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Trading GBPUSD | Judas Swing Strategy 25/03/2025We had a good trading session with the Judas Swing Strategy two weeks ago, as the strategy delivered 3 solid setups, 2 on FX:EURUSD and 1 on $GBPUSD. And guess what? All three hit their targets! That’s a massive 6% gain for the week! And with these impressive results we wanted to see how the strategy will perform last week. The strategy did not produce any setups on the currency pair we monitor ( FX:EURUSD , FX:GBPUSD , FX:AUDUSD , OANDA:NZDUSD ) on Monday 24th March and instead of forcing setups like other traders would we sat that day out. Why was this possible? we had backtested the strategy and had enough data to prove that when we stick to this strategy long term we'd be in putting ourselves in a profitable position. On Tuesday, we returned to the trading desk, scouting for setups, when we noticed a potential opportunity on $GBPUSD. The currency pair had swept liquidity at the high of our zone, signaling a possible shift in direction. We then shifted our focus to selling opportunities for the session. Our strategy required waiting for a break of structure to the downside, followed by a retracement into the FVG before executing a trade After waiting for an hour and 15 minutes, we finally got the break of structure to the downside. The only step left was a retrace into the FVG. After some patience, the retrace materialized, meeting all the criteria on our entry checklist. We executed the trade, risking 1% of our account with a target return of 2% Trade Details: Entry: 1.29513 Stop Loss: 1.29611 Take Profit: 1.29311 After entering the trade, price consolidated around our entry point for a while, showing no clear direction. However, we remained unfazed, trusting our well-backtested strategy, which has a 50% win rate. With a 1:2 risk-reward ratio, we know that consistently following our strategy will yield profits in the long run. Since we had risked only what we could afford to lose, the slow price movement didn’t shake our confidence Unfortunately, this trade didn’t go in our favor and ended up hitting our stop loss. This serves as a reminder that not every trade will reach take profit and that’s perfectly okay. Losses are an inevitable part of trading, but what truly matters is maintaining a solid risk management strategy, sticking to a proven system, and thinking long-term. As traders, our edge comes not from winning every trade, but from executing consistently and letting probabilities play out over time
Education
by CleoFinance
Fair Value Gaps vs Liquidity Voids in TradingFair Value Gaps vs Liquidity Voids in Trading Understanding fair value gaps and liquidity voids is essential for traders seeking to navigate the complexities of the financial markets. These concepts, deeply rooted in the Smart Money Concept (SMC), provide valuable insights into the dynamics of supply and demand, helping to identify potential price movements. In this article, we’ll delve into both ideas, exploring their characteristics, differences, and use in trading. Fair Value Gap (FVG) Meaning in Trading A fair value gap, also known as an imbalance or FVG, is a crucial idea in Smart Money Concept that sheds light on the dynamics of supply and demand for a particular asset. This phenomenon occurs when there is a significant disparity between the number of buy and sell orders for an asset. They occur across all asset types, from forex and commodities to stocks and crypto*. Essentially, a fair value gap in trading highlights a moment where the market consensus leans heavily towards either buying or selling but finds insufficient counter orders to match this enthusiasm. On a chart, this typically looks like a large candle that hasn’t yet been traded back through. Specifically, a fair value gap is a three-candle pattern; the middle candle, or second candle, features a strong move in a given direction and is the most important, while the first and third candles represent the boundaries of the pattern. Once the third candle closes, the fair value gap is formed. There should be a distance between the wicks of the first and third candles. Fair value gaps, like gaps in stocks, are often “filled” or traded back through at some point in the future. They represent areas of minimal resistance; there is little trading activity in these areas (compared to a horizontal range). Therefore, they are likely to be traded through with relative ease as price gravitates towards an area of support or resistance. Liquidity Void Meaning in Trading Liquidity voids in trading represent significant, abrupt price movements between two levels on a chart without the usual gradual trading activity in between. These are essentially larger and more substantial versions of fair value gaps, often encompassing multiple candles and FVGs, indicating a more pronounced imbalance between buy and sell orders. While FVGs occur frequently and reflect the day-to-day shifts in market sentiment, liquidity voids signal a rapid repricing of an asset, typically following significant market events (though not always). These voids are visual representations of moments when the market experiences a temporary absence of balance between buyers and sellers. This imbalance leads to a sharp move as the market seeks a new equilibrium price level. Such occurrences are not limited to specific times; they can happen after major news releases, during off-market hours, or following large institutional trades that significantly move the market with a single order. Liquidity voids are especially noteworthy on trading charts due to their appearance as particularly sharp moves. Though they appear across all timeframes, they’re most obvious following major news events when the market rapidly adjusts to new information, creating opportunities and challenges for traders navigating these shifts. Fair Value Gap vs Liquidity Void Fair value gaps and liquidity voids are effectively the same thing in practice; a fair value gap is simply a shorter-term liquidity void. Both indicate moments of significant imbalance between supply and demand. At the heart of both phenomena is a situation where one significantly outweighs the other, leading to strong market movements with minimal consolidation. The distinction between them often comes down to scale and timeframe. An FVG is typically identified by a specific three-candle pattern on a chart, signalling a discrete imbalance in order volume that prompts a quick price adjustment. These gaps reflect moments where the market sentiment strongly leans towards buying or selling yet lacks the opposite orders to maintain price stability. Liquidity voids, on the other hand, represent more pronounced movements in a given direction, often visible as substantial price jumps or drops. They can encompass multiple FVGs and extend over larger portions of the chart, showcasing a significant repricing of an asset. This distinction becomes particularly relevant when considering the timeframe of analysis; what appears as a series of FVGs on a lower timeframe can be interpreted as a liquidity void. On a higher timeframe, this liquidity void may appear as a singular fair value gap. This can be seen in the fair value gap example above. For traders, it’s more practical to realise that both FVGs and liquidity voids highlight a key market phenomenon: when a notable supply and demand imbalance occurs, it tends to create a vacuum that the market is likely to fill at some future point. Therefore, it’s important to recognise that both these types of imbalances can act as potential indicators of future price movement back towards these unfilled spaces. Trading Fair Value Gaps and Liquidity Voids Trading strategies that leverage fair value gaps and liquidity voids require a nuanced approach, as these concepts alone may not suffice for a robust trading strategy. However, when integrated with other aspects of the Smart Money Concept, such as order blocks and breaks of structure, they can contribute significantly to a comprehensive market analysis framework. Primarily, both FVGs and liquidity voids signal potential areas through which the price is likely to move rapidly to reach more significant zones of trading activity, such as order blocks or key levels of support and resistance. This insight suggests that initiating positions directly within an FVG or a liquidity void may not be effective due to the high likelihood of the price moving swiftly through these areas. Instead, traders might find it more strategic to wait for the price to reach areas where historical trading activity reflects stronger levels of buy or sell interest. Additionally, these market phenomena can inform the setting of price targets. If there is an FVG or liquidity void situated before a key area of interest, targeting the zone beyond the gap—where substantial trading activity is expected—could prove more effective than aiming for a point within the gap itself. It's also useful to note the relative significance of these features when they appear on the same timeframe. An FVG, being generally smaller and indicating a discrete order imbalance, is more likely to be filled before a liquidity void. This is because liquidity voids represent more considerable and pronounced market movements that can set market direction, marking them as less likely to be filled within a short space of time. Limitations of Fair Value Gaps and Liquidity Voids While fair value gap trading strategies and the analysis of liquidity voids offer insightful approaches to understanding market dynamics, they come with inherent limitations that traders need to consider: - Market Volatility: High volatility can unpredictably affect the filling of fair value gaps and liquidity voids, sometimes leading to incorrect analysis or false signals. - Timeframe Relativity: The significance and potential impact of gaps and voids can vary greatly across different timeframes, complicating analysis. - Incomplete Picture: Relying solely on these phenomena for trading decisions may result in an incomplete market analysis, as they do not account for all influencing factors. - Expectations: There is no guarantee that a FVG/void will be filled soon or at any point in the near future. The Bottom Line As we conclude, it's essential to remember that while fair value gap and liquidity void strategies provide valuable insights, they’re part of a broader spectrum of SMC tools available to traders. They’re best combined with other analytical techniques to form a comprehensive approach to trading. For those looking to delve deeper into trading strategies and enhance their market understanding, opening an FXOpen account can be a step toward accessing a wide array of resources and tools designed to support your trading journey. FAQs What Is a Fair Value Gap? A fair value gap occurs when there's a significant difference between the buy and sell orders for an asset, indicating an imbalance that can influence market prices. What Are Fair Value Gaps in Trading? In trading, fair value gaps reflect moments where market sentiment strongly favours either buying or selling, creating potential price movement opportunities. What Is the Difference Between a Fair Value Gap and a Liquidity Void? The main difference lies in their scale: a fair value gap is typically a smaller, discrete occurrence, while a liquidity void represents a larger, more pronounced price movement. How to Find Fair Value Gaps? Traders identify fair value gaps by analysing trading charts for areas where rapid price movements have occurred. A FVG consists of three candles, where the second one is the largest and the first and third serve as barriers. The idea of the FVG is that it leads to a potential retracement to fill the gap in the future. Is a Fair Value Gap the Same as an Imbalance? Yes, a fair value gap is the same as an imbalance in the Smart Money Concept. *Important: At FXOpen UK, Cryptocurrency trading via CFDs is only available to our Professional clients. They are not available for trading by Retail clients. To find out more information about how this may affect you, please get in touch with our team. This article represents the opinion of the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand only. It is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation with respect to products and services provided by the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand, nor is it to be considered financial advice.
Education
by FXOpen
1
Fair Value Gaps (FVGs) – A Complete GuideWhat Are Fair Value Gaps (FVGs)? A Fair Value Gap (FVG) is a price imbalance on a chart that occurs when the market moves aggressively in one direction, leaving an area where price did not trade efficiently. These gaps are often created by institutional traders (banks, hedge funds, and large market participants) executing big orders. Key Characteristics of a FVG: ✅ Occurs when price moves impulsively, creating an imbalance ✅ Appears in a three-candle formation ✅ The gap forms between the wicks of the first and third candles How to Identify a FVG: 1️⃣ Look for a strong price move (bullish or bearish). 2️⃣ Find a three-candle sequence where the middle candle has a large body and a gap between the first and third candle wicks. 3️⃣ Mark the area between the first and third candle wicks—this is your Fair Value Gap. Example: Imagine price explodes upward with a big green candle, skipping multiple price levels without much resistance. This creates an inefficiency because price hasn’t traded fairly in that area, making it likely that price will revisit it later to fill the imbalance. Here you can see that price completely filled up that gap and moved higher. Same here: How to Use Fair Value Gaps in Trading FVGs can serve as key zones where price is likely to react. Here’s how you can use them to improve your trading: 1️⃣ Fair Value Gaps as Support & Resistance Bullish FVG (Support Zone): If price retraces into a bullish FVG (gap formed in an uptrend), it can act as support and push price higher. This is a good area to look for buying opportunities. Bearish FVG (Resistance Zone): If price retraces into a bearish FVG (gap formed in a downtrend), it can act as resistance and push price lower. This is a good area to look for selling opportunities. 2️⃣ Using FVGs for Trade Entries & Exits Price often revisits a Fair Value Gap before continuing its original trend. A trader can wait for price to fill the gap and then look for confirmations like candlestick patterns or volume spikes before entering a trade. Stop-loss placement: Put your stop-loss below/above the FVG zone to reduce risk. 3️⃣ Liquidity & Institutional Activity Institutional traders often target these inefficiencies to fill their orders. When price returns to an FVG, it may be because institutions are executing trades at those levels. Why Are Fair Value Gaps Useful? They act as magnets for price – Price tends to revisit these gaps before continuing its move. They provide high-probability trade setups – FVGs help traders find potential reversal or continuation zones. They improve risk management – You can use them for better stop-loss placement. They align with Smart Money Concepts (SMC) – Institutions often use these levels for liquidity. Tips & Tricks: How to Combine Fair Value Gaps with Other Strategies 1️⃣ FVG + Order Blocks = Strong Confirmation If a Fair Value Gap aligns with an Order Block, it becomes a powerful area of interest. This increases the chances of a successful trade. 2️⃣ FVG + Fibonacci Retracements If an FVG aligns with a key Fibonacci level (like 61.8% or 50%), the chances of a price reaction increase significantly. 3️⃣ FVG + RSI or Divergence If price revisits a FVG while RSI is overbought or oversold, it signals a high-probability reversal. 4️⃣ Higher Timeframe FVGs Are More Reliable FVGs on the 1-hour, 4-hour, or daily charts are more effective than those on smaller timeframes. 5️⃣ Monitor News Events If an FVG is formed due to a major news event (e.g., Fed announcement, CPI data, earnings report), be cautious, as price may act differently than expected. Final Thoughts Fair Value Gaps are a powerful tool that help traders identify key levels of liquidity and institutional price action. They work best when combined with other strategies like Order Blocks, Fibonacci, and RSI to increase accuracy. By understanding how and why price moves back into these gaps, traders can anticipate potential high-probability trade setups and trade alongside smart money. __________________________________________ Thanks for your support! If you found this idea helpful or learned something new, drop a like 👍 and leave a comment—I’d love to hear your thoughts! 🚀 Make sure to follow me for more price action insights, free indicators, and trading strategies. Let’s grow and trade smarter together! 📈✨
KRAKEN:BTCUSDEducation
by TehThomas
33
Trading EURUSD and NZDUSD | Judas Swing Strategy 17/01/2024Last Friday was an exciting day trading the Judas Swing strategy! We were fortunate to spot two solid opportunities, one on EURUSD and the other on NZDUSD. Both trades presented similar setups, and once they ticked all the boxes on our trading checklist, we didn’t hesitate to execute. In this post, we’ll walk you through the entire process, from setup to outcome and share key insights from these trades. By 8:25 EST, we were at our trading desk, prepping for the session to kick off at 8:30 EST. During that brief wait, we marked our trading zones and patiently watched for liquidity resting at the highs or lows of the zones to be breached. It didn’t take long, NZDUSD breached its low within 20 minutes, while EURUSD followed suit just 40 minutes into the session. With the liquidity sweep at the lows complete, we quickly shifted our focus to spotting potential buying opportunities for the session ahead. Even though we had a bullish bias for the session, we never jump into trades blindly. Instead, we wait for confirmation—a break of structure to the upside, accompanied by the formation of a Fair Value Gap (FVG). A retrace into the FVG serves as our signal to enter the trade. On this occasion, both currency pairs we were monitoring met these criteria perfectly. All that remained was for price to retrace into the FVG, setting us up to execute the trade with confidence. Price retraced into the FVG on both EURUSD and NZDUSD, meeting all our entry requirements. We executed the trades risking 1% on each setup, putting a total of 2% on the line. Our target? A solid 4% return. The setup was clear, the risk was calculated, and we were ready to let the trades play out After executing the NZDUSD trade, it was pure momentum—zero drawdown as the trade went straight into profit without hesitation. The same was true for EURUSD, which also faced minimal to no drawdown and quickly hit our take-profit target. Both trades wrapped up in just 25 minutes, netting us a solid 4% return. These are the kinds of sniper entries traders dream of! But let’s be real, trading isn’t always this smooth. There will be times when you face deep drawdowns and even losses. The key is ensuring your strategy wins more often than it loses. And if your losses outweigh your wins, make sure your winners are big enough to cover those losses. Consistency and proper risk management are what keep traders in the game for the long haul
Education
by CleoFinance
Trading GBPUSD and NZDUSD | Judas Swing Strategy 30-03/01/25The past week offered a subtle reminder that trading isn't always about pushing the buy or sell button. Sometimes, when market conditions are less predictable, it is advisable to sit back and concentrate on tape reading to allow market to reveal its intentions before engaging in trades. During the festive season and approaching the New Year, the market often exhibits erratic behaviour, making trading a bit difficult, and traders are often slaughtered under these conditions. Using the Judas Swing strategy, we scouted for trades during this period to evaluate how the strategy would perform under these conditions. On Monday, we did not find any trading opportunities on the four currency pairs we were monitoring. Fortunately the next day, we saw a potential trading setup forming on GBPUSD which caught our attention. We saw a sweep of liquidity on the sell side, signalling potential buying opportunities on GBPUSD. This followed a break of structure to the buy side, that price leg also left behind a fair value gap (FVG). With these conditions aligning, all we need is a retrace into the FVG to fulfil the entry requirements on our checklist. Twenty minutes later, we saw the retracement needed to enter the GBPUSD trade, triggered by the candle that closed within the FVG. We executed the trade with a 1% risk allocation from our trading account, aiming for a 2% return on this setup. This trade barely showed any profit before hitting our stop loss within twenty five minutes, leaving us down by 1% for the day. Did losing that amount bother us? Not at all. We were fully comfortable with the risk we had allocated for the trade. Wednesday didn’t present any trading opportunities, but on Thursday, we identified a promising setup on AUDUSD that we were eager to capitalize on. Once the price retraced into the FVG and all the requirements on our checklist were met, we executed the trade, risking 1% of our trading account with the goal of achieving a 2% return The AUDUSD trade came within a few pips of hitting our take profit (TP) before reversing and going the other way. From our backtest data, we’ve observed that taking partial profits negatively impacts the strategy’s overall performance over time. Instead, allowing trades to play out fully either hitting the stop loss or the take profit has consistently delivered better results in the long run. While reviewing our data, we also noted that it’s not uncommon for trades to come very close to hitting TP, only to reverse and hit the stop loss. Although this doesn’t happen often, it’s a pattern we’ve seen before during our backtesting sessions, so it wasn’t surprising when it occurred here. Taking a loss like this can be emotionally taxing, especially if you risked more than you could afford to lose or weren’t prepared for such scenarios due to a lack of backtesting. That’s why we can’t stress enough the importance of backtesting—it allows you to observe various scenarios in action and equips you to handle these situations more effectively. Friday didn’t present any trading opportunities, leaving us down 2% on our trading account for the week. However, we’re okay with this outcome, knowing that one good trade can offset those losses.
Education
by CleoFinance
Silver Bullet Strategy AUDUSD | 17/12/2024At 9:55 EST, we arrived at our trading desk to scout for trades using silver bullet strategy. We focused on these pairs EURUSD, AUDUSD, GBPUSD, and USDCAD, hoping to get favorable trading conditions during the session. After 15 minutes, our first FVG formed on GBPUSD, indicating a buying opportunity when price retraces into the FVG on this currency pair. Five minutes later, a similar setup to that which formed on GBPUSD appeared on USDCAD as well indicating that we also look for buying opportunities on this pair when we get a retrace into the FVG. Shortly, a FVG formed on AUDUSD, suggesting a selling opportunity when the price retraces into the newly formed FVG. Immediately after identifying the FVG on AUDUSD, the next candle entered the FVG fulfilling all the requirements for our entry criteria. We executed the trade and monitored the other pairs to check if any of them met the entry criteria. However, none of them had at that time, so we entered one trade and waited to see others would give us an entry. We had only 25 minutes to enter the two other setups we observed, otherwise, we would not be able to take those trades due to our trade deadline being at 11:00 EST. We checked USDCAD and realized we got a retrace, but it failed to go lower to give us an entry, so we did nothing. A similar situation was encountered on GBPUSD. We failed to get an entry on the other pairs, however, the positive aspect was that our trade on AUDUSD was progressing well in our intended direction. After waiting a while, we checked on the position again to assess its performance only to realize it had retraced back to our entry point. An ideal situation? No, but this was the reality, we remained unfazed because we had only risked an amount we were comfortable losing. The trade consolidated around our entry price for a while, but we were in no rush. We had three options: 1. Trade reaches the take profit 2. The trade hits the stop loss 3. We manually close the trades at 16:00 EST These are the rules we have on our checklist and we intend to stick by them This trade neither hit our TP nor SL, so we decided to manually close it at 16:00 EST for a small profit, which we’re perfectly okay with. Remember, simply following your trading rules is a win on its own. Your rules exist for a reason!
Education
by CleoFinance
1
Silver Bullet Strategy EURUSD USDCAD AUDUSD | 26/11/2024Yesterday served as a classic example of the importance of risk management in every trader's system. We initiated three trades across three different currency pairs (EURUSD, GBPUSD, USDCAD) and plan to provide a detailed breakdown of each trade, including the outcomes. We began scouting for potential setups that matched our entry criteria at 10:00 EST. By 10:30 EST, a FVG had developed on GBPUSD, indicating potential selling opportunities during this trading session. All that remained was to wait for a retracement into the created FVG to secure an entry point for the trade The subsequent five-minute candle entered the Fair Value Gap (FVG) on GBPUSD, indicating that we could execute our trade upon its closure. Simultaneously, we were exploring additional trading opportunities across various currency pairs. It was then that we observed the emergence of a FVG on USDCAD, necessitating a wait for a retracement into the FVG before executing a trade. We executed the trade on GBPUSD while awaiting confirmation to enter the USDCAD position. The USDCAD setup provided an entry confirmation, indicating that we would have two trades active during this session. Additionally, the session was still ongoing when we observed that another EURUSD setup was approaching the fulfillment of our entry criteria. Immediately after initiating the trades on GBPUSD and USDCAD, we observed a significant drawdown on both. This was due to a large bearish marubozu candle printing on the USDCAD, while the GBPUSD experienced two successive bullish candles, casting both positions in an unfavorable light. While all this was happening the setup on EURUSD had fulfilled all the requirements on our checklist so we had to execute that trade as well. Our USDCAD position hit the stop loss, and shortly after, our GBPUSD position also reached the stop loss, resulting in a 2% reduction of our trading account for the day. This leaves us with just one active position on EURUSD. Being in such a position wouldn't be easy to bare if we hadn't managed risk properly. We entered these trades risking only 1% per trade and had already accepted the potential outcomes, which greatly diminished any emotional attachment to these trades. With that in mind, the EURUSD position began moving in our desired direction, which was a considerable relief after two out of three trades had reached the stop-loss point We patiently waited, and this time our patience paid off when our EURUSD position hit the take profit (TP) for a 2% gain. Thus, for the day, we experienced two losses and a win, but with effective risk management, our win offset both losses, and we broke even for the day. Do you see the importance of ensuring your wins outweigh your losses? We experienced just one win and two losses, yet our single win was more significant that it offset all the losses we had for the day
Education
by CleoFinance
5
Trading USDCAD and AUDUSD | Silver Bullet Strategy 18/11/2024The Silver Bullet strategy, introduced by the Inner Circle Trader (ICT), aims to exploit certain market conditions within specific time frames. It involves strategically placing entries at the initial fair value gap that emerges within these periods. Yesterday, we executed trades using this strategy and we plan to show you how to incorporate this strategy into your trading toolkit. Firstly, it's crucial to understand what a Fair Value Gap (FVG) is and recognize the optimal time to look for these trades, which is between 10:00 and 11:00 EST. In order to get into the groove of trading we got to our trading desk at 09:55 and with the help of the sessions indicator we have the our trading zones mapped out for us. It should be noted that the initial candle marking the start of a trading session cannot constitute the Fair Value Gap (FVG), but it can serve as the first candle in the formation of an FVG. The trading session began, and we were scouting for setups to trade using the silver bullet strategy. After 15 minutes, we noticed a Fair Value Gap (FVG) had formed on the USDCAD pair, which drew our attention to it. This development indicates that we should be on the lookout for potential selling opportunities this trading session. We must wait for price to retrace back to the FVG and only execute a trade after the candle that enters the FVG has closed. This approach helps us avoid trades that enter the FVG and immediately hit our stop-loss. After 10-minutes we got a retracement into the Fair Value Gap (FVG), and given that price did not surpass the high of the first candle in the FVG formation, we can enter this trade. A 10 pip stop loss will be set to provide sufficient room for the trade to develop. After initiating the trade, our USDCAD position experienced minimal drawdown, and by 10:35, it was progressing favorably in our desired direction. Simultaneously, we were evaluating potential setups on other currency pairs and observed the formation of a Fair Value Gap (FVG) on AUDUSD. The next candle retraced into the Fair Value Gap (FVG) created on the AUDUSD pair, indicating that upon its close, we could execute a trade on this pair. The USDCAD position swiftly hit the take profit (TP) target. Within just 25 minutes, we completed this trade and shifted our focus to the other open position, AUDUSD. The AUDUSD position was also moving favorably in the direction we anticipated. After a period of waiting, we checked the position and found that it had reached the Take Profit (TP) after two hours. We succeeded in both trades we entered yesterday, risking 1% on each and aiming for a total gain of 4%. As observed, both trades experienced minimal drawdown, but this does not guarantee similar entries in the future. It is advisable to backtest this strategy and collect sufficient data to reinforce your confidence should you choose to trade using this strategy.
Education
by CleoFinance
Trading NZDUSD | Judas Swing Strategy 28/10/2024 Last week highlighted the importance of a risk management plan for all traders using the Judas swing strategy as a case study. The strategy produced two trades on FX:GBPUSD and one on $EURUSD. Despite facing two losses and securing only one win, proper risk management ensured that the single win offset the losses, allowing us to end the week at breakeven. With these results in hand, we were excited to see what the upcoming week would bring. We got to our trading desk at 8:25EST and started our day by demarcating our trading zones. Once we have demarcated our zones, we wait for the high or low of this zone to be swept, as this will assist us in determining our bias for the trading session. After 35 minutes, the high of the zone was swept, indicating that we should look for potential selling opportunities during this trading session. Next on our checklist is to wait for a Break of Structure (BOS) on the sell side. After an hour, we observed a BOS on the sell side, which resulted in a Fair Value Gap (FVG) being formed in the process We must wait for the price to retrace back into the Fair Value Gap (FVG). A trade can only be initiated once price has entered the FVG, and it is crucial to be patient and wait for the price to close before executing any trades. This waiting period acts as a filter to avoid scenarios where the candle entering the FVG proceeds to hit our stop-loss. The next five-minute candle entered the Fair Value Gap and closed, indicating that we can proceed with executing the trade The position experienced a drawdown shortly after the trade was executed, but this did not concern us as we had only risked 1% of our trading account, targeting a 2% gain. Additionally, we implemented a minimum 10 pip stop loss to allow the trade sufficient space to fluctuate without prematurely stopping us out and then proceeding in our anticipated direction. Upon checking the position later, we found it had shifted in our favor. However, we needed to remain composed since it had not yet reached our ultimate target. Our task was simply to be patient and wait for our targets to be achieved Upon reevaluating the position, we noticed that price had returned to the entry point. At such moments, individuals who have risked more than they can afford may start to panic. That's why we continually stress the importance of only risking what you can afford to lose, as it greatly diminishes the emotional investment in trades. We have encountered situations like this before and will likely face them again. However, what remains within our control is the decision to risk only an amount we are comfortable with losing, which in turn lessens the emotional attachment to the trades. According to our data, we can anticipate being in a position for an average of 11 hours, so the duration of this trade meeting our objective is not a concern we simply need to remain patient for it to occur. After 13 hours and 25 minutes, our patience was rewarded when our Take Profit (TP) was reached, resulting in a 2% gain on the OANDA:NZDUSD trade
Education
by CleoFinance
Trading GBPUSD | Judas Swing Strategy 15/10/2024Last week proved challenging for the Judas Swing strategy, with three consecutive losses and no wins, which heightened our anticipation for this week. Will we be able to break this losing streak? We'll soon find out. We typically arrive at our trading desks five minutes before the session starts to delineate our zones and settle into the trading rhythm. After delineating our zones, the next step is to wait for a sweep of a high or low of the trading zone, which will assist us in establishing our bias for the trading session. Forty-five minutes later, price swept the liquidity at the high, indicating that we should look for selling opportunities during this trading session. A few minutes after the high was swept, we observed a Break of Structure (BOS) on the sell side, which was encouraging as we avoid entering trades without analysis, even with a sell bias established for the session. Upon identifying the BOS, the next step is to find a Fair Value Gap (FVG) within the price leg that broke structure. The final step in the entry checklist is to wait for price to pull back into the Fair Value Gap (FVG) and to execute the trade only after the candle that enters the FVG has closed. Shortly after, a candle entered the FVG, indicating that we could execute our trade following the close of the candle. It's crucial to understand that by risking only 1% of our trading account for a potential 2% return, we minimize emotional attachment to the trades since we're only risking what we can afford to lose, and we stand to gain more than we risk. After executing the trade, we experienced a significant drawdown, which is a critical point for those who risk more than they can afford to lose. After a patient wait, the trade has turned around and begun to move in our favor, which is thrilling. However, we must still keep our composure as the objective has not yet been achieved According to our data, we can anticipate being in a position for an average of 11 hours, so the duration of this trade meeting our objective is not a concern; we simply need to remain patient for it to occur. After 15 hours and 20 minutes, our patience was rewarded when our take profit (TP) target was reached, resulting in a 2% gain on a trade where we risked 1%.
Education
by CleoFinance
The Fair Value Gap (FVG)The term "fair value gap" is known by various names among price action traders, including imbalance, inefficiency, and liquidity void. But what do these imbalances mean? They arise when the forces of buying and selling exert considerable pressure, resulting in sharp and rapid price movements. On a chart, a Fair Value Gap appears as a three-candlestick pattern. In a bullish context, an FVG forms when the top wick of the first candlestick does not connect with the bottom wick of the third candlestick. Conversely, in a bearish scenario, the FVG is created when the bottom wick of the first candlestick fails to connect with the top wick of the third candlestick. The gap on the middle candlestick, created by the wicks of the first and third candlesticks, represents the Fair Value Gap. The concept of FVG trading is based on the idea that the market has a natural tendency to self-correct. These price discrepancies or inefficiencies are generally not sustainable over time, and the market often returns to these gaps before continuing in the same direction as the original impulsive move. What are the Types of Fair Value Gaps? 1. Bearish Fair Value Gap A bearish Fair Value Gap occurs when there is a space between the bottom wick of the first candlestick and the top wick of the third candlestick. This gap typically appears on the body of the middle candlestick, and the individual characteristics of each candlestick are not particularly important. What’s crucial in a bearish scenario is that the gap on the middle candlestick results from the wicks of the surrounding candlesticks not connecting. 2. Bullish Fair Value Gap A bullish Fair Value Gap occurs when the top wick of the first candlestick does not connect with the bottom wick of the third candlestick. In this case, the specific direction of each candlestick is not as important. What really matters is that there is a gap in the middle candlestick, where the wicks of the first and third candlesticks have not linked. 3. Inverse Fair Value Gap An Inverse Fair Value Gap is an FVG that has lost its validity in one direction but remains significant enough to influence price movement in the opposite direction. For example, a bullish FVG is deemed invalid if it fails to act as a demand zone. However, it then transforms into an inverse bearish FVG, which may serve as a supply zone capable of holding the price. 4. Implied Fair Value Gap The Implied Fair Value Gap is also a three-candlestick pattern, but it does not feature a gap on the middle candlestick, which is why it’s called an “implied FVG.” Instead, it consists of a larger middle candle flanked by two relatively long wicks from the first and third candles. The “gap” is defined by marking the midpoint of the wick of the first candlestick that touches the middle candle and the midpoint of the wick of the third candle that also touches the middle candle. These two midpoints create the gap. Here are some factors that can lead to the formation of fair value gaps: 1. Economic Data Releases Key economic data releases, such as changes in interest rates or unemployment statistics, can similarly create imbalances. If the data surprises the market, it can trigger a swift price movement in one direction, resulting in a gap. 2. Sudden News Events Unexpected news that significantly affects market sentiment can lead to a rapid increase in buying or selling activity, resulting in a gap as prices adjust to the new information. For instance, if a company unexpectedly reports strong earnings, its stock price may surge, creating a gap on the chart. 3. Market Openings or Closings Gaps may form during periods of low liquidity, such as at market openings or closings. With fewer market participants, even a small amount of buying or selling can cause a noticeable price jump that isn’t quickly countered. 4. Large Institutional Trades Significant trades by institutional investors can also lead to fair value gaps (FVGs). When a hedge fund or financial institution executes a large buy or sell order, it can overwhelm the existing order book, causing a rapid price shift and leaving a gap behind. 5. Weekend Gaps FVG's are often observed between the close on Friday and the open on Monday, reflecting news or events that occurred over the weekend. KEY POINTS TO KNOW - Fair Value Gaps (FVGs) are powerful tools traders use to identify market imbalances and inefficiencies. - FVGs occur when buying or selling pressure leads to significant price movements, leaving behind gaps on price charts. - FVGs can be identified through technical analysis involving the analysis of candlestick patterns and price chart patterns. - Traders can categorize FVGs into two types: Undervalued FVGs, where prices are lower than fair value, and Overrated FVGs, where prices are higher.
Education
by TaylorDeMario
4
Trading EURUSD | Judas Swing Strategy 30/07/2024Risk management ought to be a trader's closest ally, as the previous week demonstrated the practical significance of incorporating risk management into every trader's toolkit. Last week, we executed four trades; despite having only one win and three losses, we concluded the week with a mere 1% loss on our trading account. This has heightened our excitement for the opportunities that this week may present. As is customary, at 8:25 AM EST, we commenced the day by reviewing the essential items on our Judas Swing strategy checklist, which comprises: - Setting the timezone to New York time - Confirming we're on the 5-minute timeframe - Marking the trading period from 00:00 - 08:30 - Identifying the high and low of the zone The next 5 minute candle swept liquidity resting at the low of the zone, which meant our focus would be on identifying potential buying opportunities for the trading session. To increase the likelihood of success of our trades, we wait for a break of structure (BOS) towards the buy side. Once the BOS occurs, we anticipate price to retrace to the initial Fair Value Gap (FVG) created during the formation of the leg that broke the structure. We patiently waited for price to retrace into the created Fair Value Gap (FVG), and executed our trade upon the closing of the first candle that entered the FVG, as all the conditions on our checklist for trade execution were satisfied. Please note that our stop loss is set at the low of the price leg that broke structure, and we implement a minimum stop loss of 10 pips. The minimum stop loss value was not chosen randomly; it was determined through extensive backtesting. This allows trades sufficient space to fluctuate, avoiding premature stop-outs and trades later moving in our anticipated direction. After 15 minutes, a large bearish marubozu candle formed, which could have exited us from the trade if we had set our stop loss solely based on the low of the price leg that broke structure, without including a minimal stop loss in our checklist. By using that price leg, our stop loss would have been around 6 pips, whereas a 10 pip stop loss provides the trade with sufficient breathing room. We are aware that our strategy does not guarantee a 100% win rate but rather hovers around 50% on EURUSD, indicating that some losses were inevitable. To avoid becoming emotional over the position, we used only 1% of our trading account with the goal of achieving a 2% gain. Upon checking our position later, we observed that the position was a few pips away from hitting SL. We remained calm despite the drawdown we were experiencing and were prepared for any outcome of the trade. All that was left was to wait for either our stop loss or take profit to be triggered to determine the result of our trade. A few hours later, the trade began to move in our favor. After 13 hours, our Take Profit was triggered, and our patience paid off as we hit our target on EURUSD, resulting in a 2% gain from a 1% risk on the trade.
Education
by CleoFinance
ICT Breaker & Mitigation Blocks EXPLAINEDToday, we’re diving into two powerful concepts from ICT’s toolkit that can give you an edge in your trading: Breaker Blocks and Mitigation Blocks. There are one of my favourite PD Arrays to trade, especially the Breaker Block. I’m going to explain how I interpret them and how I incorporate them into my trading. Stay tuned all the way to the end because I’m going to drop some gold nuggets along the way" Ok, so first of all let’s go through what both these PD Arrays look like and what differentiates them, because they are relatively similar and how they are used is practically the same. On the left we have a Breaker Block and on the right a Mitigation Block. They both are reversal profiles on the timeframe you are seeing them on, and they both break market structure as you can see here. The actual zone to take trade from, or even an entry from, in the instance of this bearish example is the nearest down candle or series of down candles after price makes a lower low. When price pulls back to this area, one could plan or take a trade. The defining difference is that a Breaker raids liquidity on its respective timeframes by making a higher high or lower low before reversing, whilst a Mitigation Block does not do that. For this reason, a Breaker is always a higher probability PD Array to trade off from. As you should know by now if you are already learning about PD Arrays such as these is that the market moves from one area to liquidity to another. If you don’t even know what liquidity is, stop this video and educate yourself about that first or you will just be doing yourself a disservice. Alright, so let’s go see some real examples on the chart. Later on I’ll give you a simple mechanical way to trade them, as well as a the discretionary approach which I use. And of course, some tips on how to increase the probability of your setups.
Education
by Road_2_Funded
2
Trading AUDUSD | Judas Swing Strategy 17/06/2024 Following a successful trading week, we approached our trading desks in high spirits, eagerly anticipating the start of the trading session. While our week included trading FX:EURUSD , FX:GBPUSD , OANDA:NZDUSD we’re showing this classic example using $AUDUSD. At 8:25 AM EST, we began the day by running through the essentials on our Judas Swing strategy checklist, which includes: - Setting the timezone to New York time - Confirming we're on the 5-minute timeframe - Marking the trading period from 00:00 - 08:30 - Identifying the high and low of the zone Now that our zones are demarcated, we anticipate a liquidity sweep on either side of the trading zone, as this will assist in establishing a bias for the trading session. Liquidity was taken at the lows after 5 minutes, signaling our focus would be on identifying potential buying opportunities. To increase the likelihood of success of our trades, we wait for a break of structure (BOS) towards the buy side. Once the BOS occurs, we anticipate price to retrace to the initial Fair Value Gap (FVG) created during the formation of the leg that broke the structure. We patiently waited for price to retrace into the created Fair Value Gap (FVG), and executed our trade upon the closing of the first candle that entered the FVG, as all the conditions on our checklist for trade execution were satisfied. Ideally, our stop loss should be set at the low of 0.65854, but that would place our stop loss at approximately 6 pips, which is too tight for our strategy. Extensive backtesting has shown that tight stop losses are often triggered before price reverses and moves in our intended direction. Consequently, we have implemented a minimum stop loss of 10 pips for all our trades. After executing the trade, we experienced a minor drawdown for approximately 25 minutes before price shifted in our favor. During the drawdown, we remained calm as we had only risked 1% of our trading account with the goal of achieving a 2% return. Price was progressing well in our direction, and all that was required of us was patience for the Take Profit (TP) to be reached. We expected to be in this trade for roughly 8 hours and 6 minutes, so we stayed composed and had faith in our strategy. After 3 hours and 50 minutes, our Take Profit was triggered, and our patience paid off as we hit our target on AUDUSD, resulting in a 2% gain from a 1% risk on the trade.
Education
by CleoFinance
Trade Like A Sniper - Episode 9 - NQ1- (31st May 2024)This video is part of a video series where I backtest a specific asset using the TradingView Replay function, and perform a top-down analysis in order to frame ONE high-probability setup. I choose a random point of time to replay, and begin to work my way down the timeframes. Trading like a sniper is not about entries with no drawdown. It is about careful planning, discipline, and taking your shot at the right time in the best of conditions. A couple of things to note: - I cannot see news events. - I cannot change timeframes without affecting my bias due to higher-timeframe candles revealing its entire range. - I cannot go to a very low timeframe due to the limit in amount of replayed candlesticks In this session I will be analyzing E-mini NASDAQ, starting from the Weekly chart. - R2F
CME_MINI:NQ1!Education
by Road_2_Funded
"The Bodies Tell The Story.. The Wicks Do The Damage" - ICTIn this video I'm going to go through one of ICT's most famous sayings, which is "The bodies tell the story, and the wicks do the damage". If haven't taken the time to understand what he means, then you are seriously putting yourself at a disadvantage if you are using his concepts. This is one of the most crucial and useful pieces of the ICT puzzle. You often hear him say that the wicks are painting outside of the lines, which he sees as permissable when he is trading his PD Arrays. So without further ado, I'll try my best to provide some insight. For illustrative purposes I'll use his Market Maker Sell Model. Just to note that this is not a video teaching about his market maker models, so the focus will not be on that or his other concepts. If you don't understand a certain term or concept, please check out ICT's YouTube Channel or the countless other resources online. This video will be predominantly shedding some light on candle bodies and wicks. I urge you to go into your own charts and do your own study. This will truly be something eye opening if it is the first time you've actually decided to take notice. - R2F
Education
by Road_2_Funded
2
Goldbach levels explained The algorithm uses the following equation 3x3 =9 9x3 =27 27x3=81 81x3=243 243x3=729 729x3=2187 And so on… These are our power of 3 numbers we want to keep in mind. When we get the final result, charts will move 3,9,27,81,243,729 pips..or points or dollars at a time. It employs goldbach levels using (po3) dealing ranges and completes objectives along each (DR) from low to high and back . Why don’t your fair value gap or order fail to work sometimes but not always? The dealing range you see has labels- each of icts pd arrays form and work specifically inside of the right level. Order block forms in ob Fvg forms on fv Liquidity voids ( long insane runs / candles) start from the lv levels ONLY. breakers form in br Mitigation block is mb Rb is rejection block If you are a Fvg or order block trader you need to understand this. The algorithm will only form the correct structure in the correct area…again like all ict concepts, it is completely fractal in nature. Each po3 number has It’s own dealing range and smaller ones (3,9,27) all work inside of the higher ones (81,243,729) From high to low is just these numbers in amount of pips .. 27 dr (dealing range) is 27 pips and so on, they are made up of a premium and discount also Buy in a discount, sell in a premium..ya once 0.5 is a premium market Since I’m on the daily using more time to swing, I’m using a 243 and 729 dealing range. We are bearish. The algorithm is perfect.you have to open your mind to see what’s really happening…..
Education
by FutureFire
2
What is ICT Power of 3?Power of 3 at work on Gold producing a 8.6RR move on 30/06/2023 FOREXCOM:XAUUSD Ict power of 3 is a strategy that reveal the market maker algorithm model for price delivery. Power of 3 simply means there are 3 things market makers algorithm do with price in ever trading days. Those 3 things are; Accumulation, Manipulation and Distribution. AMD: A: Accumulation M: Manipulation D: Distribution 1. Accumulation: They accumulate liquidity through the delivery of a ranging market. The purpose for delivering a ranging market is to induce both buyers and sellers to enter the market thinking that price will go in their direction. 2. Manipulation: After accumulating both buying and sell orders, they then manipulate the market to further induce another set of traders which are breakout traders. But, that particular manipulation move is not their intended direction for the day. They only use it to gather liquidity, Which will then lead them to the next action which is to move and distribute price in their real direction for the day. 3. Distribution: After manipulating price to a particular direction different from their plan, they then distribute price to their original intended direction. e.g to buy, they will first sell the market and then buy at the discount price level. Example of Power of 3 on Gold AMD: A: Accumulation M: Manipulation D: Distribution Accumulation : Price range during Asian session, accumulating liquidity on both sides of long and shorts. Manipulation : Price broke the low of the accumulation during London session to take out sell side liquidity and then fill the previous day imbalance. Distribution : Price move away from the FVG leading to a shift in market structure on 5m time frame, plus a short pull back, follow by a massive move to the upside during the New York session to take out buy side liquidity above.
FOREXCOM:XAUUSDEducation
by Elijahenoch7
2
ES Morning Shorts From Last Nights IdeaGood Afternoon everyone, I will show in depth order entries in this post, read the updates to see. This idea was formed last night around 10PM NY Time. I originally was hoping to trade up into the most recent Order Block (green path arrow) during the London session and end at the Terminus -4 around 8:00AM NY time. I then would've liked to see accumulations followed by a Turtle Soup or sweep of that low at the Terminus -4 during market open. I wanted to take countertrend longs in that area into the Order Block resting above the Liquidity Void, this move is denoted by the orange path arrow. However we ended up going straight to Terminus -4 during London and we rallied above Asia accumulation into the Bearish Order Block sitting right above (green path arrow). We took shorts from this area and we were looking to target the Sellside Liquidity below to complete our MMSM (Market Maker Sell Model) on the 15M chart. We were able able to bank 2.1% off the move just by taking profits at the short term low 4507.5 and holding a few more contracts to a slightly lower price once we noticed price wasn't wanting to break the low at the Terminus -4 just yet. The Sellside Liquidity is still a viable target, we have just been choppy since right after open so taking profits is worth the time spent waiting for price. Hopefully this was more insightful on how to form an idea for the next trading day. I will commit to making more informational posts like this. Please read the updates for a 5M look at the entries and a reference to the MMSM.
CME_MINI:ES1!Education
by blackoakcapital
Unlocking the Secrets of Price Inefficiency: Dive Deep into FVG👑Price inefficiencies are also known as imbalances, gaps or voids. Healthy price action moves in a zigzag fashion, making highs and lows in line with the directional bias at any given moment. When price isn’t trending we find it consolidates, in which case highs lows are still being made. However, we may also see price move in straight lines with huge volume and momentum. When this happens, price finds itself unable to deliver price in an efficient manner. For example, in a bullish environment, price may continue to make higher highs without providing higher lows at a discount price. When price moves with this much momentum, it leaves behind imbalances. 🟠An imbalance can be identified by open space in price action, where the wicks on either side of a candle do not match each other. On the left is an example of price inefficiency, since the wick high of candle 1 does not meet the wick low of candle 3, leading to an imbalance on candle 2. 🟠This is an example of healthy price action with no imbalances. This is because all candles have wicks on either side of them. Since wicks were bodies during live price action and are bodies on lower time frames, this shows that price was delivered efficiently to buyers and sellers in this area. Whereas the example above shows an imbalance on a bullish candle, which shows that price was only available to buyers in that imbalance and therefore is not efficient. 👉For price to be efficient, it needs to be delivered to buyers and sellers. This helps us understand that in our original bullish imbalance, price has to come back and fill that imbalance using bearish price action in order to make that price available to sellers. This re-balancing could take hours, days, weeks or years, but it is our job to understand that it must happen at some point. Inline with the rest of the strategy, we can use this knowledge to pick out the specific imbalances that will be filled and how we can capitalise on this. 🟠This is an example of the correctly identified imbalance and where we expect price to react from 🟠This is an example when is our level being met, it is at this point that we use the rest of the strategy and knowledge to capitalise on the move that is about to unfold with high risk:reward entries. 🟠This is the completion of this particular market cycle, with our level being respected and price giving us a nice bullish leg. 🔴Bearish Order Flow: 🟢Bullish Order Flow:
CAPITALCOM:US500Education
by algoat
Fair Value Gap Strategy (FVG): GBPUSD 7.32x Reward TradeCheck out this 7.32RR trade I took today on GBPUSD. OANDA:GBPUSD Trade Process: Daily is bullish with FVG serving as draw on liquidity. 1HR: Took out Sellside liquidity left with BuySide liquidity to take out. 15M: London Session open took out 15M sellside liquidity with high probability of taking out Buyside liquidity. Entry: I used my fib to locate OTE at the FVG which is where i placed my buy limit. Price retraced to pick my order and fly high to take out the buyide liquidity and the daily FVG.
Education
by Elijahenoch7
2
A loss for me a lesson for you- Trading a bearish FVGReview this first to see the fair value gap: (1)Trades inside the -FVG (2) Rejects -FVG(MT) (3) Holds -FVG(L) Note: This is a high probability sign for moves higher, price trades inside the 4H-FVG. Once price is inside, the price trades to the 4H-FVG(MT) and trades back down to the 4H-FVG(L) and price holds for a continuation inside. (4) Prices trades through -FVG(MT) (5) Trades and rejects the -FVG(H) and -OB Note: This is where, and only where I should have entered for the sells that I attempted near the midpoint. We had already traded pass 4H-FVG(MT). After the failed entry, you should wait for price to reach the 4H-FVG(H) and in this case the -OB as well.
BLACKBULL:SPX500Education
by Cory4rex