avoid late entries
Turmoil requires discipline, patience and strict adherence to structure.
Four Rules of Turmoil Trading
1. Wait
*no trades until there is a clear reclaim > hinge > break
*turmoil = no anticipating, no guessing, no early entries
I always have a post-it note stuck to my keyboard that has the word "WAIT" written on it four times. Turmoil or no turmoil it is always there.
2. Only Scenario-1 (S-1) Trade and only one Scenario-2 (S-2) Trade
*maybe S-2, S-2 Low-Tier, S-2 Deep-Tier
3. Scalp the Lip - Max twice
*no third attempts
*no shelf entries
4. Time Cutoff
*even on a normal day be very reluctant to enter a trade after 10.15
*sometimes the auction takes a little longer to find its footing
**on such a day 10.30 - 10.45 is my cutoff
5. 5m Bar Safety Net
*on turmoil days reference your 15s microstructure to a 5m bar
For an example of this look at both a 15s and a 5m chart of 7/24
1. 15s chart
*10.39.15 exhaustion bar
*microbalance 10.39.15 - 10.49.00
*10.46.00 bull engulfing bar + volume
*10.49.15 wide range break bar + volume
2. 5m chart
*10.15 exhaustion bar
*10.40 doji
*10.45 bull engulfing + volume
3. Entry on pullback after 10.45 5m bar fully formed
*quick scalp
*no 2nd entry - when PX came back to earth it was too late - way past 10.45 cutoff
Nobody especially likes the word "rule(s)". It is a difficult word and seems authoritarian to write of them.
But these are boundaries that will protect you.
Anmerkung
The lip on the above fully formed 15s hinge was 308.25 its floor 254.50.Anmerkung
There is a reason for the name OHM - Opening Hour Model/Anmerkung
Every morning my alarm clock goes off at 10.15 ET as a reminder that the OHM is about over.Sometimes I may take a trade later if it's a really good one.
But not very often.
Anmerkung
That 10.15 alarm is my very best trade management tool.Anmerkung
2nd best trade management tool:3-Regime Trading Plan
1. Economic news = Event Risk Gate
2. Geopolitical news = Context Override Filter
3. Microstructure behavior
*IF PX slices through shelves
THEN you do not BTO until there is a really good bounce (such as the 7/24 S-2 trade outlined above)
4. Ultimate Filter
*IF the auction is rotational
THEN you trade.
*IF the auction is directional
THEN you stand down or flip the script.
For a more in-depth read of this see 06/24/2026 "3-Regime Trading Plan" post.
Bear in mind all of this is written in the context of Buy-to-Open day trading MNQ/NQ using the Opening Hour Model - 09.30.00 - 10.30.00 ET.
Have a suitable news source.
Details. Details. And more Details.
No shortcuts.
Every sweep, every reclaim, every hinge, every break builds the skill.
Draw them all.
Microstructure will become a part of your trading DNA.
"I(F) wishes were horses, (THEN) beggars would ride."
Practice + Patience = Payoff
Anmerkung
CORRECTION:3-Regime Trading Plan was posted 06/04/2026 NOT 06/24
Sorry for that error.
06/24/1988 is an old job anniversary date & it crept into my thoughts.
Anmerkung
The above cited 7/24 S-2 trade setup was well worth more than a scalp.Take a mental picture of it - both 15s & 5m.
Make it part of your trading DNA.
Haftungsausschluss
Die Informationen und Veröffentlichungen sind nicht als Finanz-, Anlage-, Handels- oder andere Arten von Ratschlägen oder Empfehlungen gedacht, die von TradingView bereitgestellt oder gebilligt werden, und stellen diese nicht dar. Lesen Sie mehr in den Nutzungsbedingungen.
Haftungsausschluss
Die Informationen und Veröffentlichungen sind nicht als Finanz-, Anlage-, Handels- oder andere Arten von Ratschlägen oder Empfehlungen gedacht, die von TradingView bereitgestellt oder gebilligt werden, und stellen diese nicht dar. Lesen Sie mehr in den Nutzungsbedingungen.