Making Sense Of Multi TimeFrame Trading: Plan, Trades, Logic with Tom B at the Traders Lab
Watch on YouTubeVideo summary
Trading is fundamentally a business centered on identifying and executing a statistical edge rather than attempting to predict random individual outcomes. Success in this environment relies heavily on disciplined planning and the acceptance that losses are operational costs necessary for navigating market randomness, rather than failures of ego. The market functions through an auction process driven by context and participant behavior, operating in rotational cycles rather than linear timeframes. Consequently, traders must focus on aligning with these mechanics and liquidity imbalances, such as high-volume nodes and outside edges, to anticipate mean reversion and squeezes, rather than trying to forecast specific price directions.
A robust trading strategy employs conditional logic, often described as "if this, then that," which allows traders to react to market rotations without needing to predict the future. This approach involves targeting larger rotational moves to achieve risk neutrality quickly while managing positions through scaling and accepting stop-outs when a validated edge is absent in specific setups. Tom B highlights the importance of selecting highly liquid markets like ES or NQ over thinner ones to avoid slippage and unpredictable exits, noting that options are generally less suitable for day trading due to time decay compared to futures. By understanding that the market reflects collective value perception, traders can ignore whether the overall trend is bullish or bearish and instead focus on the rotational behavior across different timeframes.
Multi-timeframe trading acts as a vertical integration of auctions, visualized similarly to Matryoshka dolls, where micro-structure triggers are identified while strictly respecting higher timeframe volume points of control and liquidity zones. This perspective allows traders to see how squeezes on one side create fuel for counter-rotations, enabling them to anticipate shifts in market dynamics based on order flow tools like Bookmap. The ultimate goal is to solve for randomness by maintaining a vetted plan that dictates actions based on observable market mechanics, ensuring that execution remains consistent regardless of whether the day turns out profitable or not.
In conclusion, effective trading requires a mindset shift from prediction to reaction, where every trade is part of a broader logical framework designed to capitalize on rotational opportunities. Traders must be prepared to take stops when setups lack a statistical edge and understand that there is no single right side in the market, only validated strategies that adapt to changing conditions. By integrating these principles of discipline, liquidity awareness, and multi-timeframe analysis, traders can navigate the complexities of market auctions with greater confidence and consistency over the long term.
Read the full video transcript
today. Uh, this week, this stream is
exclusively in the Bookmap Discord
Trader Lab Discord.
>> William says, "Scratch my VHV and long
if you're watching this after the retest
of 55 from the lower around 11 hours, 12
minutes, and 45 seconds."
>> IBL target. Currently, you don't have to
be a Bookmap subscriber.
Uh, the
stream is really about traders working
with traders. Uh, Trader Lab is a group
of
>> CCM replied to William, "55 short was
good ones."
>> Nice.
>> Trader Lab is about the business of
trading,
uh, building out trade plans, only
engaging with market participants when
you have a statistical edge that favors
you. Uh, the outcome of any individual
interaction with the other participants,
or trade if you will, uh, is random. And
we need to change, in my opinion, at
least in experience, uh, change the way
we relate to the market. Market is
random.
Gaming the outcome, gaming is random.
So, what are we doing when we trade? We
are sampling
an edge. Now, an edge means over a
random distribution of interactions or
iterations, that if we have an edge and
we actually wait for the edge and
execute it per plan in a disciplined
fashion, and we repeat this process that
we have vetted, then over time we can
extract dollars in this random
environment and random distribution of
outcomes. So, it's not about being right
in the sense of win-lose, though I
understand, and you do too, that we
experience it that way. Of course, we
all want to win. But, the way to win in
trading is not the individual trade,
it's the edge. So, ex- develop an edge,
execute the edge, and if you actually
have an edge, and you execute it per the
plan, then over time, randomly, you
extract the dollars from the other
participants. It's not any more
complicated than that. Now, the
complexity of it is the randomness.
So, we have to solve for randomness, not
for being right.
Right is the plan. So, that's the basis
of Trade Algos differentiating our
fantasy. Uh this is not a video game.
It's just a business. So, losses are
cost production and overhead. It's not a
validation of your ego. And if you're
sitting there needing something to do,
then your mind is wired to seek a
dopamine fix. You have to learn about
the psychology, and not only the things
you're conscious of, but what's working
under the hood. And this is
part of what the Trade Algos is built
on. So, I hope uh if you're visiting in
YouTube after the fact, remember, uh
these streams, by the way, will be
available, but 2 days after the fact
this week. So, be aware. Now, the basis
of this process is built on a hierarchy.
The auction is really how the market
works. Why does this market go up and
down? And you're going to say you throw
your hands up and you run out of the
room. Uh really, it it's a function of
figuring out pricing. What's too high,
what's too low. The other element to
this
is the condition of the market. It's
called context. Context is which side is
out of balance. By out of balance, that
means if the market, like today, if the
market opens in a big gap, uh and
there's shorts in the market, what might
happen? Well, early on, you get
continuation selling. What happens to
the shorts that are in the market from
early today and from yesterday, which
we'll be going over in just a moment?
Well, the potential is for them to get
squeezed. That's called market
mechanics. And so, trading is not really
a mechanical process. You really have to
understand how the market works, and how
you can use that understanding to
develop plan and edge and also accept
the accept the randomness of it. So, we
need to understand context and we need
to identify this condition in multiple
time frames. Um I'm always a little
allergic to using the term time frame
because in the auction
time is an element, but that is not what
the how the market works. It really
works in a rotational process.
Uh
that is participant base. So, uh I
understand we all learn the thing time
frame and it's not that you can't use
time or interpret it with time. But,
when you're a day trader
time is not the element, it's rotation.
So, you can convert you can call it time
to measure a rotation or you can just
use rotational behavior that is not time
based. Uh Bookmap's the order flow tool
uh to see you might say under the hood
uh to see all the elements that aren't
visible to most other retail traders who
don't understand order flow or have a
high tier tool. Also, a reminder,
there's a library of webinars, uh PDFs,
a doc- document section, template
uh for trade plan building and much,
much more. Uh 60 of these of structured
trades you can download if you choose
and reverse engineer. There's no plug
and play, so I don't want to disappoint
you, but I have to disappoint you. You
actually have to learn how to trade.
That is [snorts] so there is no plug and
play and it's not do what I do. We all
trade different time frames or
rotations. General disclosure, all
Bookmap limited materials, information,
and presentations are for educational
purposes only and should not be
considered specific investment advice or
recommendations.
Risk disclosure, trading futures,
equities, and digital currencies
involves substantial risk of loss and is
not suitable for all investors. Past
performance is not necessarily
indicative of future results. Let's go
now to the higher time frame. I like to
start with this because this sets
everything up for today. Isn't that
interesting?
So, let's look. Now, this is yesterday.
Now, let's talk about this. This is
Thursday before the long weekend. Market
This is Tuesday uh
June 23rd, 2026. So, we had June 10th on
Friday. So, the market was closed. So,
this is Monday's RTH. This is Thursday's
RTH. And this is Wednesday. It was an
FOMC day. And we did the Acapulco cliff
dive. Now,
couple things I'm going to talk to you
about. I'm going to start a little bit
short-term and then go to higher time
frames. I'm a little bit different. Uh
Buy stops are here, and the market is
short here. Now, I'm just starting with
market mechanics. Then, I'm going to go
into what all of this might mean. And
I'm always going to say maybe, cuz
that's it. Maybe. Maybe it'll do this.
Maybe it'll do that. Maybe nothing. Who
knows?
Buy stops are here. Buy stops are here.
Buy stops are here. Let's remember that.
This is the fair price, and I'm using
the auction now. And I'm just going into
this
distribution of volume, which is from
down here
over here
to the all-time high
to here. So, this is an important level.
Think of it like shopping. This is the
auction. I'm not paying that. Yeah,
you're out of here. Yeah, but this is
too low.
Notice what's here. Too low.
What happened over here?
Too low. Too low. What about here?
Stops. So, sellers are here buy stops.
Retail price. Rotation.
Fair price. If it's becomes unfair, I go
to another area. And you'll see why this
how this works. Buy stops are here all
time high. Who knows what happens to the
shorts?
I'm sorry, to longs that are in here.
Sell stops. What happens to them? Hasta
la vista. Thanks for playing. You get a
coupon to the buffet. Double bottom and
the ETH low was right here. We opened
here on this day and it was the Acapulco
cliff dive. Where we go over here?
Back here. Where do we come out on the
other side? Down here. New low. And the
ETH low, I believe was either it was
here or here on this day. Sets up the
longs. Where do we come back? Back here.
What happens to the shorts? Hasta la
vista.
You get a coupon. Buy stops.
Buy stops. Now, let's look at this. What
is this up here? This is another These
are called micro composites. So, I'm
breaking down the rotational behavior.
This is now the high volume in here.
Well, if we're doing the squeeze at
area, in other words, all these shorts
get blasted, you know, it's kind of like
thanks for playing. Let's give them
cocktails and a ticket to the buffet.
And I come up and I know I have buy
stops here.
Buy stops there. These longs got
trapped. Look at the opposite behavior.
I have a gap from here to there and
where it's too high. Now, I don't know
where too high is until hindsight.
What do I see here? I see sellers. And
what do I know about this? I have a gap.
What happens over here?
Sellers. So, the longs now, right? Are
potentially trapped. And where's my
target? Back here. Notice how this
works.
Here
to here.
If it's too high, I leave. I come to
this one. If this one's too low, I might
come to this one, which we did in the
ETH. Then I have my shorts. That's the
fuel. I come back to this one. What
happens here? I come back outside, back
to this one. If it's too high, think
shopping. Where do I come?
Back to this one, back to this one. Now,
let's look.
Where do we go? We open down here. What
happens? Where do we return? Back to
this one.
This is a higher time frame. This is
before anything.
Is everybody tracking? By the way, I'm
looking at the chat on my phone. I have
some computer elements here
that are interesting going on here.
So, let's take a look here.
Just taking a look.
Okay.
Sorry, guys. I I'm just a little
challenged here because of some uh
issues. So, these are the levels that
are important. So, for me today
Uh now, I'm going to take show you
trades I took today.
Um
my thing, you may find this a little
challenging, is
uh
I took a couple longs today, but
primarily my thesis for the day was
shorts. So, in the morning, I took
shorts. Then I anticipated a rebalance.
All this is posted in Trade Lab.
Once we had the rebalance, which means
longs, I was looking for shorts. Again,
uh this was my target for the longs. You
might say, "Why didn't you get long?"
Well, I just follow a plan. Not too
smart. Just follow a plan. My plan is
different than yours. My time frame is
different than yours. Traders in Trader
Lab took longs, so they had a great day.
Me? I'm looking to take shorts. So, I
pick a side that I perceive to be
dominant. Just me. And I have to really
be specific for you everybody who
follows this stream and Trader Lab
processes.
Everything is generic in the sense of
market mechanics. In other words, how
does this thing work? We can figure that
out. We cannot figure out how, if, when,
where.
But, with the auction, we can anticipate
where and then wait for it. I always
think of it like a bus. So, for me,
shorts,
squeeze, potential longs if it's in my
plan, shorts out of here. So, I started
selling up here.
To get the longs. How does the market
work? Market does what? Market goes up
to go down, market goes down to go up,
market goes up, and this is yesterday.
This was such a nice day. Now, for
yesterday, this is where This is
Thursday. So, remember how this works.
I've got shorts hanging out in here.
This was a target. I gap higher on
Thursday.
I Don't forget I have shorts. I get
selling early.
Next thing. No, sorry.
I get short covering on Thursday. We
open, we go higher first, which squeezes
and gets my longs in. And then,
my shorts were up here, and it was for
an outside day, which which means take
the buy stops out here. And the
interesting thing is
the stops are up here, too. It's And it
works like this. If this,
then that.
If
then what? Here's the what. Because the
longs that bought up in here become the
sellers.
Sell stops are under here.
And now I have some what I have as
sellers here.
Longs here who become sellers. And then
we close on the low, lower value area,
fair price. Gap low. If I gap low
and the gap they open was down here, now
I have shorts and I can go the other
way.
And I can squeeze. So the squeeze was
from here to here. And that's
either I take this out and I potentially
come back here
which is unlikely given the gap. Or I
sit here and if I'm taking longs I
target this or I sell this. And that's
me. Not you, me. Not saying it's a good
plan.
Just a plan.
Is everybody with me? And again, I'm
having a little trouble with the uh
Discord in the sense of being able to
look at the chat. I have to do it on my
phone.
Okay. Now,
so here's what we have. ETH low.
This is called a a low volume node 7410.
It's an outside edge in a higher time
frame. This is the last auction, the
ETH, which is the fair price. So what do
I know? Well,
highest volume is here. I'm going to
show you just a little bit more.
The outside edge of the ETH
was out here. In other words, if the
high volume is here in the ETH then it's
outside in. It's called mean reversion.
So my trades were shorts at this point
and I was looking for full session VWAP
at the time
and um
and I don't remember if it was here or
not. Can't remember. And um LVN this.
So, if we came out here, my trade was to
trade it back here and to potentially
come further outside. So, but I was
taking all shorts early. Now, again, in
the trader lab, and this is not right
wrong thing. We all have to get over
this right wrong and I knew what was
going to happen.
Um I don't know what's going to happen,
so I don't think about it. What I do
know is what my trades are, I know when
they qualify, I know when the condition
changes in my time frame, and I just let
it go at that. So, the first trades in
here
are short.
Let me show them to you. Now, this trade
is called a V POC migration trade. It's
the most aggressive trade and it's the
last place traders are to trade. It's as
simple as that.
So, let's let's start putting this one
together. And the reason this is so
hard, we're in here 20 seconds. This is
why there is no time with this trade to
process it. It's a
unconscious competence
trade type. Uh that's why you can learn
to read the market, like speed reading.
This this speed forces you to learn to
read a language.
This is too high.
So, let's watch this behavior in a
micro.
I'm going to just show you something
very advanced,
but also and very nuanced. This is a
sweep.
Lovely. RTH open. It's a wonderful
thing. What does a sweep say?
Potentially higher. Now, it doesn't mean
it says it's a order flow phenomena and
maybe if we understand what it might
mean, we can extract something from it.
So, this now it's either this, right? Or
this. If I break from this, right here,
this is now resistance. Now, please
remember, this is the micrometer out and
this is
not where you should trade. This is
where you can learn
uh to read.
Uh the way I kind of look at this uh in
my own development was language,
uh foreign language. So, yeah, this is
very foreign, but it is a language. All
we're doing is reading participant
behavior in a very short
structural or time frame, if you will.
So, let's look. If I find my sellers
here, there's an iceberg, who knows,
and I know from the ETH this is
maybe
uh by the way, has about an 80%
probability, and this has about a 98%
probability. I know if I sell this, I
can run towards this, and I can run it
towards this liquidity. So, that's why
this is extremely aggressive. Now,
there's a few ways to work it.
Uh too high, no clue. New retail price,
watch.
Too low.
Too high. New retail price, support. You
see it?
There.
Where's resistance? Here.
Here.
Let's just mark these. I'm just showing
you micro, and then I'm going to move
along.
Uh resistance. So, resistance,
resistance.
Support, break low, resistance,
resistance. All these are shorts for me.
This
and then lower.
Watch.
Resistance. I'm going to take this
selfie. I'm showing you micro structure.
I'm showing you how to read.
Mid VWAP, who knew? Who cares? Me? Not
so much.
I'm following the auction. This
lagging
it shows me the average position. You
know, a VWAP is all the difference
between this and this is this is the
current high volume in the developing
timeframe. This is the average of the
volume. Sellers are in control here and
sellers are in control. I can see it
from different you know, different
aspects of the behavior. When I come out
here
it can rotate. This is what we're
looking for. 98% and uh we'll see after
that. We'll let you know.
Notice the resistance.
So, all of these now this can be a
short.
Stop has to be outside.
That can be a short. This can be a
short. Stop can be and we're going I'm
saying it can be. I'm not saying it is.
I'm showing you the mechanics. You have
to already know what you're going to do
before the market even shows up. You're
in here 20 seconds. So, if you didn't
get any of these but you have your
reference. This is the language. I know
this is too high. I know that's too high
and of course I have the opening swing
high which has buy stops. Also, we know
that the market is 100% short in the ETH
uh the inventory. And what happens is
when the market gets lopsided which it
is now. So, let's think about the
mechanics. I already know that the
shorts who are here including me are
going to potentially get squeezed. I
already know where my next trade will be
if that happens and I anticipate it will
happen. So, my next trade is going to be
here
and the outside edge low volume. So,
this is where I'm trying to go. I get
the sweep. Now, this is a huge sweep.
It's a buy sweep and depending on the
behavior here, it's going to tell me
what's next. Watch.
So,
sweep. The sweep suggests downside
rotation. I want to stay under this
sweep. Okay?
So, here
sweep suggests downside. I want to as
they say want or need to get below here.
I'm below the ETH low. I'm under this. I
already know if I reverse, this is my
next target up if I took a long, which I
don't have on my plan at this point.
Okay? So, I come down. I get below this.
This now is where my buyers absorbed
right here. You can see the icebergs and
I know this is support because my buyers
are here.
I break low.
So, now my sellers are in charge still
and this becomes resistance.
Just going to put a little line there.
Now, as far as I know, it's going to go
to zero.
Watch. So, this is my trade you know, so
basically just short here.
V POC migration. Looking good, Lewis.
What is this? Watch the process.
By the way, if you have questions, I'm
going to come up and take a look. Um I
cannot monitor them here in real time at
the moment, so I have to pause.
And we'll pause right now.
Okay, I don't see any questions, so
let's keep going. Trade alert.
If you have a question, post them.
Uh, if you're in YouTube watching this
after the fact,
uh,
use the link in there if you want to
visit the Trade Alert community.
Currently, you don't have to be a book
This is resistance, okay?
So, you see how I'm working with this
resistance V POC migration. I'm not
paying that. Oh.
This is the language. So, what's the
What are they saying? If the Think of
this is shopping. If the high volume is
here, and you notice as the market's
going down, the volume is moving. That
means that in Think of it like shopping.
When I have a price, if it's too high,
and I break away from it, and it's still
too high, when I come back to it, I'm
not paying that language. And now I
shift down, it's showing me I have more
volume here, which of course I did,
right there.
So, if I break low, now this is
important. I have a sweep.
This This sweep is the opposite of this.
This suggests down, this one suggests
up.
V POC migration. This now, right here, I
have to crossover, and if I don't cross,
and I get this, I can go lower. So,
right here is now resistance. New retail
ranch.
New fair price. Going to zero, isn't it?
Now, for me, at this point, I'm only on
shorts. That's what I'm doing. And I'm
And remember, I'm conscious and in my
plan for a squeeze. So, I'm not
overstaying this. What I'm doing is I'm
participating with the [clears throat]
the sellers who will become the buyers.
I already know that. Now, what I don't
know is if, when, where, you know,
right? Do you? I don't. So, I just
align. Now, here's behavior. Let's look
at the change in behavior.
Resistance.
Support.
Butt sweep.
Break low. Resistance.
Sweep.
Support.
Sweep.
Looking for this. I get that. So, this
has lower. Now, I come into this. Now,
let's look where resistance is. This is
the first time you see me other than
here crossing over. [snorts]
Resistance is here.
So.
This is resistance. You can see why. I'm
not paying it. Shopping. I come down.
This is resistance.
I'm not paying that. I come down.
Absorption is here. No way to know until
hindsight. This was too high. This was
too high. Crossover here, the trade is
over.
Now.
Next place for me was to take this and
short it.
And I have two locations for
continuation shorts. Now, don't forget
I'm already aware of the squeeze
potential.
Where is Yeah, up here. So, this is
where So, I have this and this area to
short. So, these I'm still looking that
if I get short covering, that if these
are weak buyers
that I can rotate. All I'm looking to do
is trade rotations. That's it. And up to
my target, the target above
is this.
Which I pointed out at the top of the
stream. So, I'm trading towards this.
Uh which is where my short my actually
the preferable location
uh in that timeframe. But, I also trade
rotation. So, I'm just going to tell
you.
That's all. That's just what I was
doing. Now, the beauty of trading is
other traders in Trade Lab uh took a
long took longs. Uh for me, this is a
cover. It was not a long. And you're
going to go why didn't you do that? I'm
going to say it's because I'm just
following my plan. You know.
I don't sweat the small stuff. You know
what I mean? So, this
Here's my sweep. I'm looking for a
counter rotation. I break above. Now,
let's look a little further.
I location location, think real estate.
That's kind of how I think. Location.
So, I wait for locations. I have the
sweep which says counter rotation. I
push above it. Not so much.
So, that means uh no. But, it's not at a
location. I'm location oriented. This is
the ETH
fair price, high volume. It's the same
as this, except this is in a developing
timeframe
or auction. And this is from the ETH the
last auction. This one doesn't move
around. It's fixed. What does it mean?
This was the fair price.
In different timeframes, I'm shopping.
This is the fair price. It's too high.
I break above it. Now, it becomes too
low. This is the last place that was too
high. I break above it. Now, I got your
VWAP in mid here. And uh
right here
we can come there or there, but we do
this. Here, break high. All of this says
get out of dodge. Now, my plan
remember is
sellers in the morning,
squeeze those sellers, get longs in, and
then
fade.
My plan, your plan, get long, get short,
trade the rotations, doesn't matter.
There's not a right or wrong. You always
Traders always say, you know, why did
you do this? Why did you do that? I'm
just saying it's just a plan and it's
just edge. Doesn't matter. It's a time
frame or rotationally based process. So,
here is my location. Location, location,
think real estate. Let's go a little
further.
I have a sweep.
Now, this sweep suggests upside
rotation. So, I'm at a location, the
teeth start chattering. The teeth were
chattering here, but then I was looking
at this going,
you know, you go FOMO kicks in. I don't
want to miss it.
You know, I don't want to miss it.
Well, yeah, of course not.
But what did we do? Where was my opening
swing? Wasn't it like right
in here?
So, if I come out and take out the buy
stops from those early sellers, and I
don't get buyers above, and I come to a
location, I can sell it. Now, I have a
sweep here. This is another piece.
Break high. And right here, as far as I
know, I don't know.
Of course, I never know. But let's look
at what happens here.
Buyers are here.
Here's the delta.
They're absorbed. So, I have buyers.
Buyers are here. These guys are buying.
Buyers are here. Sellers are there.
Buyers absorb them. I come down.
Buyers are still here. Going to the
moon. What happened up here? Sellers are
here. Sweep. So, I can isolate this and
again, I have to stress location,
location, location.
Now, we were discussing triggers
yesterday. What's a What makes a
trigger?
Is it just this?
It is not. Where's the change in
behavior? Notice the rotational change.
This rotation is approximately, I don't
know, 7 8 points. Where do you see What
kind of rotation do you see over here?
Uh
I don't see one, do you?
That indicates or suggests change. In
fact, right here
buyers are here, as far as I know,
right?
Break low.
Nothing yet. Resistance.
Right here, as far as I'm concerned,
that
I mean, by that, I mean north, cuz the
high volume, this in the microstructure,
let me show you micro.
Look at the alignment. So, here's what I
how I look at this.
These little high volume areas are
auctions. In other words,
to high
the two low is here.
Cuz that's where the buyers were.
Volume, looking for this. When I break
this way, it now lets me know, and I can
see it in the delta, too, but that these
buyers got run over. Now, the longs that
are in here are potentially vulnerable,
okay? So, this is I took a short here.
Stop here. And now I get VPOC migration.
This creates a problem for me.
I was trying to go here
for what's called mean reversion. So,
this is a reversion. I call it It's
almost like a double reversion trade.
Here's what it is.
This is the mean from the ETH. This is a
developing time frame mean.
When it shifts higher, it says this is
too low. So, I got a problem, right?
So,
this becomes very very critical for me.
So, when this here, I'm now looking out
here cuz this is an outside edge. So,
the idea this trade to go from here to
here.
And then, you know, whatever. That's all
it is.
And I am looking still at the squeeze.
Notice the behavior. So, what I did
here, I got risk neutral. I was looking
for the stops at the VWAP in the mid. I
have to be very careful here
because and here's my sweep and I'm
looking for
potentially to come back here.
In here. So, I have this
and this as uh locations. Just saying.
So, uh anyway, I took the short. I got a
scale. Uh this I got my migration. This
becomes my resistance. This becomes my
support.
So, right here, resistance. So, I come
up here, the teeth chatter again. I have
to get below here. Doesn't do I get
taken out.
And notice where we go. Now, when we
came back,
notice where I come.
So,
short, scale, taken out,
short
against here again,
scale, same trade, you know. So, I I'm
taking the reversion trades and I find
reversions a little more challenging
because we never really know where the
you know, it's two-sided trade. It's a
different behavior. Same trade,
scale,
same This is support.
See the support?
Once I in sweep, break, and this is my
target.
V H V N right there.
So, and then I'm looking, you know, with
one more here to see what happens.
This is support.
You can kind of see it. Now,
and I think I'm looking at this, you
know, and I always say in hindsight, you
know, you should have held it. Do you
ever say that to yourself? Well, this is
a structure trade for me. This is a
reversion trade. So, the market's going
reverting to the mean. This is called
the mean cuz it's high volume. Mean
reversion. The opposite trade is the
same.
Mean
reversion. The problem, of course, is,
you know, how far is it going to go? And
right here is support, you see.
So, just the way it is.
So, you can sell this. You can sell
this. And if it gets through here, now
you have sell stops here, and you're
looking at this, and
next thing for me was down here. Didn't
do it. Got taken out again, and that's
fine. Trade's working. Now, once I get
above here, it changes things around.
Let's look.
Why?
Question.
If this is resistance, see it? What
happens? You've heard this thing about
resistance
becoming support.
Sweep. This is a potential long
against this. Notice what I'm doing. All
I'm doing is if this is too high on the
way up, I can sell it. If this is too
low on the way down, it's a target. And
either we break below and hold it and
continue, or break above, and now if I
can't get below this, and I'm above
this one,
then trouble.
And then it's trade management or
however you do it. Once you get above
here,
break high, you have the sweep. Now you
have a sweep here, and this is where
your resistance was, right? This can be
a long or nothing. Now, I have another
trade that I'm looking at
out
side, which I already spoke to you
about. It's the LVN out here.
This. Now, an outside edge, a low volume
node, is where it's poorly auctioned in
the ETH.
And if you look over here,
this also This is the full session. So,
this has everything in here. But as
we're coming up, you'll notice out here,
there's
the volume drops out right there, 118.
So, this is where And you can kind of
see the structure. And it goes like
this.
I'm not paying that.
Fair price, overnight volume point of
control, if you look to the right, and
then too low. So, the idea of this trade
is reversion. In other words, I'm
trading multiple
concepts or time frames of reversion
trading. Reversion works a couple
different ways. It can check high volume
from both sides, and it's reversion. If
the overnight VPOC is too high, I can go
down. If I get above it, and it's too
low, I can go up. And you're going,
"Huh, brilliant." Now, the other part
is, this is the outside edge And this
was the fair price from the ETH. If I
come out here, in this area, I can sell
it to come back and revert. So, I'm
trading reversion. I trade both sides,
it doesn't matter. This is a long, or
I'm just waiting for the short.
Watch.
Right here, I'm in my area and I'm
looking for the short.
Now, other traders are long.
They got the better trade, personally,
but I'm just following my plan. I don't
really
think much about it.
So, this is my location.
There's my liquidity. I get VPOC
migration. Teether chattering again.
This was too low. It's the last place.
Now, I know I have another trade in
Trader Land, so you know, called mid or
VWAP the VPOC. So, I might I as far as
I'm looking at it, I'm trading counter
trend at the moment. I'm okay with that.
Not saying anybody should, I just
doesn't matter to me.
Kind of
work with it.
So,
here,
this is a short for me.
And it's because of this.
And the goal is to come back around
and now,
since I'm counter trend, I'm only trying
to come out here. So, it's this kind of
a thing.
And then, if I can get under here, I got
more, but primarily, I'm just trying to
come out. So, yeah, counter trend here.
Took a stop, okay?
So, that was very exciting. So, again, I
come outside
and I'm in the counter trend mode now.
So, I know that any shorts I take up
here now are
high risk. This was the target for the
longs, okay? Remember the top of the
stream if you didn't see that. This was
the target for the longs. So,
uh
I think, when I think about it, even
though I took this, this is a plan
trade,
um
and it just didn't work, you know. So, I
I took a stop, you know, here. Now, I
when I say take a stop, I mean the trade
didn't work. Uh I always scale, but
let's assume I just cuz that's all a
matter of plan, you know. Where do you
try to scale? Well, I was trying to come
out here.
Okay? Low volume. So, it was sell
to come down.
So,
and there was decent range here.
You know, really wasn't a terrible
thing.
I mean, I got risk neutral, but it
didn't pay, you know. By the time the
dust settles, you know, it's like my
broker's going to send me a gift basket.
So, now I come up again, and I'm seeing
my sweeps, and I'm starting to stock the
shorts
in this area.
Again,
for the reversion. So, I'm trading
reversion. Now, this gets tricky. Watch.
Sweeps, location, location, location.
Longs in the trade labyrinth are
shooting up this for targeting up in
here. I'm looking to get short.
Now,
I don't have a short. I'm looking to get
short. Here's what Watch where where we
are. I'm looking here.
I have a sweep. I'm at my location.
Sweeps, sweeps.
Here, I took a short.
It was
And my st- my stop was here.
And you know, so I got stopped out, full
stop, okay? Now, I get another sweep,
and I'm out here, and this is still a
location. I I just put the trade on, you
know, it does whatever it does, you
know.
Same trade.
I mean, what's the difference between
this with a stop here?
That's how I do it. Not saying And good,
I'm just saying it's what I do.
I get the same trade here as this, okay?
So,
right here, it breaks, I have my sweep,
I got my rotation.
The downside rotation is larger. Now,
this one, when I saw it, it looked, you
know, it fit. But, when you look at the
look at the downside rotation.
So, I have to review this and say, well,
maybe you know, you didn't quite do this
right.
Maybe, Tom, that was a little bit of
FOMO. I think the trade is okay.
But, notice the change. This one, we
were talking triggers, right? Notice
this rotation compared to this one. Now,
they look pretty much the same, but the
range of the rotation. So, I sold it
here,
and the better thing would have been to
wait for the retracement,
and I didn't. You know, I got in it
here. It's not much difference, but
notice the difference here. This is
what's important. So, sold it again,
stops up here.
Trying to come across.
Same trade.
VPOC migration. Trouble, right, Tom?
Trouble. Except,
maybe not.
So,
you're going to find this strange, but
for the most part,
up until the stream,
I was working the shorts.
Too high.
Support.
Right here. See it?
Watch.
See the structure?
So,
too high,
variable high volume node. So, short,
shifts up, leaves chatter,
resistance,
break. This is another short or an ad.
Shifts down, break.
This is too high.
Support.
And then trade management.
Watch.
Too high.
Support. Too high. VPOC migration.
I'm going to make mark this. All these
levels are relevant on the way back. If
we come back
there's a 98% probability to take out
the first hour's higher or low. That
makes me extremely uncomfortable.
The first hour's 9:30 Central Time, but
my comfort has nothing to do with my
P&L.
My comfort comes from conflict.
So I have to just follow my do my thing.
What does it say, calm? Too high, new
retail price. Outside
resistance.
Break low.
Look at the structure. Support.
Resistance.
Support.
Resistance.
Support.
Resistance. Break low. What happens?
Too high. What's next? Where's the last
place? Out here.
Where was the last place? This outside
edge. So now it's just trade management,
you know, trying to come here.
There you are.
So that's it for me.
Try to come and here's the other I
didn't Let's just make sure I got this
right.
Yeah, overnight VPOC.
So coming back down, you're coming out
here and you're coming back to this. I
don't think we touched it, but that's
the idea. That's the way the trade is
built.
Let me just And now, if you have
questions, make sure they're in there.
I'm going to stop and look.
Sweep. So, this is resistance. This.
Break low.
Test. This is another way to use order
flow. Outside edge, low volume area.
Break low. Sweep. Notice the resistance
here. Break low.
This comes in no clue. Work in this. So,
once you're over here, then finito.
Bark a lounger.
Let's get back Now, let's get over here
and see what's going on.
Let me look at at your questions.
Uh
Leo, is it Leo? Uh
there's many streams on
uh
how to work the uh micro composites. I
use swings, swing highs, swing lows,
outside edges, and look where the In
other words, what is an outside edge?
You know, cuz it's a rotation. The
market is a rotational process. It uh
you know, it's going to It does this
kind of stuff, you know, it goes too
high, too low. And you notice how it
keeps coming back. So, I'm always
looking at extremes.
Outside edge is there and an outside
edge is up here.
When I go down into shorter rotations
like this, cuz of the change in
behavior,
then I'm going to start slicing it up
into something shorter.
This is an outside swing
here.
And that was the fair price up here, and
it didn't get there. The language of the
market says that's too high. When I go
down in time frame, I'm doing the same
thing here
in a shorter time frame. That's too
high.
This is too low.
Higher time frame, too high, too low.
So, how do I create these? I mark them.
And as the volume comes in, I'm looking
at the distribution. When I go into the
individual days, I'm looking at the
profile of how it develops.
This is today.
This is yesterday. By the way,
yesterday, you notice we had the squeeze
in the morning.
Take the shorts out that have their
stops here
from Thursday.
They're out. Thanks for playing. Coupon
to the buffet. And then outside day, and
this sets up
the continuation shorts for today. So,
the longs are in here. Hasta la vista.
Thanks for playing. And then we get our
uh gap
here. Trapped the shorts. Rebalanced the
inventory. Come back to the primary
fair price, 82.
And that that sets up your shorts.
No precision. You know, it's like uh
where?
So, me,
pick a side, you know, it doesn't
matter.
This is the thing about trading, you
know, um
there's not a right or wrong. There is
edge. So, uh and this is always an
interesting conversation in the trader
lab is other traders are getting long,
and they're totally committed to the
long side, I'll be getting short.
They'll have a great morning. I'll take
stops.
And then I always have to say, well,
could I have done it better?
Uh if I follow my plan, I can't do it
better.
Uh I can always change my plan if for
some reason I don't have an edge, but I
do.
So, I have an edge in this. And for me,
it's shorts.
Now, that's not a recommendation.
Other traders are going to be using this
for longs. And then you're going to say,
which is right? I'm going to give you
the the truth.
There is
The only thing right is
why might this be a short?
You see, do you know why I might take a
short? And do you know why you might
take a long?
Both are are correct here.
If you know why and you have it vetted.
I know this is seems complex,
contradictory, doesn't it?
Where did I get the micro composite V
POC glitch at 7482?
Okay, let's take a look.
Right here.
From here.
Taking all the volume in
from all-time high to this key test.
Remember, this was tested in the ETH.
It's too low.
That So, if I'm I'm trading reversion,
and primarily the market reverts,
that means it goes and checks pricing.
This is where the the sellers got
trapped, and it created this. This is
where the buyers got trapped, so we
squeezed out the sellers, and now we
came back here. So, to answer your
question, I have this is too high.
In this whole thing, cuz I'm breaking it
down,
this is the fair price.
Notice, this is called mean reversion.
So, if this is too high, I can come This
is a reversion, also. I'm checking this
price. I'm not paying that, I'm out of
here. Where do I go? Back to this one.
Is this one too low?
Well,
I can bounce up, but what I know, and
this is what I was discussing the past
few days and in the streams and Trader
Land, this is too high. Well, if I know
what might be too high, and I fail to
get the stops here, or squeeze these
guys out, and I know I got this thing
going, I got buy stops above here. I got
them.
If I can't get buyers above here, then
what? I got a gap, and I can fill this
gap. Now, I get my shorts
back to here. And so, this is why this
price is material. Then what?
If I can't get here,
let me add one other piece here for you.
These yellow lines are the RTH high
volume. It's the same as these, except
this is higher time frame. This takes
all the volume in here,
and then individually, the bright yellow
line is the highest volume for that RTH
session. So, too high, and then I go up
in time frame, too high.
This, no clue.
As far as I know, going to might go
there. Remember, might maybe's the best
you have. And if I don't get there, then
I'm looking at it to go here. What do I
get?
Too high, sellers. This sets up your
shorts. This sets up your shorts. That's
your target. Now what?
Squeeze on Thursday. I got shorts in
here. They become buyers. I have shorts
in here. They become buyers. I have buy
stops here, buy stops there, and that's
too high.
Come up, get the longs trapped in the
morning. No idea whether or not we're
going to get the buy stops there and
check there cuz those are viable
targets. If not, then
get them, get them, and come out. If I
come out, the plan and this was an
outside edge down here, by the way, was
to come out, come back. If I come back,
I can look at this. I can sell it for
counter rotations. Or
I can come back into this.
Whatever, it doesn't matter. So, I'm
just trading, you know, shorts in the
morning, squeeze, shorts out here, a
longer one or two longs along the way
here, but you know. And that was it for
me, you know. So, it's been a good
morning.
With with a few stops thrown in there
just for good measure.
Anyway, I hope that answered your
question.
Uh Glitch, does that answer the question
on the 7482 micro composite V POC?
The volatility, Louisa, what's the
question about the volatility?
Uh Uh, I'm going to look up here. I
don't see it.
Stephen, can you please put a link also
in here?
Uh, actually
never mind about the link. I'm just
looking here. Yeah, I don't see the
question about volatility. Will you want
to repost that for me?
You have the question of volatility, so
I don't see it. Just throw it back in
there.
And welcome to Trader Lab. I haven't
seen you here before. By the way, if
you're new to Trader Lab, welcome. Uh,
Trader Lab is about the business of
trading. It's open to everyone.
Currently, you don't have to be a
Bookmap subscriber. You do have to
confirm your Discord username to make
sure you're not a spam alert. Uh, not
interested in that. Also, just be
advised Trader Lab is not Romper Room.
It's really serious. So, uh,
it's not a trade calling room. Doesn't
do you any good to take my trades or I
take my stops. You take them, I take
them. Doesn't bother me. Um,
a little bit of annoyance, but it it's
just part of the random sampling of the
market. So, I don't experience it like I
used to. I don't think of trading in the
terms of P&L. I think of trading in
terms of edge. So, uh, I just know when
I put a trade on, it it has a likelihood
of a stop or a gain. Now, you're going
to say that's brilliant. No, it's not
that. The likelihood is about a
statistical probability. It's not a
predictability. And this is where
most retail traders never mature in the
business uh, because it's all about P&L.
I don't trade my P&L. I just trade my
plan. P&L's the outcome.
You know, uh, the plan is what creates
it. And my execution.
And, uh, my discipline. And, uh, nobody
wins every day. If you think that's
that's what's going to happen, that's
not realistic. And why why would you not
have winning days some days? Here's why.
Your plan is vetted
to sample the market.
If it's vetted, and hopefully if it's
not vetted, you're just playing a video
game, and that's fine, but that doesn't
create sustainability. So, if we have an
edge, we know that the distribution is
random. Your trade plan and the
condition of the market are not always
going to be in sync. The other part is
that the market transitions, and we
don't recognize transition until
hindsight or a way of defining it. Uh I
use a very simple process. It's a
conditional statement. It's if this,
then that. If not, then what? If this is
too high, if this, then rotation, then
that. If it gets above here, then what?
Then I can continue more into this gap,
which may or may not happen. Doesn't
matter. So, I can go, if this is too
high, then reversion, then that. If And
then I can just rotate. I'm not looking
for it to take out the low of the day.
So, and there's a 98% probability of
taking out the either the first hour.
It's called the IB uh stat, IB high or
low. First hour's low, first hour's high
is up above here. Probability favors
this. The obstacle
is this.
So, if I can get above here, and I have
shorts. Another way Remember how this
works. I got shorts in here. I have the
gap. I got shorts down here. They got
squeezed. That sets up this. If this is
too high, I counter rotate. 98%
probability take out first hour's high
or low, and the shorts that sold out of
here, like me,
um now have buy stops above here with a
98% probability to take this out. Now,
whether or not it does that, not my not
my job. My job's alignment, not
prediction. So, for this,
since we're returning here, and we have
shorts, we now have our fuel and it
doesn't have to do this. If we don't get
back out here and stay above this,
then we can start rotating in here. If
we come back up, then either and not
necessarily today, but it's not my job,
we can come back and fill this gap and
come back here. So, I already have my
targeting. I have this
and eventually, not necessarily, you
know, not
not necessarily ever, I have the gap
here and I have this. So, if I have
shorts,
we can squeeze them.
And if I run out of buyers, then I can
rotate. That's what I know. So, let's
see what it does.
And what is the volatility question?
When you say volatility is 90%, what do
you what are you referring to?
Oh, you're in options. Okay, okay, okay.
Got you.
Well, if it's volatility decay, I don't
know, you know, is it
in the money, a little out of the money,
what are you doing? I mean,
options are kind of a different animal,
you know, but if you're trading
something that's expiring, you know,
>> [clears throat]
>> uh and you don't have any time in the
thing,
um
you're always It's like sitting in a cab
stuck in traffic in Midtown Manhattan,
the meter's running.
But I can't give specific information on
how you would trade that specific
option.
Um I think options are fine.
Um
if you are trading larger rotations. But
I don't focus on options here. I I focus
on market timing. Um and understanding
market mechanics. But you can adapt this
to any timeframe, which is I always say.
So if you want to trade options, you're
basically going to potentially uh and I
really I'm out of my area that I want to
focus on. Uh you can swing trade those
things. But you got to have enough time
in them, you know? So if you're trading
the zeroed uh you know, options and all
that, zero DTEs,
um
that's another thing, you know? Swing
trading needs time. If you're going to
use options for day trading, um you
know, uh
it's just another way to skin the cat,
no offense to cats.
Um
I used to uh use expire I used to trade
expiring options. Uh back in the you
know, when they'd be back maybe the last
one week to go or a couple days, I would
use those to trade the S&Ps. So they
this is back when it was the big S&Ps.
And uh and cuz a stop buying the option
could be higher leverage and lower risk.
Uh and I would buy them. So it just
means less risk, more leverage. And I
was don't forget I would I was always
thinking this way to trap the other
side, especially when we were going into
expiration. But those were quarterlies.
So I I don't trade that anymore.
Uh but I did it for a long time. But
only the expiring ones. So you guys have
different kind of option structures now.
You know, that's a good question for uh
Doug Plus.
Uh Uh, I don't know if you watch his
stream. he does options, he comes on
after me somewhere. Uh, you can check
the schedule. Maybe Stephen you can, uh,
put a link to that in the, the Discord
chat for those who are interested in,
uh, how to deploy options. And you can
ask him questions on, you know, how to,
how to do that.
Yeah, Justin, you like the taxi analogy.
Yeah.
Um,
Yeah,
that's how I used to think of options.
I'm stuck in traffic, time decay.
You know, not moving.
What's happening? The meter's running.
And by the way, I was not a, um,
I was prime, I would primarily buy the
options. I was not, I would not write
them.
I also, when I was trip positioning
futures, I would use options for risk
management. But that's a whole
different,
you know, it's a whole different
conversation and it's not really, uh,
suited for, uh, Trade Alchemist.
Chris is asking, do I believe the market
is efficient? Yeah, I do.
Efficiency really is involving everybody
in there.
Uh, it's very efficient, I think, cuz
it's the truth.
The market is the truth of the current
perception of value. And the purpose of
the market is to figure out what this
thing is worth. By the way, what's here?
So, what are we, what are we doing here?
Great question.
Um,
this is a multi, this is very
multi, multi-distributed
here. So, it's not, it's contested.
Now, are we in a bull market?
Here's the great question for this
astute group of traders.
Well, let's say maybe we are.
What does that have to do with day
trading?
Investors, bull market. Traders,
both sides, different.
Thanks, Stephen.
So, this is too high.
This is support.
I can do something with this. Now, the
question I have for you, do you want to
be long or short?
Which trader is right, long or short?
So, for me, the last thing was short.
You know, now, nothing, cuz I'm in the
Barca lounger with you. But,
this was the outside. You can kind of
see how this might work.
Right?
Now, this is now your area of support.
This. So, if this is outside, then this
is outside the other way.
This is now resistance.
If I break above,
might this become support?
And is this resistance? Look at the
liquidity. Now, I'm not suggesting
anybody trade any of this. I'm just
showing you structure. You,
when I mean you, the collective you,
need to understand how the market works,
where you might get behavior, and why.
Why?
You need to be able to answer why.
Why is this resistance? Why is that
support?
What is happening here?
Outside is here.
Outside edge. I'm not paying it.
Fair price, mean reversion.
Outside edge is out here. So, it can do
this kind of thing.
And you're actually isolating up this
behavior.
What we know is
too high too high
too high
break high
too high too low.
So, we're trading this thing right here
and now.
Now, I This is not how I trade. I use
these as locations, but that doesn't
matter. I'm more of a
um and I always like to bring this up.
It's not
it's your trades, it's not my trades.
I'm going to show you and share with you
market mechanics.
The adjustment you make is to the
rotations you trade. Um when I if I sell
this as an example, I know that's where
my buyers were.
You see them?
So, what might happen if the I know the
buyers are here. I might get my buyers
here.
I get the sweep and I break high. Now, I
know my sellers are there. I can work
this right here. My scale can be there.
My short can be here. My scale can be
there. Break low. I can This is a trade
management structure and so is that.
Break low. Support resistance. Just look
at the structure. Support resistance.
Uh
break low resistance.
All right.
Support is down here. This thing.
Where's resistance?
Here.
What happens here? Break high.
What does resistance become? Support.
Where's my other resistance? It's here.
So, I know if I'm going to get long, I
got [snorts] to deal with this. I know
if I want to stay short, I got to deal
with this. That's what I know.
That's all I know. I don't need to know
anything else.
You see?
And
and then it's just
wrote I was starting to say I trade
large rotations.
Other traders are going to be jumping
around through all of this. I don't. Um
for me when I take a stop and I take
them like everybody else, you got a
overhead and cost of production.
It's not so material because when I'm
putting risk on, I'm not I put an almost
an equal risk on depending and then it's
adjusted for the number of contracts.
But let's just assume
uh a minimum two lot configuration. Job
of the first contract to get risk
neutral,
which would be here if you sold this and
then hold it and manage it per plan.
And cuz for me I'm looking at this. That
pays for the probes as I think of them.
So when I'm putting the trade on as long
as I'm following my plan and I'm in
alignment despite of the stops which I'm
going to take, um
that's okay because when things work
out, I get this. When I put a trade on,
let's just say here which is not a trade
for me.
Um
cuz this is support.
Um
then I got to go there.
I already know it. I don't know if it'll
get there. Now what happens if I sell
this? I don't get there, but I already
rejected it. You see? If I test the
location and I don't get under it, what
does it tell me?
Too low. Then what? What was too high?
Here. What's above here? Buy stops, buy
stops and the next level of resistance.
And where is it? Here.
Let me look at your questions again.
Hope we're doing okay, guys. I hope
you're getting something out of this.
This is Trader Lab.
Yeah, buy low, sell high.
>> Thanks for posting that, Steven.
So, Chris, yeah, I believe it uh market
is efficient. Um
what happens though if the market gets
out of balance in a direction
um
then in other words, it gets lopsided.
The same reason we have rotations in all
time frames is the reason it's all the
same.
That's why this is all happening here.
Goes down to go up, goes up to go down,
goes down to go up, and then uh you
know, whatever.
I do think if since we got shorts and
now we're coming back, that this is
vulnerable. Um
the longs
So, you could trade either side here,
you know, I just do whatever. I don't
like to really discuss too much
uh because I don't want traders to
overtrade. Uh but um
I try to take less trades, more range.
Uh
less trades means less risk if you if
depending how you look at it. So, I
think about it like, well,
if I'm going to risk mm 4 points, 5
points, you know, whatever it is in this
volatility and rotation, then I'm
looking for larger rotations. So, when I
get stopped out, um
or scaled and scratch, you know, which
that happens more often than the stops,
but
you know, everybody takes them.
Um
I'm still looking for the bigger
rotation. This is telling me
that we're in a two-sided trade, and
this is the key.
Uh if I can I can still come back above
here, I have a high probability of
taking out either the first hour's high
or low. That status still open. Now, it
doesn't have to, you know, it can just
stay inside, but I would say
considering what we did here,
we opened, we got the stops out, and we
have the shorts in here, we are
This is basically we're rotating back.
This is the interesting area. Right
here.
This is the attractor. It's like an
attractor beam
and it's sitting over here. That's what
you're looking at.
So,
and that IB, which is the first hour's
high, has about a 98% probability.
Nothing says we won't come out, come
back, or just keep going. We got a gap,
right?
So, this is where the stops are.
Right here.
So, what do we know? Well, too low.
What about this one?
Too high.
Too low.
Break high, too high.
Too low.
Get above this, where's the next one?
Here, and then what? Here. You can put
this together structurally and narrate
it, and it goes like this. If this is
too high,
that's too high,
then that.
If that's too low, then that.
If this is too high, then that. If I
don't clear this, so if this, then that.
If I don't go below, then what? Then
back here. If I do break below, here,
then what? Then down to the next one. If
I don't get down here, if this, then
that area.
If not, it's not if it is too low, so
we're not going lower, then what? Then
reversal. Where's the next place?
Here. If this is too low, then what?
Then that. If that's too high, then
what? Then that.
If I get below here, then what? Lower.
Out to here. If not, then what? Then
that. If I get over there, then what?
So, I have this to there
and I have if I clear to there.
So, I can just manage my trade and where
is the higher time frame
volume point of control? Volume point of
control is the same
as this yellow line. So, this is
developing
and you can see where it is right now.
It's sitting here. This is the highest
volume.
And in the intermediate time frame,
that's the same thing.
Except it's higher time frame. So, when
I'm trading inside of these, it's a
vertical integration of time frames.
Uh
visually or psychologically,
uh think of this like uh Matryoshka
dolls. They're inside each other. So,
when we think multiple time frames,
we're actually thinking multiple
auctions.
So, all these levels are relevant in
different time frames. So, we start out
in micro, which is the shortest time
frame for triggers.
Then
they look like those.
Now, remember the catch-22 with the
trigger
is you need a true reversal,
like this one. This one is the uh what
are you doing? Moment, you know. Uh
break high, go into the moon, sweep,
runs into liquidity. It could either
break high, hold, keep going, break low,
and now the rotation. This is what sets
you short up.
See?
And to there. So, you could kind of see
all this structure, can't you? Can you
guys see the structure?
And how you might use the structure.
That's
Now, we don't know what'll happen.
But, I think if you think a in a
different way, you can think in the
sense of how the market works.
Hold on a second, guys. I'm just making
some adjustments here. Actually, I got
to make another adjustment. One moment.
See how this works.
Making some adjustments in the Investor
RT, so we can see HVNs and LVNs in here.
You'll see this now when it comes up.
Notice the resistance.
Now, so you need to understand is this
is not mechanical. You know, there's a
line on a chart.
How many of you have drawn lines on the
chart and you still have those tire
marks on your back? So,
I draw these because they represent
participant behavior
here.
High [snorts] volume. What is high
volume?
It's the same as this, except this is
for the full session and these are I'm
breaking it down
into
I'm not paying that. Yeah, Tom, but it's
on sale.
High volume. If
I I come up to a level
and I have my liquidity, I have my
sweep, and I break and I break, I can
this now it's too high in the short time
frame as you think of it. It's right
there.
I can be selling this.
Not a recommendation. I know my outside
edges there. My high volume is there. I
can sell. These are not trade
recommendations. I can sell this.
And all I'm trying to do is come back
here.
To get under here.
Or to come here. VWAP and all that. And
then you got met. These are structured
trades. Now, the thing to understand is
the fact that this is here doesn't mean
anything. What it means is if you are
trying to work a reversion. And you got
to remember, stops are up above here.
So, how do you operate in this? This is
where time frame and plan come in. This
might not be your trade. Some other
trader may take a short here.
The has everything for the short. Uh
Where What is the condition of the
market? Let's come back.
We're looking at this.
So, time frame determines if this is a
trade you can take. Other traders are
going to be long. And they're sitting in
their Barca loungers looking for this.
98% probability. Past performance not
indicative of future results. Other
traders are going to sell this. Which
trader are you?
Kind of complicated, don't you think?
Doesn't it create conflict within
yourself? What should you do? Hm?
Versus ask me, what do I say to people
saying there's impossible to have an
edge in an efficient market? Um
No, no, no. If you're
>> [laughter]
>> Efficiency has a lot to do with uh
depth. This market is the most has the
largest depth, I think. Maybe bonds.
I don't remember. I used to trade bonds,
you know. But, this is where most of the
action is. And and in the options now.
But, uh
it is efficient.
But, we're trading rotations. Edge is
created on rotational behavior.
Is there an edge here?
Go there.
Do you think there's an edge here?
How many points is this? Is this enough
to qualify? I trade this.
I'm not saying it's a good idea.
Other trade Now, here's an interesting
thing for you. You know, just to keep it
interesting.
This is a short for me, and it's
absolutely not a recommendation. And I'm
only looking to get risk neutral.
And maybe come out here and pick stops.
These This is a rotational trading
uh
process. I know the longs in here have
stops
there.
So, if I'm trading a short, I'm trading
into what I call fuel,
which is under here.
And this. No. No.
And then, what you're trying to do with
this, maybe, is trade this kind of a
thing.
And that's all the trade is. It's just
like there to there.
Or down here. I mean, it could do
anything. So, it's Get your trade on.
Uh
get risk neutral.
And then manage the trade and scratch it
or whatever it does it does. Or you get
stopped or whatever it does. The first
key to this whole thing is risk neutral.
And then,
we may pick these guys off, the VWAP and
the may because longs trail their stops.
Write this down. Think like a retail
trader. Don't act like one.
>> Yeah, the efficient market thing is
really not material to trading. Not as
far as I'm concerned. We trade rotations
and we need to be thinking about where
the other side is in all time frames.
Where is the other side? Well, we got
longs. What about the weak side?
Well,
the weak longs
micromanage
and their P&L are in it. Where is their
stops? They all pile them in the same
place, which would be here
and under here.
So, if I can get back here, that's okay.
Um if I take a short, I get risk neutral
and then if I get taken out, I get taken
out. Notice this is pulling.
So, that might take the lid off the pot
and then it comes back. It's just a
trade, doesn't matter. But as far as the
efficiency of the market goes,
if you're saying it's a zero-sum game or
something, yeah, it is ultimately cuz
for every buyer there's a seller. But
we're trading edge.
So, I mean, you could be in markets uh
that are not as efficient,
that are thinner,
uh but the behavior is the same. It's
just you're going to have
uh trouble
uh with fills and slippage. That's
primarily and they're like gold or uh
NQ.
I was a high-volume NQ trader for many
years and uh high-volume. So, uh
different, you know. But um
and that's thin. So, when I think of a
market, um
all markets really it's the depth of the
market that you need.
Uh
you know, for more efficiency and risk
management. When you get into thin
markets, you don't your risk really
you're kind of subject to where that
liquidity is sitting.
In ES, it's the most liquid market.
So, that one gives you
better risk management. Now, risk is
always an issue, but how many times have
you traded like gold or you know, any of
these? I can't even remember anymore cuz
I used to trade everything, you know,
but orange juice, you know, coffee,
ridiculous things, you know, and some of
those not only huge gaps, but
um
thin.
So, you could put a stop somewhere and
they'll call you next week.
So, that's part it has to be part of the
your vetting process.
Trading is generic in the sense of how
the market works.
You need to adjust to a market, I think,
being a market that aligns with you
psychologically.
Um
and that's really the key. Does the ES
align with you? Does the NQ? What about
gold? Do you want to trade crude?
Good market, thinner, different
behaviors. You have to understand the
nuance, the depth, the risk management,
do your job that
So, this thing, what are we looking for
here?
We're only trading this right now. Do
you see this? That's what we're actually
trading right here.
The market is short, the stops are here.
Shorts are pretty much subway purse
snatching.
Up to you.
Or you're not taking a short, you're
with some other traders in Trader Lab
who are long, right?
Which one is right?
For you.
>> How we doing, guys?
Everybody tracking?
I see I'm having some sound issues
again.
Uh in YouTube. Not sure what that's all
about.
Sorry about that, guys.
Um
Something keeps changing
in the OBS. So, YouTube, if you guys are
hearing this later and there's sound
issues, we're working on it. We thought
we had it straightened out.
So, let's watch this behavior. I got
about 3 minutes. Final questions. And
remember, this is exclusively this week
Discord only.
Uh YouTube will be posted several days
later. Um if you're visiting in YouTube
after the fact, if you want to become
part of the Trader Lab community,
there's no cost for it. You don't
currently have to be a Bookmap
subscriber. Use the link in YouTube. All
you have to do is verify your Discord
username.
Um and then uh
you will gain access to the Trader Lab.
Um there's a library of webinar's in
there, a document section, and of course
the Trader Lab community that's open to
all of you. Remember,
possibility to go here. This is strictly
short-term rotational trading.
Um
the overall probability is to take out
the shorts.
And uh this is just a short-term
rotational trade right here that we're
looking at. Okay?
So, hope you got something from this,
guys.
Um
Have a good day, everybody. Thanks for
visiting the Trader Lab. Appreciate you
and your patience. If you're watching
this in YouTube, uh there might be some
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